Illinois Properties recommended for National Register of Historic Places           

[SEPT. 17, 2005]  SPRINGFIELD, IL – Gov. Rod Blagojevich today announced recommendations for historic properties to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These recommendations, if approved by the National Park Service, would place the properties on the official list of places with national historic significance.

“We have a rich heritage in Illinois, and feel these
properties deserve to be placed on the nation’s most prestigious listing of historic places,” said Gov. Blagojevich. “They greatly enhance our appreciation of where we’ve been and foster a sense of pride in our communities.”

The properties were nominated for listing on the
National Register of Historic Places by private
citizens and reviewed by the Illinois Historic Sites
Advisory Council at its quarterly meeting September 9 in Urbana. The Council, an unpaid organization with members appointed by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA), reviewed each application and recommended all for approval. These recommendations will be submitted by the IHPA to the National Park Service, where a final determination
about listing on the National Register will be made
later this year.

The properties recommended for National Register
listing include:

Alpha Phi Fraternity, University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign (Champaign County). The Beta Alpha chapter of the Alpha Phi fraternity was established at the University of Illinois in 1920. The members bought a 1909 Tudor Revival house in 1923, which served as their chapter house. In 1938, Decatur architect Charles Harris oversaw a major renovation of the house and a new addition in the Georgian Revival style. The Alpha Phi Fraternity reflects a style of living which has been an important component of student life at the University of Illinois for many decades.

Louis F. Swift House, Lake Forest (Lake County). In 1898, Louis F. Swift, son of Gustavus Swift, the
meat-packing giant, hired architect William Carbys
Zimmerman to design a Colonial Revival home. In
1916, Swift retained Howard Van Doren Shaw to build an addition to his home. Shaw completed a 2 ½ story Italian Renaissance Revival mansion. The original Zimmerman-designed structure was destroyed in the late 1940s. However, Shaw’s
wing was so substantial that today it stands as a
single family residence. Although other Italian
Renaissance Revival homes were built in Lake Forest, they have been demolished or significantly altered.  The Swift House remains as an excellent example of Italian Renaissance Revival.

Howard and Lucy Linn House, Lake Bluff (Lake County).
Lake Bluff was built as a cultural and religious
summer resort. Estate homes were built later,
including the 1 ½ story French Renaissance house
built for Howard and Lucy Linn. Howard was a
businessman and served as an aviator in World War I.  Lucy, a socialite, operated a war-related charity in Paris during the war. After the war, the Linns purchased lakefront property in Lake Bluff and retained architect Walter Frazier to design the home.  The Linn house stands out among the estate homes of Lake Bluff as an excellent example of the French Renaissance style.

Pacesetter Gardens Historic District, Riverdale (Cook County). In 1960, architect and developer Harry J. Quinn introduced a new home form to the suburb of Riverdale. Quinn built twelve two-story flat roof buildings that housed ninety town homes. Prior to Quinn’s development, most housing in Riverdale consisted of detached single-family homes. Quinn’s Modern movement buildings were lined up in a manner that emphasized the horizontal plane. His marketing strategy allowed people of more modest means to purchase homes in a suburban community and contributed to the overall economic diversity of Riverdale.

Rogers Park Manor Bungalow Historic District, Chicago (Cook County). The Rogers Park Manor Bungalow Historic District contains 564 contributing buildings, the vast majority of which are brick Chicago bungalows. In addition to the bungalows, there are a number of two- or three-flat buildings and some single homes in various revival styles.  Development of the area began after 1915, when large and small developers, individual builders and homeowners built homes in the Rogers Park Manor neighborhood. The majority of houses were built between 1920 and 1929. Neighborhoods of bungalows such as those found in Rogers Park Manor provided city residents the opportunity to own well-built single family homes.

Carlson-Anderson Apartment Building, Chicago (Cook County). This six-flat apartment building was built in 1927 in a Chicago neighborhood of single-family bungalows and three-flat and six-flat apartments.  Architect Godfrey E. Larson employed the Spanish Baroque style that was popularized at the Panama-California Exhibition in 1915 in San Diego.

The Georgian, Champaign (Champaign County). The Georgian is a twenty-eight unit apartment building constructed in 1925 and is located across the street from Champaign's Armory. The Georgian Revival style was popular on university campuses and the proximity to the University Of Illinois may have influenced developer Roger Little, a member of the Illinois General Assembly, to employ the style on the apartment building. Among the Georgian Revival style buildings in Champaign, the Georgian is an excellent example of the style applied to a multi-family building.

 International Harvester Building, Peoria (Peoria
 County). The five-story pressed brick structure
 built in a modified Classical Revival style is
 located in a warehouse district south of Peoria’s
 central business district. Architect W.D. Price
 designed the building in 1914 to serve as a regional
 office, warehouse and distribution center for
 agricultural implements manufactured by International Harvester. In 1925, a one-story addition was added to serve as a showroom and service center for trucks manufactured by International Harvester. The early 20th century was a period of rapid economic expansion
 in Peoria and the International Harvester Building
 remains as a symbol of the city’s past as an
 industrial and distribution center.
 
 Ouilmette North Historic District, Wilmette (Cook
 County). The Ouilmette North Historic District
 covers 40 blocks and includes some of Wilmette's
 oldest residential areas. The buildings were
 primarily constructed in the period from 1900 to
 1920, although some houses date to the 1860s. The full variety of late 19th century and early 20th
 century styles are represented in the district
 including Queen Anne, Tudor Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, Prairie School and American Foursquare.
 
 Downtown Peotone Historic District, Peotone (Will County). The district consists of the 100 and 200 blocks of North Second Street, the 100 and 200 blocks of Main Street and parts of the 100 block of East North Street. The buildings are used for a variety of purposes including commercial, residential and recreational and represent a wide range of architectural styles. The district reflects the
 commercial development of a small Illinois town.
 
 Chana School, Oregon vicinity (Ogle County). The
 original vernacular one room school was built in the
 village of Chana in 1883. In 1893 a second room was added. The two rooms were canted in an inverted V with a tall bell tower joining them at the base. The Italianate tower is capped with a complex multi-pitched roof and four arched windows. The Chana School was one of seven rural schools in Pine Rock Township and representative of rural schools throughout Illinois. When the building was
 threatened with demolition in 1998, concerned
 citizens moved the school to its current location in
 Oregon. It sits on a grassy field overlooking the
 Rock River which invokes its rural roots.

 
 Shiloh College, Shiloh Hill (Randolph County). The
 two-story Greek Revival building in the northeast
 corner of the Village of Shiloh Hill was built in
 1881 to house Shiloh College. The Illinois legislature chartered Shiloh College in 1839 as a private educational institution.  In 1881, William F. Brinkman Company, a Chester construction company, built the present brick structure. The lower floor of the building was leased to School District #1 of Randolph County upon completion. The school district operated a rural school in the building until 1954. Shiloh College is one of only three known rural school buildings remaining in Randolph County.
 
 Garrison School, Rockford (Winnebago County). The oldest remaining school building in Rockford,
 Garrison School was designed by Rockford architect George Bradley in 1887. The two-story cream brick structure rests on a rusticated limestone foundation.  An addition in 1892, also designed by Bradley, doubled the size of the school but maintained the basic design elements. A gymnasium was added in 1920. Designed by Peterson and Johnson, the gymnasium introduced Colonial Revival elements such as the fan light over the main door, symmetrical windows with triangular pediments and larger windows
 capped with fan lights. A non-contributing octagonal addition in 1969 added a library and additional classrooms.
 
 Murphysboro Elks Lodge, Murphysboro (Jackson County).
 A rectangular building with a flat roof, the
 two-story Murphysboro Elks Lodge is located on Walnut Street, the main business artery. The Elks were chartered in 1900 and originally met in rented space.  By 1913, plans were made to build their own building. Murphysboro architect Rudolph Z. Gill employed Classical Revival elements such as an ornate terra cotta door surround, which included a carved elk head and the letters “BPOE,” which were later covered by neon letters. Classical columns support a second story porch.

[News release]