1986 Spring Newsletter

NEWSLETTER NEWSLETTERLake Forest Preservation Foundation, Lake Forest, Illinois, Spring 1986, PRESERVATION WEEK: shown here are three historic Lake Forest buildings—the First Baptist Church, the “Northcroft” country estate house, and the “Ellslloyd” manor house—each a tribute to the theme of this year’s Preservation Week, “Celebrate Historic Places – Our Past for Our Future,” and by making a commitment to restore these buildings their owners are helping preserve physical treasures representing our legacy for the future, FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH TO BE HONORED: on Sunday, May 11, the Foundation will present an Historic Recognition Plaque to the First Baptist Church of Lake Forest in honor of its historic significance, with the congregation formed in 1900 and culturally significant as the oldest continuing Black congregation on the North Shore, and the church building predating the turn of the century, with services prior to 1900 conducted in homes by Rev. Harry Knight of Chicago, later renting Haley’s Hall at Bank Lane and Westminster, and after earnest efforts the members in May 1903 purchased a lodge hall at 673 Oakwood Avenue that became today’s First Baptist Church of Lake Forest, and over the years the congregation and clergy worked continuously to improve and enhance the building, remodeling under Rev. H. B. Hunter after his arrival in 1917 and under Rev. C. C. Caldwell after 1921 paying off the debt and laying the cornerstone in 1922 (Continued on page 4), NORTHCROFT RENAISSANCE TO BE SUBJECT OF TALK: on Sunday, May 18, at 3 p.m., the Lake Forest Preservation Foundation invites members and guests to visit “Northcraft,” where owner Bert Moore will give an illustrated talk describing the relocation, restoration, and renaissance of this historic country estate house, with further information via Sarah Wimmer, 234-3293, or Lorraine Tweed, 295-3199, and Northcraft built in 1912 on Ridge Road as a country home for Mr. and Mrs. Francis S. North of Chicago, designed by architect Chester Wolcott who also designed the Wilbert E. Macfarlane estate on Ridge Road, remaining in the family through their daughter Dorothy and her husband Sidney Haskins, later sold by Mr. Haskins in the 1960s to the City of Lake Forest for a school or park site, abandoned by 1981 and becoming an “attractive nuisance,” then purchased by Mr. Moore when the City agreed to sell it if moved from the site, and after years of extensive renovation the Moore family revitalized the quiet elegance of the large clapboard house now on a wooded site several blocks from its original location, ELLSLLOYD RESTORATION FOR THE 1980s: at the turn of the century Louis Ellsworth Laflin and his wife Josephine lived in Chicago at Michigan Avenue and Erie where Saks is today, rented summer houses in Lake Forest and in 1907 built their own year-round home named Ellslloyd after their two boys Ellsworth (9) and Lloyd (6), with Laflin acting in part as his own architect after study at the Beaux Arts in Paris and engaging former classmate Robert D. Kohn, a prominent New York architect, to design a magnificent red brick 37-room house with a ballroom or theater on the top floor, and the arts-minded Laflin family using Ellslloyd for plays, musicals, and readings, especially with Ellsworth Laflin, Jr., an accomplished playwright, musician, and director (Continued on page 4), THOUGHTS ON THE FOUNDATION’S FIRST TEN YEARS / PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE: as Lorraine Tweed completes her two-year tenure as President she notes the Foundation’s 10th anniversary in August and cites accomplishments including implementation of an Historic Preservation Ordinance to help preserve Lake Forest’s nationally recognized special character identified by Market Square, old estates, human scale, and extensive landscapes, with prescribed city codes and enforcement helping ensure compatible new construction, and the Foundation encouraging sale and restoration rather than demolition of the Old Rec Center and Old Fire Station to preserve two of Market Square’s most historic buildings, advocating salvation and renovation of threatened City Hall resulting in an attractively restored structure, saving the Art Deco character of the Market Square Post Office by working with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and officials to modify Postal Service plans, helping secure private purchase and restoration of Handy Green and Northcraft as endangered homes, and spearheading renovation of the North Western Railroad Station with the City and contributions from residents, members, groups, tenants, the Railroad and the RTA to complete a depot restoration second to none on the North Shore, while continuing public education, promoting easements to preserve visual character, advising on tax benefits, and emphasizing that future pressures to change and grow require guidance to preserve fine buildings and quaint neighborhoods, thanking supporters and calling the community to share responsibility as she turns over the gavel to new President Henry P. Wheeler, and WELCOME NEW OFFICERS: at the Annual Meeting on April 20, 1986, officers elected include President Henry P. Wheeler, Vice Presidents Sarah Wimmer (Mrs. Henry) and Nancy Salzwedel (Mrs. Robert), Secretary Sue Christensen (Mrs. Richard), Treasurer William Marwede, and Directors elected to serve until the 1989 Annual Meeting include Marge Herzfelder (Mrs. Robert), Elaine Hughes (Mrs. William), Dr. Daniel Kelly, Pauline Mohr (Mrs. Roger), Patricia Morell (Mrs. William), Linda Shields (Mrs. Gerald), and Sarah Wimmer (Mrs. Henry), with other directors including Granger Cook, Jr., Molly Heizer (Mrs. E. F.), Gail Hodges (Mrs. James), Daniel Riess, Anthony Ryerson, Lorraine Tweed (Mrs. Robert), Sue Walker, and honorary directors Edward H. Bennett, Jr., and Herbert Geist, and Henry P. Wheeler writes that development and change require constant vigilance to keep Lake Forest near where most citizens want it to remain, praising outgoing president Lorraine Tweed’s spirit, noting the seven-year station renovation virtually completed though approximately $4,000 still needed thanks to Gail Hodges, anticipating new projects, and concluding with a John Aull quote from May Audubon magazine about holding land in trust for the next generation, plus For Sale: small used coach lights, call Lorraine Tweed, 295-3199, and the Preservation Foundation Newsletter is published by the Lake Forest Foundation for Historic Preservation and distributed without charge to residents and businesses of Lake Forest, and THE STATION RENOVATION — TOGETHER, WE DID IT!: Lake Foresters will celebrate a rededication of the restored historic Chicago and North Western Railroad Station in conjunction with 125th anniversary festivities of the City of Lake Forest, honoring hundreds of residents who made renovation possible since the idea emerged in fall 1978 and community response exceeded predictions, with statistics including 22 community groups and over 600 volunteers involved, nearly 300 individual contributors, over 2,000 residents patronizing eight fund-raisers, full cooperation from City officials, 7 station tenants contributing, 10 business firms giving in-kind materials and labor, nearly 8,500 volunteer hours, over $408,000 raised through funds, renovation or materials, the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company leasing the station to the City enabling renovation, and the RTA providing a grant for platform work after seeing community commitment, resulting in a well-maintained station with clean windows and floors, landscaping and brick pavers instead of asphalt, decorative fence instead of barbed wire, mid-track crossing, platform seating, soft lighting, waiting room telephone and drinking fountain, refinished benches, chiming clocks, and Platform Planting Day with 130 Lake Foresters planting 10,000 groundcover plants and spreading over ten tons of mulch, with City and Foundation committed to long-term support through lease management and maintenance without taxpayer expense and Foundation funding for additional landscaping and special needs, thanking the community, Gail Hodges Chairman, membership form for LAKE FOREST FOUNDATION FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION Box 813, Lake Forest, Illinois 60045, and Baptist Church (Continued): William Franks recorded activities including original gas jet lighting replaced by central electricity in 1927 under Rev. W. R. Payne, furnace replaced and moved, folding seats replaced with wooden pews via pledges, 1940s upgrades under Rev. R. S. Jones and wife including heated baptismal pool, new plumbing, oil burner, 1954 Hammond organ, and under Rev. Charlie M. Starks modernized sanctuary lighting, remodeled lower level, refinished pews with padded seats, repainted and repaired exterior, installed security system and public address system, with fund-raising continuing for new baptismal pool and carpet, honoring Mrs. Mildred Gregory with appreciation day and her accounts of early 1900s membership, and Ellslloyd (Continued): three generations of Laflins lived there until 1964, present owners since 1984 began long restoration with tuckpointing, gutters, reglazing 99 windows, removing 1940s three-car garage built into original kitchen and restoring exterior using matched mortar and salvaged brick, converting space into family room and relocating kitchen to former pantry and servants’ dining room, finding and replacing decorative light green exterior tiles, returning the 15th-century Italian wellhead brought from Italy and moved away in 1964 back to Ellslloyd in November, planning future projects including canopy glass, marble foyer floor, refinishing woodwork, stripping paint from tilework, restoring original state while respecting good additions, Susan Dart and Lynn Knutson, HELP EMPHASIZE SUPPORT FOR THE NATIONAL PRESERVATION PROGRAM: National Trust for Historic Preservation asks citizens to send a photo of their favorite historic place to congressional representatives, details via Gail Hodges, 234-1582, and National Trust Research Division statistics on the 25 percent historic rehabilitation tax credit from FY 1982–FY 1985 showing over $8 billion invested in over 11,600 projects generating estimated 312,500 person-years of work, $15.96 billion in increased local retail sales and business activity, and $5.65 billion increase in wages for local economies, with Illinois ranked fourth with $499.6 million spent on approved projects, and HISTORIC HOUSE INSURANCE: a full-replacement value program through the Center for Historic Houses via Marsh and McLennan including appraisal, policy review, guidance on preventing fire/vandalism/theft, and free videotaping of contents, contact Craig Conwell, Marsh and McLennan, 1800 M Street, N.W., Suite 620, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 828-7954, plus NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 184 LAKE FOREST, Ill. 60045, The Preservation Foundation, Box 813, Lake Forest, Illinois 60045, CAR-RT.