National Register of Historic Places

Lake Forest Historic District

Lake Forest, Lake County, Illinois
Listed
January 26, 1978
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
78001161

About this property

The Lake Forest Historic District is a national historic district encompassing much of the original town area of Lake Forest, Illinois. The district is primarily residential, though it also includes three educational institutions and two significant commercial districts. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Lake Forest became a popular suburb for the Chicago area's wealthiest residents, and many prominent Chicago businesspeople built their homes in the town. The district's architecture is lavish, reflecting the wealth of its residents, and includes works by Charles Sumner Frost, Dwight H. Perkins, and Howard Van Doren Shaw. The district also includes several buildings on the campus of Lake Forest College, the founding of which spurred the growth of Lake Forest, and Market Square, the country's first planned shopping center. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 26, 1978.

Location

Lake Forest, Lake County, Illinois
42.25443, -87.83087

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTLANDSCAPE ARCHITECTUREARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Lake Forest Historic District

This page lists Lake Forest Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Deerpath Inn
Industrial
0.6 mi
Reed, Mrs. Kersey Coates, House
Industrial
0.6 mi
West Park Neighborhood Historic District
Industrial
0.7 mi
Vine-Oakwood-Green Bay Road Historic District
Listed
0.7 mi
Bennett, Edward H., House and Studio
Industrial
0.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Lake Forest Historic District listed on the National Register?

Lake Forest Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 26, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Lake Forest Historic District?

Lake Forest Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Lake Forest Historic District?

The period of significance for Lake Forest Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Lake Forest Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Lake Forest Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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