2015 Summer Newsletter

Summer 2015 2015 Preservation Foundation Awards Photo by Cappy Johnston new President’s essay new President’s essay Celebrating a Century and a Half Heritage of Lake Forest resident Homeowners and Businesses The LFPF mission “to protect the historic visual character” of the City is clear enough, this purpose is built on historic principles of classic harmony that go back to the 1857 plan for east Lake Forest and predating that even the basic geography here divides the community into two watersheds, east of Green Bay Road to the St. Lawrence River system and west to the Mississippi, east is found in a rhythm along the lakefront of eleven ravines with tablelands between and west is found in the rise and fall between post-glacial lake sand bars along Ahwahnee, Ridge, and Waukegan Roads, the local visual streetscape character also reflects these basic differences as on the east side of town streets typically are winding and to the west roadways are mostly axially straight, Sheridan Road meanders through the 1857 plan and beyond as it travels north and south while Green Bay Road and Waukegan Road are mostly straight shots through town, crossing the City east to west are Deerpath, Westleigh and Everett/Old Elm roadways that are similarly striking in their entries to town from Route 41 and from Waukegan Road, route 41 and route 60 – unmatcHed Gateways Route 41 this great four-lane divided north-south artery stands out as it passes through Lake Forest for its commerce-free parkway character, this green passageway in to town dramatically distinguishes it from the communities north and south as well as around Chicago and the Midwest, Route 60 the west-to-east portal to town and the main arrival point to Lake Forest from the western boundary at the tollway is a broad parkway entrance to the City connecting to Route 41, this axial boulevard is New City of Lake forest eNtry sigNage oN route 60 unmatched elsewhere in the Chicago region as a verdant corridor leading east toward the lake for its harmonious borders and medians of green crafted by a generation of careful zoning and planning, the west entry on Route 60 right by the southeast corner with Saunders Road testifies to the exceptional work by generations dating back to the 1970s in protecting this broad parkway, award winninG arcHitects oFFer a key to easy PermittinG all of us can note the brisker pace in the local economy and in public and private construction and development, if the nice crisp recession of 2008-09 reduced activity significantly the pent-up demand now being unleashed for additions demolitions new construction and larger developments has everybody’s attention, City staff and boards and commissions are keeping up where the petitions fit well into guidelines but are behind when special attention is needed, a key to moving your project through the City’s Board and Commission review process quickly and efficiently is to use a high-quality designer who is experienced locally and knows the City’s processes and design guidelines, for almost a quarter century the Foundation has been giving awards annually to local buildings and projects that meet the Department of Interior’s criteria for preservation rehabilitation reconstruction and restoration with also an infill category for new compatible construction, our awards can be seen on the Foundation website www.lfpf.org/preservation-awards and the pull-down menu shows Past Award Winners by year including listing the architects, these successful designers are experienced locally and know the City’s Board and Commission design review process and what is expected, this year for example there were four such professionals Michael Breseman, Eifler & Associates, Melichar Architects, and the Poulton Group, Preservation SUMMER 2015 – VOLUME 8, NUMBER 2 Contributors Guy Berg Peter Coutant Gail Hodges Arthur Miller Pauline Mohr Alice Moulton-Ely PhotograPhy Peter Coutant Allison Derr Cappy Johnston Roger Mohr Lake Forest Preservation Foundation 400 East Illinois Road Lake Forest, Illinois 60045 www.lfpf.org, CommerCe-free gateways new city entry siGnaGe this past year the City installed new entry signage at the main gateways to the community and the high quality design shows residents and visitors that our streetscapes and gateways are unique and that they are entering distinctive Lake Forest, for this the Foundation was proud to recognize the City and its superbly talented and experienced locally-based signage designers Melichar Architects at the Foundation’s 2015 annual Preservation Awards ceremony held this past April, that such high quality design marks the entry points to our City should remind us that the coordinated visual harmony of these remarkable entry corridors didn’t just happen by accident and the City through its volunteer boards and commissions dedicated staff and unwavering civic support has taken great pains to foster and protect the unique local quality of these thoroughfares, century-and-a-HaLF HeritaGe oF commerce-Free roadways no great historic civic accomplishment such as preservation of these beltways comes without compromise with convenience with foregone City revenue and even with conflicting preservation values, high standards for visual character locally go back to the 1850s with the innovative 1857 plan for the east side and with the early houses like 570 and 660 North Sheridan Road (1860 and 1861 respectively) that still are show places that all enjoy, Lake Foresters have been taking action to protect this visual character in their own intuitive ways for more than 150 years, indeed it was D. R. Holt who built 570 Sheridan who first said he would not build his house if there were any businesses east of the tracks and Western Avenue, this in turn led to the Western Avenue string of businesses and by 1916 that north-south service corridor’s central innovative commercial upgrade Market Square, this clear choice about managing commercial development was pushed westward in the 1920s by the introduction of zoning and the creation of the Plan Commission (a 1970s’ plan by that body projected the Route 60 corridor in the same vein with deep setbacks scaled to the broad thoroughfare), among many other leaders there have been eminent architect and resident Edward Bennett who encouraged planning in the 1910s and 1920s, Lake Forest Garden Club route 60 Corridor from waukegaN road to the toLLway cluttering signage from the 1920s and in recent decades too staff and board and commission members who have served as stewards of ordinances to protect the calming impact of natural harmonious entry into and on thoroughfares around town, the wisdom of these historic and 21st Century protective decisions is found in these broad roadway passages unrivaled perhaps west of the Hudson River, this is a heritage that has both drawn residents to Lake Forest and kept them here and it deserves Lake Foresters’ full support now as much as ever, as the future of development on the Amberley Woods property and other under-developed parcels along the Route 60 corridor is debated by the community in the days months and years ahead all are urged to protect the spirit and the letter of the ordinances that guard this legacy of hard work to maintain the harmonious landscape-dominant and commerce-free visual character of our gateways, while preservation of individual private and institutional/civic buildings gardens and landscapes is a core interest for the Foundation nonetheless it aims to foster understanding and appreciation of the coordinated harmony of the remarkable local streetscape heritage and for the Foundation in the coming year the challenge will be to continue to celebrate this unique local roadway achievement and to be its champion while also being mindful of other especially preservation priorities and advocating for them as well, Arthur Miller members who fought distracting billboards and route 60 streetsCape LookiNg east at amberLey woods, 2015 Preservation Foundation awards Established in 1991 the Lake Forest Preservation Foundation’s Historic Preservation Awards Program seeks to recognize and honor examples of the preservation of local historic properties amenities streetscapes and landscapes that exemplify the best of preservation efforts and contribute to the Foundation’s mission of preserving and protecting the historic visual character of Lake Forest, awards are based on criteria established by the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and the standards relate to the types of treatment undertaken for each property be it Preservation maintenance of an historic property that respects the original character; Rehabilitation acknowledgement of the need to alter or add to an historic property while retaining its original character; Restoration depiction of a property as it appeared at a particular period of history; Reconstruction recreation of vanished or non-surviving portions of a property, a fifth category Infill considers the compatibility of new construction in an established neighborhood, this year awards were earned in the categories of Preservation Rehabilitation and Infill, 128 Wildwood Road Rehabilitation awaRd Current Owner Bryan and Linda Krusmark Original Builder Alex Kelley, 251 King Muir Road Rehabilitation awaRd Current Owner Lawrence and Linda Remensnyder Project Architect Michael E. Breseman Architects, Ltd., this French Normandy house in Deerpath Hill Estates was designated a Lake Forest Landmark in 2004 and placed on the National Register in 2006 and after extensive renovations and a 2007 award the owners contracted with Michael Breseman to design a small multi-story addition with enlarged kitchen breakfast room laundry room and butler’s pantry, a second-floor playroom and walkout porch with handcrafted wrought iron railing, expanded lower level for media room and wine cellar, carefully selected exterior materials including vintage roof tiles bricks and hand-hewn timber framing for compatibility, awarded a Rehabilitation Award for careful integration and compatibility with original architecture, this two-story brick house was built in 1920 by Alex Kelley and by the 1970s was home of retired Gorton School teacher Miss Edna Kelley and is now the home of descendant Mr. Bryan Kusmark and wife Linda who renovated the front portico by removing a non-original porch enclosure and reinstating new wood columns reproducing the original open portico design, representative of Wildwood neighborhood early 20th Century all brick central-hall plan Georgian Revival houses unchanged on the street facade and giving unity without repetition, Lake Forest Entryway Signage infill awaRd Current Owner City of Lake Forest Project Architect Melichar Architects Project Builder Lynch Construction, in 2012 the City asked Melichar Architects to examine and evaluate existing entry roadway signage to better communicate Lake Forest’s character, they researched precedents and designed unique attributes from lettering font style to contoured signboard shape to detailed post and arm configuration creating a timeless sculptural focal piece and received an Infill Award for contextual compatibility with the traditional fabric of the community, 1005 East Illinois Road PReseRvation awaRd Current Owner Lisa and Chris Garrity Original Owner Mrs. Cyrus McCormick Architects Perkins, Fellows & Hamilton and I.W. Colburn, the tile roofed Japanese teahouse at 1005 East Illinois designed by Dwight H. Perkins and built in 1916 for Nettie Fowler McCormick was later adapted by I.W. Colburn into a residence with connected living spaces and continues as a great room with additions, the Garritys received a Preservation Award for continued stewardship and preservation, 20 South Mayflower Road PReseRvation and Rehabilitation awaRd Current Owner Thomas and Katherine Donovan Original Owner Leslie and Rhoda Violet Wheeler Original Architect David Adler Project Architect The Poulton Group, a well-preserved Georgian-style residence built 1934 with oriental details and Asian influenced entry porch and chinoiserie ornamentation, adapted for today with a two-car attached garage back entry/mud room renovations of kitchen and baths and meticulous duplication of solid masonry handcrafted windows and clay-tiled roof, awarded both Preservation and Rehabilitation Awards, 525 Broadsmoore heRitage awaRd Current Owner Nicholas and Marcie Alexos Original Owner James and Narcissa Thorne Original Architect Otis and Clark 1909 Project Architect Eifler & Associates 2007, built as a French-Baroque chateau with later tax-era demolitions and the Alexos family rehabilitated and reconstructed the south wing using original 1909 plans with preservation architect John Eifler and created a compatible northeast wing stepping down in classic hierarchy-of-form, awarded the rare Heritage Award encompassing preservation restoration reconstruction and rehabilitation, the MccoRMick tea house and the leslie wheeleR house thRee geneRations of asian design in lake foRest’s “old south woods” describing Nettie Fowler McCormick and Anita McCormick Blaine’s woodland garden estate designed by Warren Manning with paths and golf cart and Dwight Perkins’ 1916 Prairie Style house and Asian tea house for entertaining missionaries including Henry Luce’s family ties, subdivision after 1922 and sale to the Leslie Wheelers who engaged David Adler 1932-34 and his Asian portico and chinoiserie ornamentation, later purchase by Charles D. Peacock Haerther and adaptive reuse by I.W. Colburn in 1958 with sympathetic wings and entry arrangement and Asian naturalistic garden flair, creating a sequence of three designs in conversation across a century and the current owners’ stewardship worthy of awards in 2015, lauRel avenue RedeveloPMent a major project redevelopment of former Municipal Services property along Laurel and Western Avenues introduced by Focus Development in December 2014 with subsequent hearings and revised site plan after May 13 2015 meeting, original plan included one four-story building two three-story buildings one two-story building and 12 single-family dwellings for 118 luxury rental apartments 42 condo units and 12 single-family units with objections on height density architectural design roadway configuration parking traffic and the four-story building’s incompatibility, revised plan June 2 2015 eliminated the four-story building substituted two three-story buildings removed amenities building and adjusted roadway configuration, motion for tentative approval split and review still to come by Building Review Board, 15. 015) Book review INVENTING THE NEW AMERICAN HOUSE: HOWARD VAN DOREN SHAW, ARCHITECT By Stuart Cohen (Monacelli Press, 2015) describing thirteen Lake Forest country houses and appendix of eighteen local houses with Hedrich-Blessing photography building on Virginia Greene’s 1998 monograph and coffee-table scaled permanent value, 39th annual Meeting On April 26th members and friends joined to honor the 2015 Award Recipients and enjoy a beautiful afternoon at Fairlawn thanks to Lorna and Miles Marsh outgoing boaRd MeMbeRs, awaRd winneRs Fred Moyer Director with award winners Lisa and Chris Garrity, Architect Diana Melichar and Assistant LF City Planner Kate McManus accepting award from Guy Berg Awards Chairman and Director, LeFt to riGHt Alice Moulton-Ely Dennis Johnston Gail Hodges Jan Gibson and Steve Douglass, LAKE FOREST PRESERVATION FOUNDATION 2015-2016 BOARD OF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Arthur Miller President Stephen Bent VP Development Allison Derr VP Programs Maureen Grinnell Secretary Fred Moyer Treasurer DIRECTORS Guy Berg Lynn Bertram Judy Boggess Ingrid Bryzinski Kristen Chun Peter Coutant Cathy Dohnalek Tom Gleason Gail Hodges Linda Liang Laura Luce Roger Mohr Elizabeth Moore Jim Opsitnik Peggy Pandaleon Lynn Van Cleave Kent Woloson HONORARY DIRECTORS Herbert Geist Pauline Mohr Shirley Paddock Linda Shields Lorraine Tweed Sarah Wimmer EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Marcy Kerr NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 184 LAKE FOREST, IL 60045 ECRWSS Residential Customer Lake Forest, IL 60045 welCome new direCtors of lfPf LeFt to riGHt Tom Gleason Jim Opsitnik Lynn Bertram Peggy Pandaleon Lynn Van Cleave and Roger Mohr Not pictured Cathy Dohnalek Laura Luce, LFPF has put together a Full Program of Educational and Inspiring Preservation-Related Events for more information go to our website www.LFPF.org we appreciate our Members together we can protect the historic visual character of Lake Forest for generations to come renew for 2015 or join in our mission at www.LFPF.org LFPF is committed to expanding its endeavors for education advocacy and funding to preserve local landmarks Summer Garden Stroll Friday August 28 5:30 PM-7:30 PM $20 members $30 non-members, I.W. Colburn History Made Modern Sunday November 8 2:00 PM-4:00 PM the lasting work and influence of Ike Colburn discussion and house tour with Jay Pridmore, Annual Benefit Architectural Home and Garden Tour The Heart of Old Lake Forest Sunday September 20 1:30 PM-5:00 PM advance tickets $85 day of event tickets $100, Annual Member Holiday Celebration Sunday December 6 2:00 PM-4:00 PM members and their guests only.