Tag: National Register of Historic Places

Day Trips from Chicago – Visiting Rockford, IL

 

 

By Bob Glaze

 

 

I recently drove out to Rockford from Chicago to spend a Sunday in the state’s fifth largest city. It is around 85 miles from downtown Chicago to downtown Rockford. Settled in the mid-1830s, the position of the city on the Rock River made its location strategic for industrial development. It had a thriving economy until the second half of the 20th century, when it struggled along with other rust belt cities. It has made a big comeback since the late 1990s including a major downtown revitalization. I feel it well-worth the trip, as I found some great spots to explore. I recommend going out this fall when the weather is perfect and the leaves are changing!

 

Downtown Rockford

Downtown Rockford

Downtown Rockford

Downtown Rockford

Downtown Rockford

My top recommendations include:

Anderson Japanese Gardens: Based on an appreciation of Japanese culture and aesthetics, Rockford businessman John Anderson constructed a Japanese garden in his backyard along Spring Creek.  After a visit to the famous Portland Japanese Garden in Oregon in 1978, he reached out to designer Hoichi Kurisu, a former director of the garden. He created the garden based on the planning and vision of Mr. Kurisu. In 1998 the Andersons donated the garden to the Rockford Rotary Charitable Association.

 

Anderson Japanese Gardens

Anderson Japanese Gardens

Anderson Japanese Gardens

Anderson Japanese Gardens

Today you can visit the beautiful 12-acre garden containing Japanese maples, irises, winding paths, a koi pond, wooden bridges, sculptures, statues, decorative gates and a tea hut.  I loved the 50 ft. west waterfall and the beautiful flowering trees in the spring from redbuds and crab trees. I recommend going in the spring or fall when you can see spring flowers or beautiful fall colors. They also feature special events, lectures, art classes, yoga, meditation and pilates classes, and more.

After my walk, I enjoyed brunch on the terrace at their restaurant, Fresco at the Gardens, located in the Visitor Center. 318 Spring Creek Road

 

Fresco – Anderson Japanese Gardens

Kenneth and Phyllis Laurent House:  The Laurent House is a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Usonian house located in a residential area west of downtown. It was the only house that Wright designed for a physically disabled client.  Wright completed the design in 1949 and constructed from 1951 t0 1952.  It was later expanded in 1960 after the couple adopted two children. On August 28, 2012, it was recognized by the National Park Service with a listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The house was opened for tours in 2014. I suggest booking your tour online before you go. I was very impressed with the tour which lasted over an hour.  We were able to see all the rooms and furnishings.

 

Laurent House

Laurent House

The original color scheme was orange, green, and Cherokee-red. All furniture, except two chairs and the piano and its bench, were designed by Wright or his apprentices. Because the Laurents lived in the house until 2012, the furnishings are all original. The 2,600 sq. ft. home is on one level due to Kenneth Laurent using a wheelchair and contains details to make it accessible to him and easy to maneuver.

 

Laurent House

It is located at 4646 Spring Brook Rd. There is a new visitor center, with parking, across the street at 4627. You check in for your tour at this location.   If you prefer, there is a docent-led joint tour of both the Anderson Japanese Gardens and the Laurent House from May through October.

 

Laurent House

I was not aware until after my trip that there is also the Pettit Memorial Chapel or simply, Pettit Chapel, which is one of the few chapels designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It is located in the Belvidere Cemetery in nearby Belvidere. It was listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on December 1, 1978. 110 N Main St, Belvidere, IL

Rockford’s Riverwalk features its museum campus, which has an art museum, orchestra, and Discovery Center Museum. There is even a 236-foot, cable-stayed bridge for pedestrians to walk over.

 

Rockford Riverwalk

Rockford Art Museum: I felt this local museum was well-worth the visit. “Now comprised of more than 2,000 works of art, the RAM Permanent Collection consists of modern and contemporary American art from the 19th and 20th centuries through today, from American Impressionist paintings to Chicago Imagist works to outsider art in new and mixed media; sculpture; photography; and contemporary glass. Regional art with an emphasis on Illinois artists remains a steadfast focus.” I particularly enjoyed an exhibition of photographs by Mexican photographer Manuel Carillo. They feature a number of exhibitions throughout the year. 711 N. Main

 

Rockford Art Museum

In the same complex is the Burpee Museum of Natural History, home to the world’s most complete juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex, Jane, as well as a triceratops, Homer. The Discovery Center Museum, a children’s museum featuring over 250 hands-on exhibits including a planetarium, is on the 12 Best Children’s Museums In The U.S. list by Forbes. The Burpee Museum and the Discovery Center Museum along with RAM and the bases for Northern Public Radio, the Rockford Dance Company, and the Rockford Symphony Orchestra compose the downtown Riverfront Museum Park complex.

Coronado Theatre. Opened in 1927 at 314 N. Main St., this local theater is a civic and entertainment center that was named one of 150 Great Places in Illinois by the American Institute of Architects. The theatre is known for its blend of Art Deco with Spanish Baroque Revival and has hosted numerous performers over its lifetime. The Marx Brothers, Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, George Gershwin, Bob Hope, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Gypsy Rose Lee have performed on the Coronado stage. Since 2001, after a major remodel, it has been open for theater and music events.

While you’re in town, get some coffee at Rockford Roasting and beer at Prairie Street Brewing Co., on the banks of the Rock River.

Rockford Roasting Company:  I enjoyed stopping in for a caffeine fix at this local coffee house.  Their Roasting Facility + Brew Bar opened downtown at 206 N. Main St. in 2014.

 

Rockford Roasting Company

Prairie Street Brewing Co: Located at 200 Prairie St. this local brewery was started in 2013. Its 200 Prairie St. location is in the original location of the Rockford Brewing Co., the oldest brewery in the state. In 1849, an English beer enthusiast named Jonathan Peacock settled on the banks of the Rock River and started to brew his own beer using European methods and locally sourced ingredients. The current owners called it Rockford Brewing Co., but changed the name in 2016.

 

Prairie Street Brewing Co.

Prairie Street Brewing Co.

Prairie Street Brewing Co.

They make a number of year-round and seasonal beers from lagers and ales to wheat, IPAs and Kolschs. They have a large Brewhouse where you can sample their brews and enjoy a food menu of burgers, sandwiches, salads and more. They also have a large Dockside Taproom where you can enjoy great views of the Rock River.

Carlyle Brewing:  At 215 E. State, this is a small brewpub featuring craft beers and pub fare like bratwurst, hot pretzels, pizza and sandwiches.

 

Carlyle Brewing

Midway Village: If you have time, make sure to visit this 13-acre Victorian village which includes the Museum Center and gardens. It gives a glimpse of a rural Rockford community between 1890–1910 that includes a number 26 historic homes and buildings. The museum depicts the history of immigration to Rockford and how the community developed through the perseverance of immigrants from many countries and cultures. 6799 Guilford Rd.

 

Midway Village

Midway Village

Other restaurants that are recommended include the Stockholm Inn.  A longtime favorite, this Swedish restaurant features dumplings, Swedish pancakes plus Friday fish fries. Joseph Barbados Steakhouse and Oyster Bar is an upscale restaurant known for its steaks and seafood. The Machine Shed Restaurant is a casual country-style diner/restaurant known for its breakfasts.

Owned by the same group as Fresco at the Gardens is Franchesco’s Ristorante for Italian specialties and Benny’s, their separate bar and lounge, at 7128 Spring Creek Rd

 

For more travel destinations and recommendations, visit globalphile.com.

 

Dispatch from Rosario

 

 

 

By Elizabeth Dunlop Richter

 

 

Connecting Rosario, an idyllic resort in Washington State’s the San Juan Islands to a massive battleship in Teddy Roosevelt’s Great White Fleet may seem like a stretch, but once you visit Rosario the connection is crystal clear.  Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, Rosario presents a majestic appearance when one drives up the circular driveway or walks from the marina along a flag-lined path.

Rosario Resort today

The battleship connection is with its creator, Robert Moran, the Seattle shipbuilder and former mayor of Seattle, whose company constructed the famous U.S.S. Nebraska. The 441-foot, nearly 15,000-ton battleship was the pride of the U. S. Navy when it was commissioned in 1900 in the aftermath of the Spanish-American war. It would sail around the world as part of the Great White Fleet, designed to promote America’s power and enhance its international reputation.

Following Horace Greely’s advice to “Go west, young man,” Moran had left New York at age 14 in 1875 with just enough money for a steerage ticket to San Francisco crossing the Isthmus of Panama, probably by rail as the canal was yet to be built. Finding no work in San Francisco, he spent his last $15 on a ticket to Seattle where with 10 cents in his pocket, he embarked on an unsuccessful three days as a cook at a lumber camp. He next landed a job on a steamer and began a career that would lead to his establishing his own machine shop in Seattle in 1881.  

U.S.S. Nebraska

By 1900, given a boost by the Klondike gold rush in Alaska, the Moran Brothers Company had grown to be among the largest shipyards on the west coast, bidding successfully on government contracts.  With the launching of the U.S.S. Nebraska in 1904 Moran was at the peak of his career.  But he was worn down by the pressures of work and devastated by a diagnosis of “organic heart disease.” He was told he had two years to live. In 1906 Moran sold his now multi-million dollar company and retired to Orcas, the largest of the San Juan Islands, 86 miles north of Seattle. But retirement did not stop his instinct to build. Rosario would be his “retirement” project.

The San Juan Islands seen from Blakely Island

Orcas is to the right rear.

The design and construction of Rosario and island life clearly reinvigorated Moran. He later described the area as “unique in charm and beauty, in perfection of climate, in easy living conditions, in healthfulness…It is a wonderful place in which to forget one’s troubles and worries and get back to Nature in her happiest moods.” He would defy his doctors and live until 1943 when he died at age 86.

When construction began on Rosario in 1906, Orcas had been populated since the early 1850s by white settlers, who lived peacefully with the Native American Lummi tribe. The largest of the 172 islands in the archipelago, Orcas constituted 57 square miles of heavily forested hilly land and featured 125 miles of coastline, punctuated by inlets and rocky beaches. By the end of the 19th century, a number of communities had grown up around such industries as logging, lime extraction, farming, sheep raising, and fishing. Sawmills and fruit-drying operations flourished.  Steamships facilitated commerce and also brought tourists for day trips from Seattle.  Visitors might fish, hunt, hike, or take a horse-drawn wagon ride to the top of Mt. Constitution, the highest point in the San Juans.

Rosario marina

Inspired by a cruise through the San Juans, Moran purchased a small sawmill and gradually acquired adjacent land eventually totaling 7800 acres, including Mt. Constitution. He would site Rosario, named for Rosario Strait on the eastern edge of the San Juans, on Cascade Bay. “Building Rosario was simply a continuation of my life-long urge to be continually pushing ahead in industrial construction work,” wrote Moran in 1939.  He brought his shipbuilding skills to the task, designing the mansion himself and hiring many former Moran Company craftsmen to work on the project. Walking through Rosario today, one sees the exquisite craftsmanship in the beautifully maintained woodwork and fittings, reflective of his nautical background.

Main staircase leading to the music room

Built-in drawers in original bedrooms

Today, guests check-in at the main house. There are no guest rooms in the original mansion. 127 guest rooms are scattered over the 40-acre property in a number of cottages and low-rise buildings, all with the same stunning views Moran and his family enjoyed.

Guests frequently arrive by seaplane

Within the main building that houses the restaurant, spa, boutique, bar, indoor pool, and exercise room, there are displays that tell the shipbuilding story and display Moran’s own historic photographs of his business, family, and estate.

Moran’s guests enjoyed tea on the open veranda and croquet on the lawn.

A wide-open veranda originally wrapped the house, capturing the sea breezes off the sound. The veranda is now enclosed to create a section of the Mansion Restaurant; a new wing was eventually added to enlarge the restaurant’s capacity.  Its stepped design guarantees views for all diners. The mansion includes a paneled music room and several bedrooms and bathrooms where the original owners lived.  On an upper level is the library with the books Moran and his family collected. Many relate to his professional interests in manufacturing and naval architecture.

Moran’s personal library reflects his interest in naval architecture and engineering.

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Original bedrooms and baths enjoyed views of water or forest.

It’s also here on the balcony overlooking the music room that the organ sits, played for the enjoyment of guests. Originally this was a player organ, using music rolls like a player piano. The player mechanism no longer works, but the organ is played regularly for concerts.

The music room is seen from the balcony

The visible organ pipes are decorative only; the actual pipes lie behind the screens flanking the piano.

Moran loved music, but not a musician himself, he liked to entertain on his player organ.

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Rosario exemplifies the Arts and Crafts aesthetic of its time with a nautical overlay from the fireplace tiles and light fixtures to the Tiffany glass shade on the music room ceiling.

Fireplace tile mantel

Music room Tiffany ceiling light and period stained glass

Whether staying at the resort or coming for dinner by ferry, yacht or seaplane, guests can share at least one experience enjoyed by Moran’s early 20th century guests.  Free concerts are held several afternoons a week in the music room, thanks to the musical talent and historical knowledge of Christopher Peacock, a 41-year Rosario employee, now the general manager. “I actually moved to the island the day Mt. St. Helens erupted, so I always know my anniversary,” he says with a smile. Peacock delights in entertaining guests by playing the piano and the organ. Often using his own compositions, he accompanies videos of the San Juans and slides from the Moran collection of old Seattle and the building of Rosario. The perfect historic touch is his playing vintage organ music while guests watch an abbreviated version of the 1925 silent film version of Phantom of the Opera with Lon Chaney.

General Manager Christopher Peacock at the keyboard with selections from the Talbot Productions Dolphins and Orcas video

Peacock has endured 18 difficult months. Rosario closed for three months in 2020 due to COVID. His biggest headache now is hiring enough help. COVID cut off his primary source, European students looking for summer jobs when the J-1 visa program was suspended last spring. Even now, he can’t fully staff the resort and has had to close one restaurant. But Peacock is dedicated to Rosario, “It’s a perfect job because I get to change what I’m doing every few hours of the day…sometimes I’m hiring, sometimes I’m tasting wine and sometimes I’m playing music.” The one problem he doesn’t have is getting bookings. “We’re packed!” he said.

Poolside, one never leaves the shoreline.

Robert Moran realized by 1932 that the depression made upkeep of the large estate challenges, and given his children’s lack of interest, he decided to sell the property.

After a national promotion, he finally sold Rosario, fully furnished, to a California industrialist for just $50,000.  After two more owners, it was opened as a resort in 1960.  Moran donated the majority of his land to the state of Washington, writing later, “When I had money that I could not use in an industrial and constructive way, I gave it away.”  Moran’s Orcas legacy lives on today as Moran State Park that welcomes visitors to camp and climbs (or drives up) Mt. Constitution to see the vistas so enjoyed by Seattle tourists and Robert Moran’s guests nearly 120 years ago.

Visiting Rosario takes one back to a different world combining an American version of old-world elegance and new-world entrepreneurism. When a visitor strolls from the waterside swimming pool to the front desk, one almost expects to see a woman fashionably dressed in a Gibson Girl shirtwaist ascending the stairs to attend an afternoon concert.  A recent visitor explained, “I felt like a guest visiting Moran in his home. The staff was gracious and helpful, the food delicious. His personality was reflected everywhere in this fascinating building.”

 

Author’s Note:

Readers interested in more detail about Robert Moran, his career and the building of Rosario are encouraged to read Christopher Peacock’s account, Rosario Yesterdays, A Pictorial History. Background on Orcas may be found in The Orcas Island Historical Society and Museum’s Orcas Island in the Images of America series published by Acadia Publishing in Charleston, SC.

 

Day Trips from Chicago, IL – Exploring Suburban Hinsdale, Western Springs, Willowbrook and Oak Brook

 

 

By Bob Glaze

 

 

Hinsdale

 

The Village of Hinsdale is a charming and affluent suburb approximately 20 miles west of downtown Chicago. It is an easy spot to spend the day. You can drive or take the Metra rail from downtown. I went back recently after many years to explore. I used to go quite often in the early 1980s to visit friends. The highlight is the downtown business district where there are a number of excellent restaurants, bars, shops. It is one of the few such districts to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a “the jewel of Chicago’s western suburbs.”

 

Suburban Hinsdale

My top recommendations include:

Toni Patisserie & Cafe:  I have always enjoyed their Chicago Loop location before it recently closed, so I was very pleased to go to their downtown Hinsdale location. I had one of their popular raspberry meringues and loved it!. They also have wonderful marcarons. 51 S. Washington St.

 

Toni Patisserie & Café Hinsdale

Fuller House: Fuller House is a rustic downtown bar offering wood-fired pizza, sandwiches, large plates, small plates, craft beer, and cocktails. It is named for one of the first settlers in the town.

Cafe La Fortuna: This is a small neighborhood coffeehouse preparing small batch house-roasted coffee. They have a Mexican influence as seen in such drinks as their   Café con Leche or Mayan Coffee by the owner Angela Levelli who I enjoyed meeting. 46 Village Pl.

Nabuki is recommended for traditional Japanese cuisine and sushi with a Latin influence (at 18 E 1st St.) while Page’s Restaurant, established in 1981, is popular for breakfast and lunch, along with their homemade apple cider donuts in a casual setting.  26 1/2 E Hinsdale Ave.

Vistro, from well-known chef Paul Virant, has a menu of seasonal food and drinks. (112 S. Washington St.) I have been to his former Chicago restaurant Perennial Virant in Lincoln Park. He now has Gaijin in Chicago and Vie in Western Springs. “Virant’s accolades include 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2011 finalist nominations for the James Beard Foundation Award’s Best Chef: Great Lakes; 2007 Best New Chef by Food & Wine; 2007 Jean Banchet Award for Culinary Excellence as Top Celebrity Chef; and 2005 Best New Chef by Chicago magazine.”

Downtown Hinsdale also has some fun spots for shopping.

 

Downtown Hinsdale

The Courtyard is an upscale consignment/donation shop of fine resale home furnishings. Staffed mainly by volunteers, all proceeds benefit Wellness House in Hinsdale. 63 Village Place.

 

The Courtyard Hinsdale

Yankee Peddler: This is a quality specialty shop carrying Caspari paper goods, which have been my favorite for years, along with gifts, home decor and jewelry. 30 E. Hinsdale Ave.

 

Yankee Peddler Hinsdale

Western Springs  

 

Western Springs was officially incorporated in 1886. It had evolved from farmland and prairie to residential houses and businesses. East of Hinsdale, the village today has a population of around 13,000. It has a cute downtown where you can find a number of shops, cafes, restaurants and bars. The area surrounding the village center includes some historic residential homes and neighborhoods.

 

Western Springs

Western Springs

While visiting and exploring downtown make sure to visit:

Kirschbaum’s Bakery:  Kirschbaum’s is a family-owned and operated Central European- style bakery serving up a large variety of traditional baked goods, cookies, pastries and cakes since 1953. I really enjoyed the fruit-filled kolockys or cookies which are similar to kolache or kolace. 825 Burlington Ave.

 

Kirschbaum’s Bakery Western Springs

Casey’s Market: My local friend recommends Casey’s for its prepared foods, butcher case and deli counter.915 Burlington Ave. The Western Springs Fruit Store is also popular and highly recommended. 925 Burlington Ave. for fresh fruits, prepared foods and takeout meals.

Davanti Enoteca: Davanti Enoteca is part of the Francesca’s Restaurant Group, with locations in Chicago and the suburbs plus California and North Carolina. It is a wine bar and Italian restaurant with a contemporary menu.

In the same building is Hillgrove Tap — also owned by the Francesca’s group — which is a casual dining brewpub featuring craft beers, cocktails and quality food. 800 Hillgrove Ave.

Bb’s Baby Donuts: This is a popular bakery featuring small and colorful mini donuts. 4472 Lawn Ave.

Clever Girl Clothing – Accessories – Home: Located at 907 Burlington Ave. in the heart of downtown, Clever Girl is an attractive shop featuring clothing and accessories, books, greeting cards and paper goods plus candles, kitchen accessories and cookbooks.

 

Clever Girl Clothing Western Springs

Hash Stacks Cafe & Market:  Make sure to stop in for coffee, breakfast or lunch at this cafe and market at 909 Burlington Ave. They have a large menu of classic breakfast favorites, sandwiches and salads. They have a patio in the rear for outdoor dining!

 

Hash Stacks Cafe & Market Western Springs

Vie Restaurant: Vie is a farm-to-table, fine dining restaurant in an elegant space at 4471 Lawn Ave. Chef Paul Virant opened Vie, as his flagship restaurant, in 2004.

Western Springs Water Tower: The historic Western Springs Water Tower, in the center of downtown, is a museum and former water tower. The stone tower is 112.5 feet tall and 36.5 feet in diameter. Construction on the tower began in 1892 and finished in 1893. After 65 years the tower stood empty. It was not until 1966 when a group of civic-minded individuals formed the Western Springs Historical Society and the village agreed to allow them to establish a museum in the Water Tower. After three years of extensive renovations, the museum opened in 1970.

 

Western Springs Water Tower

In April 1981, the Tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places, as one of the few municipal water towers that also housed government offices. 914 Hillgrove Ave.

 

August Ekdahl House Western Springs

Stop by a see the August Ekdahl House which was hand-built in 1887 by this Swedish immigrant. It as served as his home, a cobbler shop, a post office, a jail, a bicycle shop, an ice cream parlor, a pizza restaurant, and now a museum. It was saved and moved to its current location by the Western Springs Historical Society. 785 43rd St.

 

Willowbrook

 

A short drive from both Hinsdale and Western Springs is Willowbrook. For a fun experience, I highly recommend that you visit Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket on Historic Route 66. It is roughly 25 miles from the start of the highway in downtown Chicago. Because of the amount of traffic and distance from Chicago, the Chicken Basket was the perfect stopping place going to or coming from Chicago.

 

Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket can be found near Historic Route 66

Opened in the early 1940s and originally known as National Chicken Basket, it was a gas station lunch counter that became popular for its delectable fried chicken. It later was transformed into a restaurant only. After some financial difficulties, it was taken over in 1963 by Delbert “Dell” Rhea and his wife. It has a casual roadhouse atmosphere and continues to have great food. I chose the lunch buffet where I was able to try the chicken and some of their other specialties. It was inducted into the Route 66 Hall of Fame in June,1992 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. 645 Joliet Rd. http://chickenbasket.com/

 

Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket

Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket

You might also enjoy visiting the taproom of Black Horizon Brewing, the first black-owned brewery in the state.  As a small-batch brewery, they make a number of ales, stouts, IPAs, and lagers. I just heard about it on a recent TV program in Chicago, so I was not aware it was there when I was in Willowbrook. I will definitely stop in on my next trip to the area.7560 South Quincy Street.

 

Oak Brook

 

Just north of Hinsdale is the western suburb of Oak Brook. Though many think of Oak Brook for its corporate offices, hotels, and shopping at the Oak Brook Mall, there are some other sites that you should visit. These include:

 

Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve — Oak Brook

Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve — Oak Brook

Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve — Oak Brook

Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve — Oak Brook

Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve: Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve in Oak Brook offers a 220-acre prime wildlife haven in an urban setting, hosting a wide variety of wildlife, nesting songbirds and spring and fall migratory birds, especially warblers. It is home to the Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center, which offers hands-on, interactive exhibits and native wildlife on display. The Forest Preserve has trails for hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, picnic shelters and areas along with and fishing and boating on Salt Creek. 

 

Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve Nature Education Center — Oak Brook

Salt Creek Oak Brook

I suggest that you park in the lot here and walk along the creek to the historic Graue Mill and Museum which features the only operating waterwheel gristmill in Illinois in its original spot. The setting is really lovely and one of my favorite spots in the western suburbs.

 

Graue Mill and Museum — Oak Brook

As one of the area’s remaining authenticated Underground Railroad “stations”, Graue Mill & Museum is the only gristmill recognized as an Illinois Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers for representing an important technology and ear in the history of America. 3800 York Rd.

 

Graue Mill and Museum — Oak Brook

The Frederick Graue House, standing adjacent to Graue Mill and Museum The house was built for the Graue family between 1858 and 1859. The nearby Benjamin Fuller House is made of small timber and one of the oldest balloon-frame structures in Illinois. It is located at 948 North York Road to the south in Hinsdale.

 

York Tavern Oak Brook

York Tavern: Across the Salt Creek Bridge just north of Gaue Mill is the historic York Tavern. This is a cozy tavern and American grill serving burgers, sandwiches, pizza and more in a bright-red house. It is the oldest continuously operating privately owned eating and drinking establishment in DuPage County. Originally known as the Farmer’s Home, it was built in1843 by Benjamin Fuller and stands in its original location on the west side on York Road. It is a key remnant of a complex of buildings that remain from the original village of Fullersburg. 3702 York. Rd.

 

For more travel destinations and recommendations, visit globalphile.com.

 

Exploring the Best of Beverly in Chicago, IL

 

 

By Bob Glaze

 

 

This is a continuation of my exploration of the neighborhoods in Chicago. I had a great time exploring this beautiful area of the city on a beautiful fall day last October.

Beverly, or officially Beverly Hills, is an attractive neighborhood on the southwest side of the city that became popular in the late 1870s and 80s. The borders are 87th Street on the north, S. Beverly Blvd. and Hale Ave. on the east, 107th Street on the south, and S. Western Ave. on the west.  I recommend that you take some time to enjoy the architecture, historic sites, bars and restaurants.

 

Chicago’s Beverly Neighborhood

The highlight, in my opinion, is a collection of Prairie-style homes similar to Oak Park. It is known for its natural elevation or ridgeline that runs through the area. The midsection of the ridgeline tracing Pleasant Ave and Longwood Drive from the 9300 block to the 10500 block has a large concentration of grand homes by influential architects including Frank Lloyd Wright.

 

 FL Wright Houses

 

There are four Frank Lloyd Wright homes that you can drive by and see.

Howard Hyde House: At 10541 S. Hoyne Ave., this one of the Chicago Landmark “American System-Built Homes,” built in 1917. It was the second and last home designed by Wright as part of this subdivision before the project was abandoned at the start of World War I.

 

Howard Hyde House

The Guy C. Smith House, at 10410 S. Hoyne Ave., was also built in 1917 as one of the Chicago Landmark “American System-Built Houses.” It was to be the model home for a subdivision consisting of Frank Lloyd Wright’s prefabricated designs. The project was terminated at the beginning of World War I with only two of Wright’s houses built.

 

The Guy C. Smith House

Raymond W Evans House: This hilltop Wright home at 9914 S. Longwood Dr. was built in 1908 in the Prairie School style.

 

Raymond W. Evans House

William and Jessie Adams House: Located at 9326 S. Pleasant Ave., it was built in 1900-1901 and now designated a Chicago Landmark.  The Adams House is an example of Frank Lloyd Wright’s experimentation with horizontal massing, a broad porch, and decorative treatment that foreshadowed his later work within the Prairie School of architecture.

 

William and Jessie Adams House

Other Things to Do

 

Ridge Historic District:  The Ridge Historic District, which has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976, runs through the heart of the Beverly Hills/Morgan Park neighborhood. With more than 3,000 buildings, it is one of the largest urban districts on the Register. In addition to the Frank Lloyd Wright homes described above, it also has homes designed by many significant architects including George W. Maher, Walter Burley Griffin, Daniel Burnham, and Howard Van Doren Shaw. Designs represent every regional architectural style built between 1844 and World War II.

 

Ridge Historic District

Ridge Historic District

Your focus should be on the Longwood Drive Historic District, a Chicago historic district and landmark, which extends twelve blocks from 9800 to 11000 S. Longwood Dr. and from 10400 to 10700 S. Seeley Ave. Unique in the city for its hilly topography; Longwood Drive is dominated by a natural ridgeline. The houses in this district were built starting in 1873 and include several different architectural styles, such as Italianate, Prairie School, Queen Anne, and Renaissance Revival, and are the works of noted turn of the century architects, including Frank Lloyd Wright mentioned above.

 

Longwood Drive Historic District

Longwood Drive Historic District

The Givins’ Irish Castle: Located in the Longwood Drive Historic District, is a mansion dubbed the “Irish Castle” by its neighbors. It was built in 1887 by Robert C. Givins, a real estate developer, as a gift to his wife, who used it to spark residential growth along the Rock Island Line. It has been the home of the Beverly Unitarian Church since 1942. Givins spent the then-enormous sum of $80,000 constructing the mansion of solid limestone from a quarry near Joliet with the intent of resembling a castle he visited in Ireland. 10255 S. Seeley Ave.

 

The Givens’ Irish Castle

Beverly Arts Center:  Located at 2407 W 111th St., this is a multi-faceted arts organization that builds community through diverse, quality arts programming, education, and entertainment.

Ridge Historical Society: RHS is a non-profit historical society and archive for the Beverly, Morgan Park, and Mount Greenwood neighborhoods at 10621 S Seeley Ave. in the historic Graver-Driscoll House. They host a number of events and exhibits throughout the year.

 

Ridge Historical Society

Dan Ryan Woods: This is a local 275-acre forest preserve with sledding and snowboarding hills, historic aqueducts, fitness stairs, picnic groves, and a mile-long paved loop that connects to the Major Taylor Trail. The site supports a large array of native plants, animals, and migratory birds.

 

Where to Eat and Drink 

 

Beverly has a number of casual restaurants, coffee shops, bars, microbreweries along with a popular meadery & winery. Make sure to visit:

Horse Thief Hollow Restaurant & Brewery:  This is a casual microbrewery and gastropub, featuring their house-brewed beers and soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, bbq and more at 10426 S. Western.

 

Horse Thief Hollow Restaurant & Brewery

Original Rainbow Cone: This is a popular ice cream shop since 1926, serving cones, shakes, sundaes and banana splits. I loved the butter pecan but they are known for their combination of orange sherbet, pistachio, Palmer House, strawberry and chocolate. The shop was recommended to me by a local friend who grew up down the street. 9233 S Western Ave.

 

The Original Rainbow Cone

Wild Blossom Meadery: This is a local meadery that makes mead, an alcoholic beverage created by fermenting honey with yeast. Sometimes various fruits, spices, grains, or hops are added. This was the second time that I had tasted mead. They make a number of meads.  I enjoyed trying the Cherry Nectary made with cherries, the Chocolate Cherry Buzz, a sweet mead made with cherries and chocolate and the Green Apple Nectar made with green apples and Riesling grapes. It was fun to watch two bees fly into my two glasses. I guess they were attracted to the honey!! In addition, they produce a blend of Cabernet, Merlot & Syrah called Chicago Bull’s Blood. They have an indoor tasting room and a large outdoor patio in the rear.9030 S Hermitage Chicago IL 60620

 

Wild Blossom Meadery & Winery

Wild Blossom Meadery & Winery

Wild Blossom Meadery & Winery

Cork & Kerry: This is a popular, authentic Irish bar that is a Beverly institution. It also has a large outdoor beer garden. 10614 S. Western Ave.

I enjoyed my lunch at the Open Outcry Brewing Company. They have a large rooftop beer garden in addition to their brewpub/tap room downstairs. They make a number of ales, porters, stouts and IPAs onsite. Their food menu specialized in wood-fired pizzas, burgers and sandwiches. I enjoyed the Fire Roasted Caprese Sandwich with chicken on a beautiful day to be outside on the roof. 10934 S. Western.

 

Open Outcry Brewing Company

Open Outcry Brewing Company

Two Mile Coffee Bar: This is a casual coffee shop located at 1766 West 95th Street. It has been recommended in a number of articles, however, it was closed on Sunday when I was in the area. There is a second location at 9907 South Walden Parkway.

I hope you all have a fun day!!!

 

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