When River Forest trustees officially recognized the 700 block of William Street earlier this summer with honorary street signs, it marked the end of a process for the first planned development of Prairie-style homes and possibly the beginning of a new era in historic preservation for River Forest.
For the residents of the block, who had long sought recognition and protection for their homes, the honorary signs are an outward sign that their block has historical significance. Many hope the designation is just the first step in a more thoughtful historic preservation approach in the village.Â
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Passionate homeowners
Homeowner Mark Witt, who led the effort to recognize his block, said his interest in the Prairie style of architecture started early.Â
“When I was an undergraduate in the late ’80s,” he recalled, “a professor took us on a class trip. He took us down William Street and told us it was one of the first tract developments in the United States.”
Later, Witt and his wife participated in Wright Plus housewalks as tourists. When destiny brought them to the area to live, Witt was delighted to find a house on the very block he had visited while in college. The house needed quite a bit of work, and the Witts tapped into a neighborhood resource, architect Mark Zinni, who had lived in two of the homes on the block himself.
Over time, the Witts rehabbed the house with Zinni’s help and in doing so, restored the picture molding, fireplace and horizontal trim that were hallmarks of the home’s original style.
Neighbor Ron Heiman is equally passionate about the Prairie style and its preservation. He and his wife Pat purchased their home on the 700 block of William in 1979.
“I taught architecture classes at OPRF High School from 1970 to 2003. I loved the appearance of the house, the built-in gutters, and the tree canopy. We redid the kitchen and the front porch. Since my wife and I are both into architecture, we worked hard to keep within the original style of the house.”
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Frank Lloyd Wright connection?
In 2014, Frank Lloyd Wright scholar William Storrer, along with Richard Johnson and Dominque Watts, published The Anonymous Frank Lloyd Wright and the 700 William Street, River Forest Project. In his book, Storrer proposes that the block is the work of the famous architect. Both Witt and Heiman opened their homes to Storrer for his research.
All of the homes on the block were constructed by Henry Hogan, who built many of Wright’s designs. According to Witt, Storrer believed that from 1915 through 1917, when the William Street homes were built, Wright was persona non grata in the area due to his highly publicized infidelity, and this makes it likely that his name would not have been attached to the project.Â
When Storrer visited his home, Heiman said, “He was like an architectural detective in our house. He looked at the type of tile on the fireplace, the style of the fireplace, the layout of the rooms, radiator placement and the foundation walls, and he thought they were all indicative of Frank Lloyd Wright’s style.”
He is fairly confident that Wright, along with others in his studio, was responsible for the design of the block.Â
“We believe Wright’s son, Lloyd, was the architect of record and Hogan was the builder,” Heiman said.
Witt is not so sure, but he does see a connection to Wright’s studio.Â
“I have two thoughts on it,” he said. “One point of view is that Hogan hired a draftsman to knock off Wright’s designs. I think it was probably designed in the office of Frank Lloyd Wright, where Wright was working with his son Lloyd and Harry Robinson. 707 William has a window pattern and door entrance very similar to Harry Robinson designs. This is just conjecture, of course. It’s still a bit of a mystery.”
For the Historic Preservation Commission, the unknown identity of the architect does not detract for the importance of the block. According to Commissioner David Raino-Ogden, “The 700 block of William is a rare architectural jewel. It is a pleasant smile with all its teeth, perfect teeth. The cohesiveness of the block is magical. Each house in a similar style with just enough variation to provide a wonderful sense of individuality. The architect, be it Wright or Robinson, or Bozo the clown, should not cloud the issue, the result is to be treasured by all.”
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Village action
Storrer’s interest in the block was instrumental in bringing neighbors together to celebrate the historic significance of the block and sparking interest in working to preserve the block, according to Witt.Â
“We were concerned because the houses on the block are small, but on nice lots,” he noted. “We don’t want to see a builder come in and put up McMansions. None of these houses are very special on their own, but collectively they are.”
Heiman shares Witt’s concerns.Â
“We had some friends who owned a William Drummond house in River Forest,” he said, “and when they went to sell it, the buyer tore it down. We were shocked, but [back] then, there was nothing in place to prevent it. My wife and I are very concerned about teardowns and want to retain the flavor of the block.”
River Forest Historic Preservation guidelines, are just that: guidelines. Although the Historic Preservation Commission can recommend action, it cannot prevent teardowns.
The neighbors worked together with the village of River Forest to come up with honorary street signs, designed by Heiman, in hopes that this recognition might convince future buyers of the value of the block as a whole.
Laurel McMahon, a former commissioner of the Historic Preservation Commission noted that the signage is significant for multiple reasons.Â
“First,” she said, “the residents are so proud of what a distinctive block it is. It is so rare that houses maintain their original design. All of the changes in the last 100 years have been so sensitive to the original style. I think putting the signs up helps increase the value, and it encourages others to think about their homes this way. Getting people to appreciate historic design is important. The first line of defense is education about what you have.”
A home recently hit the market on the 700 block of William, and when the rehab-minded purchaser went before the Historic Preservation Commission for review, he decided to keep the project within the original look and feel of the block, a victory according to McMahon, Witt and Heiman, who see each house as part of a more important whole.
Said Heiman, “On our block, it’s the similarity of all of the houses and the fact that it was all one project at the time it was developed that makes each house an important part of the collective feel. I think the signage and recognition has increased the historic preservation rules a little bit, and I’m hoping they will continue to tighten up.”