Architectural Lake Forest

For more than fifty years, the Lake Forest Preservation Foundation has worked to protect the architecture, landscapes, and historic places that give Lake Forest its distinctive character. This three-part film traces the evolution of preservation in Lake Forest—from Almerin Hotchkiss’s pioneering 1857 town plan and the grand estates of the Country Place Era to the development and revitalization of downtown Lake Forest. It explores the work of influential architects including Howard Van Doren Shaw, David Adler, Harrie T. Lindeberg, and Stanley D. Anderson, as well as the preservation of landmarks such as Market Square, the historic train station, Gorton Center, Ragdale, the Grove Campus, and Elawa Farm. Through partnerships among the Lake Forest Preservation Foundation, the City of Lake Forest, community organizations, and local residents, historic buildings and landscapes have been protected while continuing to serve the community in new and meaningful ways. Together, these stories demonstrate that preservation is not simply about safeguarding the past—it is about sustaining the places where community happens and ensuring that Lake Forest’s architectural legacy endures for generations to come. CREDITS Narrative written by Art Miller Narrated by Bill Kurtis Produced by Joshua Bowen, Tick Tock Filmworks HISTORIC IMAGE CREDITS From the collection of History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff University of Illinois Chicago Library, Special Collections Copelin Commercial Photographs, Bronzeville by address: Prairie Ave. through Princeton Ave., Image 6, JPCC_01_0052_0521_006, Chicago – Photographic Images of Change Chicago History Museum ICHi-038262; ICHi-038256