Lake Forest Foundation for Historic Preservation THE PRESERVATION FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 1984 includes a PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE and STATION RENOVATION UPDATE beginning with the Board of Directors being alerted that North Hall, Smith Hall and the Chapel of Mayflower Park (formerly Ferry Hall Academy) are being allowed to seriously deteriorate, noting that the development of Mayflower Park was made possible by the granting of a special use permit by the City applicable to residential development of educational institution buildings and exempting it from the City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance, saying the Foundation was encouraged when it appeared condominium conversion might help preserve the historic campus and that after South Hall was converted to condominiums they expected subsequent conversion of the other buildings to residential use but it has not yet happened, stating that although Mayflower Park does not fall under the jurisdiction of the City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance it is the Foundation’s sincere hope that three community jewels will not be allowed to deteriorate to the point that “they will not be worth salvaging,” expressing concern about the current status and future of the deteriorating buildings and encouraging the developer to rehabilitate these endangered structures as soon as possible, adding that it is possible the developers’ recent proposal to incorporate smaller units into the as-yet unrestored buildings would encourage faster sales enabling work to move more quickly to completion but that one concern is the style and number of additional garages required for these added units and hoping garages would be underground or, if above ground, visually compatible with the restored structures, urging developers and the Plan Commission to reach an agreement beneficial to all and which will restore Mayflower Park to its original beauty, suggesting that perhaps in the future the City should consider requiring a “performance bond” from developers of large projects to guarantee undertakings such as Mayflower Park are completed in a timely fashion and not abandoned and left to deteriorate, signed Lorraine Tweed, President, followed by a thank you to Lake Foresters for their generous and heart-warming response to the Station Renovation Project as individuals, community groups, and businesses, saying that with this help the Lake Forest North Western Station has been greatly enhanced as a positive element in the central Lake Forest streetscape and provides a more attractive commuting environment for railroad passengers and that with luck the project will be completed in the next 12 to 18 months but in the interim additional steps remain to restore this historic town centerpiece, then “Funds Still Needed for Roof” explaining the latest phase of the Station Renovation Project—a new roof—is nearing completion and should be finished in early December and that in order to complete necessary work before winter money was borrowed from the Preservation Foundation’s contingency fund established by members’ dues, noting that at press time an additional $3,000 had been raised from community donations and $7,000 remained to be returned to the contingency fund for future use in preservation projects and hoping Lake Foresters will “remember the roof” when considering year-end donations, then “Platform Renovation Next Step” stating the final stage of the Station Renovation Project will be renovation of the platform including new paving, lighting, landscaping, and between the tracks fencing, that most of the work is expected to be financed by funds budgeted for several years as part of the 1985 RTA budget but these funds will cover only improvements meeting RTA standard specifications and therefore additional funds will be required to achieve a design appropriate to central Lake Forest, explaining that to meet Lake Forest standards donations will be required to cover the difference between asphalt paving and a brick platform, between high-level contemporary lights and low-level period lamps, between ordinary fencing and an anodized aluminum fence, and to add landscaping and trees on both platforms, noting a local resident has expressed interest in donating funds for the fence and inquiries regarding the proposed new lights have been made of city officials, expressing gratitude for gifts to help with this important project and thanks to all who have contributed to date, inviting anyone interested in any areas of the Station Renovation Project to contact the Preservation Foundation or the City of Lake Forest which lists items for the station in its current Gift Handbook and stating contributions may be sent to the Preservation Foundation, Box 813, Lake Forest, IL 60045, with references to a PROPOSED PLATFORM LIGHT and a PROPOSED BETWEEN-TRACK FENCE, followed by PRIVATE HOME RESTORATION describing restorations underway on the Lake Forest home of Mr. and Mrs. D. M. Shepherd, stating the house was built in 1876 for Mr. Charles Pratt on land the Pratt family owned on the east side of McKinley Avenue between Westminster and Wisconsin Avenue and that in 1895 Mr. Pratt opened the first laundry in Lake Forest located on what is now Bank Lane, then explaining that during the second decade of the twentieth century the house was sold to Mr. George Seaverns and major changes were made to “modernize” the simple prairie style home, describing that during 1918 and 1919 the west wall was moved out to meet the bay and the west dormer was raised, the front porch was altered, and a porch on the east side was enclosed to make a sunroom, stating these renovations increased the size of the building and enabled the Seaverns to install indoor plumbing, adding that the style was updated by applying stucco to the exterior siding, adding larger windows across the facade, and changing the design of the porch railings, noting that in 1924 the Seaverns built a garage with servants’ quarters above at the rear and the family lived there until 1949, then stating that between 1949 and 1983 three other families lived in the house including one past mayor of Lake Forest and that the current owners, wanting to live near town and having always hoped to own an older home, fell in love with the house upon first walking into the foyer, and that the Shepherds have refinished, restored, and replicated old mouldings, floors and plaster to restore the charming interior to its former glory, concluding that the house tells much about life in Lake Forest and the concerns and desires of its people and that the community is fortunate to have residents who appreciate the past and wish to preserve its memory, adding that the magnolia tree outside the front door was planted in 1915 when one of the young Seavern boys went off to fight in World War I as a living memory of heritage, accompanied by captions “PRAIRIE HOUSE BUILT BY MR. PRATT IN 1876” and “SAME HOUSE IN 1920’s – AFTER REMODELING,” and ending with NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 184 LAKE FOREST, Ill. 60045 (repeated), Lake Forest Foundation for Historic Preservation P.O. Box 813 Lake Forest, Illinois 60045, CAR-RT.
