River Forest Architectural & Historical Survey

Lakota led a team of architectural historians and surveyors in completing a village-wide architectural and historical survey of buildings and properties within the Village of River Forest. River Forest is known for its diverse collection of Queen Anne, Prairie School, Tudor and Colonial Revivals, and Mid-Century Modern homes and commercial buildings.

It is also known for the William H. Winslow House, Frank Lloyd Wright’s first independent commission. The survey included the field documentation and evaluation of over 2,900 properties, including 800 buildings already located in the River Forest’s existing National Register Historic District, and a comprehensive context statement serving as a framework for understanding the architectural and historical significance of River Forest’s architectural heritage. The on-site survey work was completed using an iPad and customized survey software. A complete context statement was also prepared as part of the assignment.

After the conclusion of the project, the Village updated its historic preservation ordinance to add a demolition delay provision, a provision that would apply to architecturally and historically significant properties identified in the survey.