1998 Fall Newsletter

Lake Forest Preservation Foundation Fall 1998, Lake Forest Preservation Foundation, celebrating our 22d year of achieving Progress Through Preservation, Lake Forest is nationally recognized as a place of distinctive character and as one of the earliest planned communities in the United States has had for over 140 years a history of active planning to ensure the quality of its built and natural environments, the Preservation Foundation was founded in 1976 for the specific purpose of working to keep change and growth consistent with the distinctive visual character of the community, each year the Foundation recognizes property owners who help preserve Lake Forest’s sense of place by maintaining, restoring, or even enlarging their historic buildings and landscapes with special care, and in 1998 for the first time the Foundation also recognized outstanding infill construction, awards for infill construction recognize property owners who designed new buildings in existing neighborhoods with particular attention to contextual compatibility, in each case the Preservation Awards winners have helped to preserve the overall beauty and property values of Lake Forest and we are pleased to share with you the 1997 and 1998 Award winners, each property exemplifies a commitment that benefits the entire community, 1997 Restoration Award “Little Orchard”: Mr. and Mrs. Peter Drake received the Restoration Award for their meticulous restoration of Howard Van Doren Shaw’s earliest residence in Lake Forest (shown above), designed in 1897, the Georgian Revival house had been remodeled in the 1930s by Stanley Anderson, in the 1950s it was remodeled in a contemporary style by A. James Speyer, Curator of 20th Century Painting at the Art Institute, to create a setting for the modern art collection of Mr. and Mrs. Solomon Byron Smith, the house had been empty and unattended for six years prior to the Drake’s purchase, given its age and siting on lakefront property it had been targeted by some for demolition, the Drakes spent more than two years working to return the house to its original style and referring to old photographs and keeping the history of the house in mind they installed new plaster and mechanical systems, stripped all lead paint inside and out and repainted, refinished floors, and added a new compatible garage, old bathroom fixtures were kept and refurbished and modern light fixtures were replaced with antiques, today the house again is a vital part of Lake Forest as well as a wonderful home for the Drakes and their family (continued on page 3), PRESERVATION FOUNDATION OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS Officers: Pauline M. Mohr-President, Kimberly Nicastro-Vice President, Marcia Bennett-Vice President, Alice Moulton-Ely-Secretary, Shirley Paddock-Treasurer; Directors: Edward H. Bennett, III, Priscilla A. Billington, Carol A. Champ, William H. Emerson, Ute Haberli, Warren F. Harshbarger, J. Fred Herlocker, Joseph F. Huber, Elaine B. Hughes, Lynn C. Knutson, Arthur H. Miller, Jr., Patricia C. Riess, Anthony M. Ryerson, David Schlott, Christine L. Shaw, Linda L. Shields, Dan Sutherland, Louise Weithas; Honorary Directors: Herbert Geist, Gail T. Hodges, Lorraine A. Tweed, Henry P. Wheeler, Sarah Wimmer; In Memoriam: Edward H. Bennett, Jr., David R. Moulton; PRESIDENTS OF THE PRESERVATION FOUNDATION: Edward H. Bennett, Jr., 1976-1978, Gayle K. Dompke, 1978-1980, Gail T. Hodges, 1980-1982, Herbert Geist, 1982-1984, Lorraine A. Tweed, 1984-1986, Henry P. Wheeler, 1986-1988, Sarah Wimmer, 1988-1990, Linda L. Shields, 1990-1992, Sarah Wimmer, 1992-1993, Pauline M. Mohr, 1993-1995, Richard J. DuBourdieu, 1995-1997, NEW! you now can visit the Preservation Foundation on the Web where you can learn more about the Foundation and local endangered places, obtain membership information, update your address if you are already a member…and more, http://members.aol.com/desbarats/preserve, the Preservation Foundation Newsletter is published by The Lake Forest Foundation for Historic Preservation and distributed without charge to the residents and businesses in the City of Lake Forest, PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE: the preservation mood has been one of celebration since the May completion of the historic Walden-Bluff’s Bridge, the Foundation celebrated the official dedication of the bridge to the public on Sunday, August 16, 1998 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony presided over by Lake Forest Mayor Cornelius B. “Ron” Waud, following the ribbon cutting Foundation members, City officials, and members of the public joined in a gala celebration marked by a warm party spirit and a sense of accomplishment, the bridge spans a beautiful ravine and connects Bluff’s Edge Drive to Walden Road but there is also a connection to the history of our town at the bridge which enriches the site for those who are aware of it, even if one is unaware of this history the beauty and serenity of the setting and the poetics of the bridge itself distinguish the site and structure as special and rare, how fortunate we are to have succeeded in saving this wonderful resource for our community, others also have recognized the exceptional qualities of the bridge as well as the efforts of the City, the Foundation, and the citizens of Lake Forest who worked to save it, Walden-Bluff’s Edge Bridge has received the Richard H. Driehaus Award for Outstanding Preservation Advocacy and the Bridge also has received a Merit Award from the Steel Bridge Alliance of America, Other Preservation News: the City Council recently approved a Preservation Ordinance creating a Preservation Commission which will serve as a forum for exploring issues and projects affecting historic preservation in Lake Forest and this is good news for residents of our community because the Commission’s work will help to maintain the distinctive visual character of Lake Forest which historically has been recognized as well planned, well designed, and architecturally remarkable, Thoughts to Ponder: “Our architecture reflects us, as truly as a mirror.” (Louis Sullivan) what reflection do you see in our community, “All we best know about great civilizations now dead is what we may learn from their architecture. If our civilization were to be destroyed now, what would future civilizations have to think of us as a people?” (Frank Lloyd Wright) what will future generations think of us and how will they judge the architectural face of each decade of the twentieth century, this exercise in architectural self-examination is theoretically interesting but it also can bring us to practical considerations including one that relates to a current concern of the Foundation, that of infill construction, with our community reaching build-out stage it is inevitable that we will see an increasing amount of infill development, some in our most historic neighborhoods, one of the goals of the Foundation is to work to keep this growth and change consistent with the town’s architectural past by maintaining the high quality of design that traditionally has been one of the distinguishing characteristics of Lake Forest, citizen awareness is one way to help achieve this goal and I would like to suggest another to those who are not currently members of the Lake Forest Preservation Foundation: join today, simply fill in the membership application that appears in this newsletter, your support underwrites publications, programming, and grants that support education, research and studies, and preservation projects directed to preserving the historic visual character of Lake Forest, Pauline M. Mohr; Do You Have a Copy of PRESERVATION FOUNDATION GUIDEBOOK, Second Edition, the Foundation’s Guidebook to National Register Properties, Lake Forest, Illinois, Second Edition includes information on the first two Lake Forest Districts elected to the National Register of Historic Places and on five properties listed individually on the National Register, available in local bookstores and shops as well as at Gorton Community Center for $15; Preservation Awards (continued from page 1): 1997 Preservation Award “House of the Four Winds” Mr. and Mrs. William Redfield were cited for their Arts and Crafts-style house designed by Howard Van Doren Shaw in 1908 (shown below), the house was a summer residence for Hugh Johnston McBirney, President of the National Lead Company, who lived on Chicago’s Prairie Avenue; 1997 Preservation Award Lasker Estate Garage Adaptive Use: Mr. and Mrs. Andre Pernet received a 1997 Preservation Award for the preservation of this building (shown below) from the historic Albert Lasker estate, built in 1926-1927 as the eight-car garage for the estate and designed by David Adler, the building was converted to a residence in the 1940s by Jerome Cerny, recent additions were carefully designed by Dan Sutherland to maintain the original street presence; 1997 Preservation Award 2050 Knollwood Road: Mr. and Mrs. Harold Petit received a 1997 Preservation Award for their 1928 home built by Leon Urbain for Gustav Fisher on the grounds of the Knollwood Club, the house has been conscientiously maintained over its 70-year life and for more than 30 years by the Petits and retains its essential character as reflected in a photograph taken shortly after it was built; 1997 Renovation Award 155 East Onwentsia Road: Mr. and Mrs. Jan Jorfald were recognized for a sensitive addition to their circa 1935 home built originally for Elliott R. Dutcheon, Jr., this Arts and Crafts-style house with elements of Tudor Revival style is located in the Green Bay Road Historic District and was modified to incorporate a Great Room addition including an inglenook and bath for a new pool designed by Paul Janicki; 1997 Renovation Award Lake Forest City Hall: The City of Lake Forest was cited for major renovation of the building as undertaken by architect David Woodhouse, built in 1898 City Hall was designed by Charles S. Frost and Alfred Granger, the English Tudor building combines the character of a public building with that of a domestic building originally to be compatible with surrounding turn-of-the-century homes, the renovation incorporated requirements for improved accessibility and for maximized use of City Hall for public meetings and administrative functions, the grounds were enhanced to seamlessly incorporate the required ADA access and invite greater public use, the City Hall renovation project also recently received a Design Excellence Award from the Chicago Chapter of the AIA and a Richard H. Driehaus Award from the Landmarks Preservation Council; 1998 Preservation Award Lake Forest Library: designed in 1931 by Edwin H. Clark with additions in 1977 by William Danforth, the Library was a gift to The City of Lake Forest from the family of Kersey Coates Reed, the building is an outstanding example of late Beaux Arts-period public architecture designed with a high level of classic detail and that detail has been maintained by the Library during renovations to meet the needs of patrons in the late-1990s, the Library Board has taken great pains to restore the murals in the Rotunda and to sensitively adapt the interior to the era of on-line information; Preservation Awards (continued from page 3): 1998 Preservation Award Deerpath School Gardens: District 67 was recognized for preservation of the landscape design and approach to the school as designed originally by Franz Lipp in 1955 and revised in 1961 by Ralph Synnestvedt & Associates, the landscape today preserves the drive, open lawn, and much of the planting of the original plan, this open space has been preserved at a key entrance to Lake Forest across from a classic estate and contributes significantly to the character of the community; 1998 Renovation Awards: Albert Lasker Estate House, 920 Hawthorne Place, 437 North Green Bay Road, 185 Vine Avenue, “Centaurs Belvedere”: in 1998 four Awards were given to property owners for sensitive renovation of historic homes and an Honorable Mention was presented for renovation of a garden amenity, Mr. and Mrs. James Milgrim were honored for renovation of the Albert Lasker estate house designed by David Adler in 1926 including roofing, plaster, renovation of formerly-removed outside doors, mechanical systems, and rebuilding of garden walls, the house when purchased had been cited twice earlier by the Foundation as an endangered historic property; Mr. and Mrs. William Patterson received an award for renovation of their circa 1930 Colonial home (shown below) as undertaken by architect David Poulton, the floor plan was updated, mechanical systems, doors, and windows were replaced to replicate the originals, and the kitchen was remodeled; Mr. and Mrs. Fred Tuomi restored and renovated their 1859 home in the Vine Avenue Historic District, built for Francis Pratt the original depot master of Lake Forest, the house is comprised of two houses that were joined together; Mr. and Mrs. Terrence Kiwala received recognition for renovation of their home in the Vine Avenue National Register District (top right column) and also for restoration of their garden (middle right column) designed by renowned landscape architect Jens Jensen, the house by architect Hugh Garden was built in 1908-1909 and was known for many years as the Wyndham Hasler home, the Kiwalas restored the overgrown forest, Jens Jensen garden, and pergola to their original condition; an Honorable Mention was awarded to Mrs. Beatrice Schuetz Mueller for her work in saving the Belvedere from the Alfred Hamill estate “Centaurs,” designed in 1929 by David Adler, the Belvedere was rebuilt and repaired under Mrs. Mueller’s direction to return this garden feature to its former elegant presence; Preservation Awards (continued from page 4): 1998 Renovation/Adaptive Reuse Award 1167 Pine Lane: Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wood, working with Richard Geudtner, turned what had been a stable (later a garage) designed for G. R. Thorne by Howard Van Doren Shaw into a most attractive home that retains its original turn-of-the-century exterior details, the work was completed in the 1970s and the house has been carefully maintained as a presence in the Pine Lane streetscape; 1998 Awards for Infill Design: 98 East Woodland Road, 1200 North Elm Tree Road: in May 1997 the Report of the Ad-Hoc Historic Preservation Committee of the City Council identified demolition of existing buildings and incompatible infill construction as two of four major factors altering the character of Lake Forest, the Committee also identified seven critical issues and the issues ranked highest were Demolition and Adaptive Use: inability to influence or prevent demolition and promote adaptive use, and Compatible Design and Building Scale, Streetscape Preservation: need to achieve contextually compatible architectural and landscape design, to increase public awareness of issues of infill design the Preservation Foundation initiated in 1998 an Award for new construction that exhibits outstanding contextual compatibility, two properties were judged exemplary and received awards for infill construction, Mr. and Mrs. Greg Schlax received approval from the Building Review Board to demolish an existing house and build an English cottage designed by David Poulton, their property is fifty feet wide, the lot is less than half an acre and located in a long-established neighborhood opposite West Park, the design, scale, and massing of the 2,600 square foot house are compatible with neighboring houses, additional landscaping is planned and the house though new already has an established character in the neighborhood; Mrs. Mignon Buehler received approval from the Building Review Board to demolish a farmhouse and worked with architect Diana Melichar to design a Mediterranean-inspired residence, the collaboration created a house that fits gracefully within existing mature landscaping on its large lot, is scaled and designed to blend comfortably with neighboring established estate buildings, and accommodates the owner’s needs within a design mass that maintains the dominance of landscaping on the property; Communities have a history and in an important sense they are constituted by their past and for this reason we can speak of a real community as a “community of memory,” one that does not forget its past, Robert Bellah et al, The Good Society; The American Century in Architecture: Technology, Culture, & Style, a seminar series & benefit tour presented by the Women’s Board of Lake Forest College, October 13-November 10, Tuesday mornings 9-10:30 a.m., Hotchkiss Hall, Middle Campus, October 13 “Cast-Iron Architecture,” Professor Carol Gayle, October 20 “Henry Blake Fuller’s The Cliff Dwellers,” Professor Benjamin Goluboff, October 27 “Roadside America,” Professor Stephen Sennott, November 3 “Twentieth Century Architecture,” Professor Emeritus Franz Schulze, November 10 benefit tour of Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House with Franz Schulze, series subscription $60 before October 6, $70 thereafter, single ticket $20 in advance or at the door, benefit tour $60 before October 6 with series subscription, $70 thereafter as space permits, information Peg Bramhall, Lake Forest College, 735-6002; every community whether its history is measured in centuries or decades has landmark buildings and neighborhoods that help to define its character and if we are to be successful in saving these special places we must be vigilant in identifying threats to their continued existence and imaginative in developing strategies to keep them alive and we must also take an active informed role in the discussions and decisions that shape the future of the communities that we call home, Richard Moe, President, National Trust for Historic Preservation; JOIN us! THE LAKE FOREST FOUNDATION FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION, Box 813, Lake Forest, Illinois 60045, I/We want to help preserve the historic character of Lake Forest please enroll me/us in the selected membership category (contributions are tax deductible, please make checks payable to The Preservation Foundation), Mr./Ms., Mrs., Miss, Member Annual Dues $35, Contributing Member Annual Dues $50, Sponsor Annual Dues $100, Sustaining Member Annual Dues $250, Street, Telephone, Life Member-Contribution to the Revolving Fund in the amount of $2,500 or more, no annual dues required, City, State, Zip, I/We would like to work actively with the Foundation, please call me/us to discuss areas of interest, the Preservation Foundation, an Illinois 501(c)(3) public foundation, is open to all who share its goal of progress through preservation.