PRESERVATION FOUNDATION OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS Officers Alice F. Moulton-Ely PRESIDENT Pauline M. Mohr V1cE PRESIDENT, MEMBERSHIP Janet M. Gibson V1cE PRESIDENT, PROGRAMS Carol A. Champ SECRETARY James F. Herber TREASURER Oirectors Marcia 0. Bennett Edward H. Bennett, Ill Paul T. Bergmann Laureen Grieve Maureen Grinnell Judith A. Harris Michael Hrusovsky Elaine B. Hughes Arthur H. Miller Edward Notz, Jr. Dustin O’Regan Shirley M. Paddock Jane Partridge Frank Ponterio Patricia C. Riess Linda L. Shields Craig Speed Honorary Directors Herbert Geist Gail T. Hodges Lorraine A. Tweed Henry P. Wheeler Sarah D. Wimmer PRESIDENTSOF 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 D. Wimmer,1988-1990,1992-1993 Pauline M. Mohr, 1993-1995, 1997-1999 Richard J. DuBourdieu, 1995-1997 Edward H. Bennett, Ill, 1999-2001 Linda L. Shields, 1990-1992, 2001-2003 Photos: Linda and Jerry Shields, Bob Moulton-Ely, City of Lake Forest, Don Rypkema, Contributors: Gail Hodges, Art Miller, Alice Moulton-Ely, Dustin O’Regan, Shirley Paddock, Linda Shields, Sarah Wimmer, Preservation! is published by The Lake Forest Foundation for Historic Preservation, Box 813, Lake Forest IL 60045 (847) 234-1230 www.LFPF.org Gail T. Hodges, Editor, A President’s Message ,) ,)The Economics of Preservation This edition of our newsletter has as its basis the stirring presentations of preservation economist Don Rypkema, 1 He was the featured speaker at the Preservation Conference in May that we sponsored jointly with The City of Lake Forest, Perhaps Mr. Rypkema’s most poignant observations, gleaned from a 30-plus-year career in preservation and real estate, were that: The value of one’s property is derived from the properties surrounding it and not solely from the confines of its lot lines, and The value of houses within historic districts rises faster than the value of houses outside such districts, At the conference, it was interesting to meet people from other communities (13 of them!) and to hear not only their tales of woe, but also the hopes they have for their own communities, A common theme running through these conversations was how lucky we are in Lake Forest to have boards, commissions, governing bodies, and City staff who not only care about the town’s visual character, but are willing to do something about preserving it, “Gaslight Gala” a Success! Thanks go to everyone who helped make our first “Gaslight Gala” fund-raising endeavor such a successful evening! Particular thanks go to the homeowners who opened the doors of their historic house, “Lansdowne:’ Now it’s up to the Foundation’s Gaslight Committee to work with the City to try and create a workable plan to turn those gaslights back on! It costs approximately $135,000 to keep the lights lit, and this is an ongoing, ever-increasing, yearly cost, Stay tuned! Alice Moulton-Ely, Upcoming Programs and Events November-March Open to the Community! Call 847-234-1230 for further information and reservations, North Shore Chicago: Houses of the Lakefront Suburbs 1890-1940 with Susan Benjamin, Author and Preservation Consultant Lecture and Reception at the Historic Finley Barrell manor house Members $5; Nonmembers $10 per person, Annual Members-Only Holiday Party Celebrate the beginning of the holiday season during a festive afternoon party with fellow Foundation members Look for members-only invitations in the mail in November, Lake Forest’s West Park Slide Lecture with Arthur Miller, Lake Forest College Members free; Nonmembers $5 per person, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Part 3 Panel Discussion with Architect and Building Review Board Member Guy Berg, Architect Tom Rajkovich, and Past Foundation President Pauline Mohr Members $5; Nonmembers $10 per person, The Homes of Jerome Cerny Slide Lecture with Arthur Miller, Lake Forest College Members free; Nonmembers $5 per person, Masterpieces of Chicago Architecture Slide Lecture with Martha Thorne, Associate Curator of Architecture, The Art Institute of Chicago Members free; Nonmembers $5 per person, Eight Big Ideas from the National Trust for Historic Preservation Slide Lecture with Royce Yeater, Midwest Director of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, View Preservation Programs on LFTV, Channel 19 View Preservation Programs on LFTV, Channel 19 Members $5; Nonmembers $10 per person, SUNDAY NOVEMBER 21 2-4 P.M. Private Lake Forest Home Reservations Limited, SUNDAY DECEMBER 5 Time and Location to be announced, WEDNESDAY JANUARY 12 7P.M. Gorton CC, SUNDAY JANUARY 30 2P.M. Gorton CC, THURSDAY FEBRUARY 10 7P.M. Gorton CC, SUNDAY FEBRUARY 27 2P.M. Gorton CC, WEDNESDAY MARCH 23 7P.M. Gorton CC, 3 downtown Lake Forest, Market Square underwent a seven-figure restoration of its infrastructure, park, and landscape in 2000, in a broad-based community initiative spearheaded by Market Square 2000 and The City of Lake Forest, Market Square, a National Register landmark, includes many architectural amenities contributing to its distinctive character, The Roman numerals on the face of the south tower clock in Market Square show signs of significant rust and erosion of metal surfaces, Why Amenities Matter, Lake Forf’st is rich in architectural amenities, some prominent and some hardly noticed until they are gone, We take for granted the iron gates, the careji,lly-crafted stone walls and pillars, the fanciful urns atop gateposts, the iron and copper weather vanes from the turn of the last century, If. bit by bit, these embellishments on the local strcetscape are allowed to deteriorate or disappear, over time the visual fabric of the community becomes less distinctive and less beautiful, Three such elements deserve attention, The Market Square Towers, As the accompanying photographs show, deterioration of the architectural detailing on the north and south towers in Market Square has become quite noticeable, The Roman numerals on the face of the south tower clock show significant rust, with major erosion of the metalwork beginning, as shown at left, The classic urns on the north tower are crumbling and, as illustrated opposite, part of at least one urn has either fallen oft or been removed, Due to apparent lack of maintenance, key decorative elements on two of the Chicago region’s most significant historic structures are at risk of loss and appear to be of potential danger to passersby as well, Plans for rehabilitation of these priceless amenities are unknown, Market Square, built in 1916 and designed by famed architect Howard Van Doren Shaw, is nationally recognized as one of the most important landmarks in the Midwest and a national model tor innovative, aesthetically-pleasing planning, As the progenitor and model of modern shopping malls, the Square is visited often by city planners, architects, and landscape architects, The “jewel” of, The Memorial Elm, For more than 83 years, those passing by the northeast corner of Deer Path and Green Bay Road noticed an elm tree surrounded by a wrought iron tree guard bearing a memorial plaque, Preservation Foundation Director Shirley Paddock noticed the plaque and tree guard missing this fall, She contacted the City of Lake Forest, which reported that several people had called noting that the tree guard appeared to be harming the tree, The plaque and the tree guard, dedicated on November 11, 1921, to honor “Lake Forest’s hero dead” who served in World War I, were erected by the Knights of Pythias, The Decoration Day (now celebrated as Veterans Day) plaque bears the inscription: “This elm tree planted in honor of our hero dead who served in the World War 1917-1918 by Confidence Lodge 582, Knights of Pythias, Lake Forest, Illinois, November 11, 1921,” The Knights of Pythias, an international fraternity, was founded during the Civil War, in 1864, At the suggestion of Abraham Lincoln, it became the first American Order ever chartered by an Act of the Congress of the United States, The City removed the plaque and guard, but did not intend to reinstall it, citing monetary considerations, The Preservation Foundation Board, cognizant of the value of such memorials, has voted to fund the reworking of the tree guard and reinstallation of the guard and plaque, at a cost not to exceed $500, The classic urns on the north tower in Market Square show signs of corrosion, In tact, the top of one urn has fallen oft or been removed because of damage, This memorial plaque, dedicated to heroes of World War I by the Knights of Pythias in 1921, together with its tree guard, will be restored by the Preservation Foundation to surround the memorial elm tree at the corner of Green Bay Road and Deer Path, The reverse triangle shape is that of the shield of the Order of Knights of Pythias, as are the letters F, C, and B on the shield, Other elm trees planted on Deer Path also were originally World War I memorial elms, Where is this? It could be any-where, As a community grows and develops, it has a choice: lo work to retain its distinctive character, or not, When a community loses its sense of place, ,t becomes generic, The spirit of that community is lost, and it becomes “Anywhere USA,” 6 Why Preservation Matters “It may surprise you to learn that a majorizv of architects and designers today receive almost no training in the design and construction of classical and traditional architecture as part of their basic design education, While musicians learn to play Bach and Mozart and study harmony and counterpoint in music schools across the country, most design professionals begin their careers totally unequipped to draw moldings or the classical orders, to design using the principles of proportion, or to detail traditional structures for construction, The legacies of Greece and Rome as a resource for education have all but vanished from architecture schools today, The loss of this fundamental curriculum grew out of the abandonment, after the second World War of the Beaux-Arts approach to design education, which emphasized imitation, method, and tradition, in favor of a Bauhaus-inspired curricula which focused on originality and invention and dispensed with all traditional approaches to design, As a result, among the generations of architects and designers practicing today, most no longer know the language that would allow them to design in a classical or traditional manner, or the basis it offers for any good design,” (From the 2003 Mission Statement of the Institute of Classical Architecture and Classical America), Recognizing the effects of this trend in architecture, dealing with increased requests for demolition, and engaging in the resultant ongoing struggle to preserve the historic ambiance of communities in the North Shore and suburban region, the Preservation Foundation and The City of Lake Forest co-sponsored a preservation conference, “Sense and Cents-ability,” this past May, The conference offered the opportunity to explore how to promote preservation and constructive alternatives to the demolition, overbuilding, and incompatible architecture that are eroding the historic character of many communities as land becomes increasingly valuable and developmental pressures mount, Speaker Donovan Rypkema, a professional with a thirty-year career in real estate and preservation, made three separate presentations to representatives from thirteen different Chicagoland communities, There were sessions for architects, builders, and realtors; for city staffs, preservationists, historians, and city boards; and for homeowners and others interested in preservation, Mr. Rypkema spoke about the economic successes of preservation and had studies to back up his claims, He spoke of the importance of context in valuing a property, He discussed the meaning of property rights and highest and best use of the land, Some key points made during the conference are worth thinking about as our community plans for the Waukegan Road in Lake Forest, a commercial district developed with the character of the community in mind, Services abound, traffic moves at highway pace, yet the vision is of landscape, architecture of character, and open space, 7 In sharp contrast to a community like Lake Forest, where government has enacted the legislative tools and appointed boards and commissions to preserve community character, towns without those initiatives become generic places that could be any-where …even when land is inexpensive or homes are costly, 8 future and deals every day with the challenge of allowing change within the context of trying to preserve the distinctive character of Lake Forest, Nearly 900,000 housing units built in the United States before 1940 have been lost in recent years, The preservation of smaller, older homes is a key to keeping affordable housing in a community, If we are to have homes affordable to young families, retirees, teachers, police, fire fighters, and municipal employees, saving smaller homes from demolition is key, Ownership rights carry with them responsibilities for stewardship of neighborhood and community character, Preservation is not a rights movement, but rather, a responsibility movement, The value of a property is largely in its context, not just its individual building and grounds, The economic value of a community lies in its sense of place and spirit, A community that loses its distinctive character becomes generic, Preservation ordinances, preservation districts, and conservation districts maximize the whole of a community, not just the value of individual properties, The value of properties in historic districts increases faster per year than the market as a whole, often in statistically significant ranges from 5 to 25%, Mr. Rypkema was impressed with what Lake Forest has done to preserve its character, He has traveled the world, and said that he hoped our residents appreciated what we have here, He was impressed by the mix of homes, large and small, by our success in preserving our sense of place, But he warned that this could change easily, and noted that the public, private, nonprofit partnership we have in Lake Forest is a key to future success, No one sector can succeed by itself, Note: To learn more about the economics of historic preservation: Look up a copy of The Economics of Historic Preservation: A Community Leader’s Guide by Donovan D. Rypkema, published by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Visit the Lake Forest Building Department, where City staff may be able to provide you with materials distributed at the Preservation Conference “Sense and Cents-ability,” By contrast,-the West Park neighborhood illustrates what a community can accomplish with planning and preservation, Laid out by architect Howard Van Doren Shaw, the land in the West Park neighborhood was planned with lots for sale at modest prices and with generous terms, The idea was to encourage members of the Young Men’s Club to have a stake in the community by investing in homes, Conservation districts, enacted in an area such as the West Park neighborhood, can help preserve the character of a residential area, THANK YOU! Gaslight Gala A A 1 1a Sold-Out Success THANK YOU! The Lake Forest Preservation Foundation extends its heartfelt thanks to the following supporters, who have sparked our efforts to relight the gaslights, $2,500 to $5,000 Mrs. A. Watson Armour, Ill, $1,000 – $2,499 Bruning Foundation Ms. Lois LeMenager Mr. and Mrs. Frank Mohr Mr. Herbert Stride, $500 – $999 Anonymous Mr. and Mrs. Henry T. Chandler Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Teich, $100 – $499 Anonymous Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Anderson Mr. and Mrs. James Andress Mr. Paul T. Bergmann Mr and Mrs. Brian Brodeur Mr. and Mrs. Don Brown Mr. and Mrs. David Cain Ms. Charenton Zelov Drake Dr. and Mrs. William Egan Mr. and Mrs. Chip Frame Ms. Janet M. Gibson Mr. and Mrs. David Grinnell Mr. and Mrs. James Herber Mr. and Mrs. Peter lanello Mr. and Mrs. John H. Krehbiel, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Luke Massar Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Miller Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Shannahan Mrs. Philip W. K. Sweet, Jr. Mr. Henry Wheeler, A A1 From its founding in 1976, the Preservation Foundation has had one overriding goal: Maintain the historic visual character of Lake Forest and the historic ambience of our part of the North Shore, We have led the community in a number of significant preservation endeavors over the years, from restoring the downtown Lake Forest train station to saving the Walden-Bluff’s Edge Bridge, Now the very symbol of our nearly three decades of effort is endangered: the historic Lake Forest Gaslight, For economic reasons, The City of Lake Forest extinguished the gaslights in April, In an effort to help build the resources required to re-light the gaslights, the Foundation held the “Gaslight Gala” on October 16, Presented at the historic “Lansdowne” estate in Lake Bluff, itself endangered by potential subdivision, the sold-out event was attended by residents from across the community, We expect net proceeds to initiate a significant contribution toward the goal, We thank all who contributed to this effort, taking note of the special friends listed at the left, The Gaslights Anastasia Brian, Linda Bloom, Franchesca Connell (right}, Craig Speed, Chris Lundergan (below}, Lori Baker, Steve Worth, Dustin O’Regan (below right}, Anastasia Brian, Linda Bloom, Franchesca Connell (right}, Craig Speed, Chris Lundergan (below}, Lori Baker, Steve Worth, Dustin O’Regan (below right}, The Foundation’s logo is the image of one of the 438 gaslights lining the streets in about one-quarter of the city, Chosen originally as symbolic of a significant element of Lake Forest’s historic visual character, the gaslight over the past 28 years has become the symbol for preservation activities to help maintain Lake Forest’s uniqueness, For nearly a century, these lights provided a soft, quiet welcoming glow along streets in Lake Forest’s historic districts, For many, they symbolized one of the best parts of Lake Forest itself, In other towns across the nation, communities hoping to add this kind of character, added gaslights to their streets, In April, the glow was snuffed out in Lake Forest, and the gaslights became victims of City budget cuts, Annual savings approximate $135,000, The Gaslight Gala is only the first step in relighting the gaslights, A committee of the Foundation Board will work with the City and others to help find a solution to restore this important element of Lake Forest’s character, We welcome your ideas or professional expertise, your participation in the process, and your support, THE GASLIGHT GALA Judy and David Harris (top left), Maureen and David Grinnell (top right}, Marcia Bennett, Judy Polk, and Ted Bennett (right}, Nat and Danielle Caputo, Brett and Erin Paschke (below}, Many thanks also to those whose in-kind contributors and silent auction donations contributed to our success Andy & Ceil Barrie American Legion Ted & Marcia Bennett Priscilla Billington Cosentino Winery Etten Vodka Michael Hrusovsky Peter Hughes, Lake Bluff artist Knightsbridge Lake Forest Fire Department Lake Forest Recreation Cathy & Tom Leahy Didier & Jane LePauw Arthur Miller Alice Moulton-Ely Dr. Nicolosi, celebrity pop artist Frank Ponterio The Poulton Group John Rosene, Barrington Hills Polo Club Under the Purple, A A1 Your Support…Makes the Difference! Walden Lane residents Corliss and Jack Mueller beside the historic plaque they donated for lhe restoration of the Walden-Bluff’s Edge Bridge, 12 Walden-Bluff’s Edge Bridge On September 12, neighbors from Walden Road and Bluff’s Edge Drive gathered with fellow preservationists to celebrate the installation of an historic plaque at the north entrance of the Walden-Bluff’s Edge Bridge, The large bronze plaque mounted into the stone wall was donated by Bridge neighbors Jack and Corliss Mueller, shown above, Mike Koob of Wiss, Janney, Elstner and Associates, who engineered and supervised the reconstruction of the historic bridge, prepared the site, and installed the plaque in the wall, In her remarks, Alice Moulton-Ely, President of the Foundation, expressed appreciation to Mr. and Mrs. Mueller, Mike Koob, and Bob Kiely, representing The City of Lake Forest, She also recognized the campaign leadership and fund-raising accomplishments of the late Richard DuBourdieu (President from 1995-1997), the late Tony Ryerson (longtime member of the Foundation Board), and current Director Shirley Paddock, Mrs. DuBourdieu and her son were among those present at the occasion, The Walden-Bluff’s Edge Bridge received the Richard Driehaus Award for Outstanding Preservation Advocacy in 1998, as well as a Merit Award from the Steel Bridge Alliance of America, among others, The Preservation Foundation is proud of its work with neighbors, residents throughout the community, and The City of Lake Forest in saving this part of our community’s fabric and history for future generations to enjoy, Foundation Awards $50,000 Grant to Ragdale At a groundbreaking ceremony on May 4, 2004, the Foundation presented a grant of $50,000 to The Ragdale Foundation for the restoration of the circa 1838-1850 barn at “Ragdale,” the former Howard Van Doren Shaw estate, The grant is the largest single donation made in the history of the Preservation Foundation, The grant will be used to stabilize the foundation so that enhancements, including the building of a universally accessible studio and conference area, can be undertaken, The Ragdale Barn is one of the focal points of the Van Doren Shaw complex and is among the oldest standing buildings on the property, Built in 1897, the Barn was found to be structurally unstable earlier this year due to a damaged foundation, “The Lake Forest Preservation Foundation is dedicated to preserving the architectural and cultural resources of Lake Forest,” said Alice Moulton-Ely, President of the Foundation, “Ragdale is truly a cultural and historic treasure in our town, This grant will help Ragdale reverse years of damage to the foundation of a critical structure and preserve it for the entire community,” s, “The Ragdale Barn is a wonderful cultural treasure in Lake Forest,” said Susan Tillett, Executive Director of The Ragdale Foundation, “The Lake Forest Preservation Foundation has stepped forward at a critical time and is providing outstanding preservation leadership in our community,” she said, Preservation Foundation Director Carol Champ and Henry Kleeman of the Ragdale Foundation share the honors at the groundbreaking ceremony for the restoration of the historic Ragdale Barn, 13 The Concert Band from the U.S. Naval Station at Great Lakes performed in Market Square for the Foundation’s annual “Concert in the Square,” “Concert in the Square” Another Success Several hundred area residents of all ages enjoyed the Foundation’s annual “Concert in the Square” in August, The concert featured the concert band from the U.S. Naval Station at Great Lakes, A Success Story Continues: Gordon Phelps Kelley House to Be Landmarked, he Perfect Holiday Gift! The Foundation’s Guidebook to National Register Properties, Lake Forest, Illinois, 2d Ed., 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, It is available in local bookstores and shops, and at the Foundation’s office at Gorton Community Center, 400 East Illinois Road, Lake Forest 60045, for $15, he Perfect Holiday Gift! The Foundation’s Guidebook to National Register Properties, Lake Forest, Illinois, 2d Ed., 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, It is available in local bookstores and shops, and at the Foundation’s office at Gorton Community Center, 400 East Illinois Road, Lake Forest 60045, for $15, MISSION: THE LAKE FOREST PRESERVATION FOUNDATION PROTECTS JOIN Us• THE HISTORIC VISUAL CHARACTER OF LAKE FOREST YOU Can Help Make a Difference Ex- Membership dues also support the preservation and restoration of historic sites for mem-bers and the general public throughout the year (see schedule on page 3), THE LAKE FOREST PRESERVATION FOUNDATION Box 813, Lake Forest, Illinois 60045, Benefits include members-only opportunities to view exceptional historic homes and gardens, To become a member, complete the membership application below or join us at a future program, Your interest and your support are welcome and appreciated! Farm, saved from demolition and being restored, has been designated to be a Lake Forest !andmark, significant property, The future of the Kelley House is now assured, its restoration is almost complete, and the property was recently honored by being designated as a City of Lake Forest Landmark, 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,) Name Street _ City _ Telephone State Zip $2,500 Life Member (No annual dues.) $500 Patron D $250 Sustaining $100 Sponsor $50 Family D $35 Individual ($20 Student) Please contact me about volunteer opportunities, To pay via Visa or MasterCard, please complete the following: Name on Card Account Number _ Expiration Date _ Signature _, The Preservation Foundation, an Illinois 501(c)(3) public foundation, is open to all who share its goal of progress through preservation, 11104.
