Stay Up To Date With The Latest Happenings At LFPF

It’s humbling to think of the long line of those who have held this office in the past, including our most recent president, Jim Opsitnik, whose leadership guided the successful rehabilitation of the downtown train station.

Howard Van Doren Shaw, an architect of major significance to Lake Forest, was born on May 7, 1869, 150 years ago.

September’s House and Garden Walk, commemorating Stanley Anderson’s contribution to Lake Forest’s architectural and visual beauty, was a major success. Nearly 200 people attended the event, culminating at an outdoor reception at Stanley’s former home.

Good News! The light at the end of the tunnel is not an on-coming Metra train, but the completion of the final phase of the train station – the interior waiting room.

Now is the perfect time of year to view Lake Forest’s historic gates. With leaves down and daylight increasing, these historic treasures by the road or hidden away stand out on a drive or walk through our historic districts. Following are just a few of our favorites.

At a recent committee meeting, a Preservation Board Member made the comment “Preservation is an investment in the future.” That caused a brief discussion, but also started me thinking about not only the economic benefits of preservation but of the cultural benefits as well.

In 1987, Nancy and Adrian Smith were living in Wilmette and began looking for land in Lake Forest on which to build a new house.

It can be difficult to describe just exactly what makes Lake Forest’s unique visual and architectural integrity—and steps taken to preserve and protect it for future
generations—so important and distinctive.

The Preservation Foundation is taking a 40th anniversary year victory lap over its success in contributing to preserving the historic visual character of our city while balancing essential additions in recent years: new buildings at Lake Forest Academy and Lake Forest College, the 2009-completed
Municipal Services Building, and the Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital building to be completed next year.

The meticulous renovation of the Deer Path Inn took twelve months to complete and was unveiled last December.

From the time of the very first hospital established in Lake Forest in 1899 to the current and expanding Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital, the community of Lake Forest has been responsible for bringing superior health care to the area.

In the half year since I came on board as the Preservation Foundation’s President, the organization has been busy working on many fronts to assure planning continuity and historic preservation in our community.