NEWSLETTER Lake Forest Preservation Foundation Lake Forest, Illinois Volume 5, Number 1 Winter/Spring 2012, Mayflower Place, Charles H. and Laura S. Schweppe Estate, 2012, A GRAND HOUSE FROM ANY ERA by Rosemary Troxel describing that the lovely and historic Schweppe Mansion was the site for the Lake Forest Preservation Foundation’s Annual Holiday celebration on December 4th and that constructed of concrete and steel this brick Tudor-style Early English Renaissance country house was built on former grounds of Lake Forest’s “New Hotel” and the Walter C. Larned estate “Blair Lodge” with the community given a unique opportunity to view this remarkable currently vacant property and although more than three hundred people attended the spacious rooms did not feel crowded with festive tables and decorated trees along with stunning Lake Michigan vistas making the grand house warm and inviting, and that Preservation Foundation Board member and local historian Art Miller recounted some of the estate’s history with guests and former neighbor Margaret Stuart Hart shared memories of dating the Schweppe’s son and visiting the house in its heyday, noting the 27-room mansion was completed in 1915 as a wedding gift from John Graves Shedd then Chairman of Marshall Field & Company to his daughter Laura Abbie Shedd who married financier Charles Hodgdon Schweppe and that Shedd hired Frederick Wainwright Perkins (1866-1928) the architect of Shedd’s Drexel Boulevard residence in Chicago to design the lakefront compound with continuation noted on page 5, PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE stating it was an exciting year for the Foundation and looking forward to 2012 the Board says thank you to those who continue to support in many ways and that the Board enthusiastically plans educational programs including expert speakers home tours garden walks historic estate openings and wine strolls and provides many volunteer hours working collaboratively on historic projects impacting the historic visual character of the city with issues remaining complex and thought provoking, and announcing a generous bequest made by Henry P. Wheeler Past & Sixth President of the Preservation Foundation described as first bequest of its kind with Wheeler serving in World War II later as a reserve commander and throughout life giving generously of his time to Lake Forest as an Alderman and years of service and leadership to the Foundation with the Foundation deeply appreciative of his thoughtfulness and generosity, signed Suzanne Boren President, UPDATE ON RAILROAD STATION RENOVATION noting work nearing completion on exterior of historic Market Square railroad station with slate roofs on the two buildings and platform canopies installed and historic dormers of east building restored and that preservation architect Gunny Harboe (Harboe Architects, Chicago) is completing renderings and bid documents for exterior stucco and masonry work and restoration of wood elements such as windows doors and trim, and that signs designed to replicate station signage in historic photos have been designed by Harboe and reviewed and approved by the Historic Preservation Commission and will be created and installed in final stage of exterior renovation, and that in spring or summer expect removal of former bank drive-through building facing McKinley Road and an initiative to propose and review a new sheltered area to consolidate bicycle parking compatible with the historic station and revised landscape plans for Western Avenue side to be reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission while the City studies various options for tenancy in the east and west station buildings, with caption noting Lake Forest train station during renovation photos courtesy of David Mattoon, PRESERVATION FOUNDATION OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS listing Officers Suzanne Boren President Jan Gibson V.P. Membership Dennis Johnston V.P. Programs Gail Hodges Secretary Len Dedo Treasurer, Directors Judy Boggess Kristen Chun Stephen Douglass Jerry Henry Cynthia Leahy John Litchfield Rommy Lopat Linda Medema Arthur H. Miller Pauline Mohr Alice Moulton-Ely Joy Murawski William Redfield Bruce Southworth Elizabeth Sperry Rosemary Troxel Guia Trutter, Immediate Past President Tom Daly, Honorary Directors Herbert G. Geist Gail T. Hodges Shirley Paddock Linda L. Shields Lorraine Tweed Sarah Wimmer, Past Presidents 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, 1992-1993 Linda A. Shields 1990-1992, 2001-2003 Pauline M. Mohr 1993-1995, 1997-1999 Richard J. DuBourdieu 1995-1997 Edward H. Bennett III 1999-2001 Alice F. Moulton-Ely 2003-2005 James F. Herber 2005-2007 Arthur H. Miller 2007-2009, Executive Director Marcy Kerr (with repeated listing blocks in the text), PIONEER LANDSCAPE AND GARDEN DESIGNERS FEATURED IN CULTURAL LANDSCAPE FOUNDATION ENCYCLOPEDIA Articles by Barbara Geiger Arthur Miller and Others Showcase Local Designs and Their Creators by Arthur H. Miller explaining it is widely known almost all of Lake Forest’s landscape space including open space parks gardens forecourts terraces and homes has been professionally designed by landscape gardeners architects and designers and several books in last two decades detailed this, and that the Cultural Landscape Foundation’s Charles Birnbaum editor of Pioneers of American Landscape Design (2000) produced in 2009 a second volume of shorter biographical sketches Shaping the American Landscape: New Profiles from the Pioneers of American Landscape Design Project edited by Charles A. Birnbaum and Stephanie S. Foell (University of Virginia Press 2009) 446 pages as a compendium of 160 short biographies with bibliographies and locations to visit, and that earlier book included biographical sketches on notables who created local gems including Jens Jensen Warren Manning Rose Standish Nichols O. C. Simonds Ellen Biddle Shipman and Ferruccio Vitale and Birnbaum followed up with a second group of essays continuing the project of documenting masters’ works and careers, and that Barbara Geiger author of 2011 biography of O. C. Simonds contributed an essay on James Roy West a Simonds partner who designed grounds of Lake Forest High School and that Thaisa Way University of Washington scholar of women landscape architects contributed article on Annette Hoyt Flanders who attended 1916 LF Garden Club study program under Ralph R. Root and went on to create local gardens and a New York-based career with Ferruccio Vitale and her own notable design firm, and that this writer contributed articles on Almerin Hotchkiss creator of 1857 town plan Frank Calvert U. of Illinois professor and formalist Ralph R. Root Louise Stone Hubbard and Marshall Johnson Jensen’s successor, noting other designers profiled include William C. Egan Gertrude Kuh Franz Lipp and Charles Blair Macdonald, and that several area sites are listed where work can be observed including Hotchkiss’s 1857 town plan Marshall Johnson’s 1950s informal subdivision of Villa Turicum honoring original Charles A. Platt pool and terraced water course and his rose garden in Libertyville town square and that a section at end details opportunities, with photo caption Old Main, Barat College, October 2009 photo courtesy of “bulls fan” on Flickr, A FARE WELL TO OLD MAIN by Pauline Mohr opening with Longfellow quote and describing that for over 100 years Old Main stood upon a hill with sweeping lawn defining the south Sheridan Road entrance to Lake Forest and that Religious of the Sacred Heart came in 1904 to erect what Arthur Miller described as an American Colonial Revival country place to house an academy for young women and four years later Barat College established occupying south wing and in 1924 Thabor Wing with chapel added above 1904 first floor and from then until 2001 Old Main stood as heart of educational institution and stately welcome but that proud history will soon fall to wrecking ball if things proceed, and architectural description of red brick façade with white stone exhibiting Georgian symmetry proportions and massing with central section flanked by hyphens connecting wings refined fenestration and detailed dormers and questioning how it came to current state, recounting that DePaul took over campus 2001 and by 2003 decided to close and marketed property and in 2006 Barat Woods LLC took ownership proposing residential development approved by City with rehabilitation of Old Main included, but plans never moved forward and in 2010 foreclosure occurred and deferred maintenance during Barat years and neglect after collapse brought Old Main to derelict condition and that it has been said building may be beyond rehabilitation though Barat Woods planned to renovate as luxury condominiums, and that in August 2011 Woodlands Academy announced anonymous donors planned to purchase 23-acre campus and donate to Academy with conditions including transfer by December 21 2011 and assurance they would be permitted to demolish Old Main and clear and grade property, but Old Main situated in Lake Forest Local Historic District protecting from demolition and Historic Preservation Commission denied petition to delist Old Main as standards not met, and to remove roadblock City crafted ordinance removing property from local historic district passing First Reading awaiting Woodlands Academy Master Plan before land can be cleared and title transferred, noting Old Main remains contributing structure to East Lake Forest National Register District and remains on Secretary of Interior’s Register of Historic Places but designation confers honor and does not preclude demolition and loss seems certain, ending with Byron quote, A Grand House From Any Era continued from page 1 describing entry reception room with paneled ceiling and limestone walls and rooms arranged in L-shape with long section east-west and public rooms including great hall dining room dining porch/breakfast room living room library and south-facing sun porch with ornate plaster relief ceilings and no moldings the same each copied from different architect and silver safe beveled mirrors on dining room walls and third floor ballroom among other unique features, and per A Preservation Foundation Guide to National Register Properties the French-style gardens contained a fountain copied from Villa d’Este in Italy with exterior ornamental figures carved on site by Italian artisans and pool designed by landscape architect Fletcher Steele and Pray Hubbard and Company Boston designed entry court and terraces and main entrance and fence designed by James Rogvy Allen of Chicago in 1927 and manufactured by Samuel Yellin who also made iron gates at Lake Forest Cemetery, and guests could imagine Crown Prince and Princess of Sweden dancing at party in June 1926 given by Schweppes with more than 200 people attending and it is said Edward Duke of Windsor slept in second floor west-facing bedroom along with Wallis Simpson for whom he abdicated British throne in 1936, and that Laura Schweppe known for generosity to Art Institute Field Museum Shedd Aquarium Chicago Historical Society and Lake Forest Library, and that vandals frequented property during nearly 50 years it sat vacant but two families undertook stewardship and in 1987 Hoeper family purchased overseeing extensive renovation and restoration returning mansion to former glory employing more than 70 craftsmen completed in less than a year with Bavarian artists and Italian stone crafters repairing limestone moldings and marble fireplaces, and noting famous people walked through its rooms including royalty and movie stars and two Hollywood movies filmed on site Music Box (1989) and With Honors (1994) and unknown future for historically and architecturally significant house, with note about ash trees endangered by Emerald Ash Borer and treatment every two years available and residents can read more on gazebonews.com photo by Rommy Lopat, UPDATE ON FOREST PARK CONCEPT PLAN by Rommy Lopat recounting that in May 2010 City Council “accepted a gift” of a Concept Plan for future work at historically significant Forest Park a National Register contributing property with unresolved issues including whether Ring Road should be closed to car traffic and parking and to what extent aesthetics of original landscape designers Almerin Hotchkiss and O.C. Simonds should be considered, and that City Council via Resolution 2010-06 created Forest Park Project Board (FPPB) to further develop concept plan commissioned by Lake Forest Garden Club with board chaired by former Parks and Recreation Board Chair Ralph Gesualdo and volunteers appointed to subcommittees including Amenities and Memorials Engineering and Technical Landscape and Horticulture Public Communications and Marketing Historic Preservation and Finance and Fundraising with chairs becoming members of Project Board, and that three subcommittees presented Interim Reports at community meeting at Gorton May 24 2011 and then to joint meeting of Historic Preservation Commission and Parks and Recreation Board Sept 21 2011 with testimony from Historic Preservation Landscape and Horticulture and Engineering and Technical subcommittees and that FPPB continued to meet privately until Jan 9 2012 when it posted letter to residents on website www.forestparkproject.com recommending retaining original Ring Road in form and location respectful of original O.C. Simonds design, eliminating parking along Ring Road while providing space for short-term vehicle waiting and passenger drop-off, repairing current belvedere stairs and beach access ramp, and recognizing designation of Forest Park as a Cultural Landscape, and that letter noted landscape architect Stephen Stimson rehired to incorporate changes and draft new preliminary renderings and visited Forest Park Jan 5 2012 to field test design elements with chalk outlines and on weekend Feb 3-6 Parks Department restriped park so City staff and members of Historic Preservation Commission and Parks and Recreation Board could view proposed position of road and pedestrian path added at request of City, and recalling LFPF prepared position paper Nov 2010 and resubmitted to City reiterating Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Properties used in Lake Forest Code providing criteria for evaluating actions on or in National Register properties including cultural and historic landscapes, and that revised Concept Plan to be presented first at Historic Preservation Commission meeting March 21 and Parks and Recreation Board meeting March 20 as informational reviews without votes and FPPB and Stimson will consider comments preparing plan for final consideration in April and boards may or may not vote to recommend and may ask for changes, and that Preservation Foundation representatives will attend and Board will study plan with primary concern understanding how HPC will assess and encouraging public attendance and comments, with repeated request for newsletter feedback via 847-234-1230 or [email protected], Ragdale notice explaining Ragdale originally built as Howard Van Doren Shaw’s Lake Forest summer home in 1898 and today houses artist residency program and in March 2011 kicked off $3 million restoration “Operation Renovation” as public/private partnership between City of Lake Forest and Ragdale Foundation and in little over a year house restored to original splendor and LFPF celebrating with Ragdale Friday May 18 from 5-7PM with invitations sent early April or check www.lfpf.org and noting painting by Howard Van Doren Shaw appeared in The New COUNTRY LIFE magazine October 1917 (repeated), A CALL FOR 2012 PRESERVATION NOMINATIONS 22nd ANNUAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION AWARDS stating each year LFPF honors families and organizations committed to excellence in preservation of Lake Forest’s architectural heritage and any structure or landscape over fifty years old eligible and nominations may be made by any interested person including owner neighbor friend passer-by with owner approval obtained by Foundation for nominations by one other than owner and awards presented at Annual Meeting this year Sunday April 29 at 1 p.m. in Community Room of Gorton Community Center with reception following at historic Lake Forest property and six categories of awards first four based on Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with judging based on ten standards from Standards for Rehabilitation and link provided and nominations accepted by printing form at www.lfpf.org or requesting one from office at 847-234-1230, membership promo BECOME A MEMBER! Join online at www.LFPF.org Together we can ensure preservation of historic visual character of Lake Forest with address 400 East Illinois Road Lake Forest Illinois 60045 www.lfpf.org and postal/ECRWSS block, UPCOMING EVENTS listing Lake Forest Preservation Foundation Annual Meeting and House Tour Sunday April 29 join for Annual Meeting and presentation of 2012 Preservation Awards times and location to be posted at www.LFPF.org, WINE STROLL AT RAGDALE Friday May 18 preview finished $3 million renovation of Shaw’s summer residence with house stroll meet team and enjoy wine and appetizers on porch and noting Ragdale landmark listed on National Register and surviving example of Arts & Crafts movement in the country, FOURTH ANNUAL FAMILY FAIR IN MARKET SQUARE Saturday June 23 with family fun games scavenger hunts explore underground train tunnel tour city by trolley play croquet and more, and watch for details of more programs including wine strolls throughout year fall house walk holiday party Sunday December 2 and check website for dates and more info www.LFPF.org.
