PRESERVATION MATTERS

If there was any doubt about Lake Forest’s commitment to preserving its architecture, the 2023 City of Lake Forest Community-Wide Survey erased it. Ninety-two percent of respondents cited the historic character of Lake Forest as “important” or “somewhat important” when choosing to live here.

At the forefront of promoting and safeguarding the town’s exceptional architectural integrity is the Lake Forest Preservation Foundation (LFPF). Each spring LFPF gives out awards for outstanding stewardship of local buildings, landscapes, and harmonious contributions to neighborhoods. Any structure or landscape built over fifty years ago is eligible for nomination.

LFPF invites everyone to participate in the process. Nominations may come from any interested party—a property owner, a neighbor, a friend, or even an admiring passerby. Handsome bronze plaques are presented to award winners at LFPF’s annual meeting in May and a reception follows at a historic Lake Forest property exemplifying LFPF’s efforts to preserve the town’s historic character.

There are five award categories, the first four based on the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, with an additional category for new construction or infill. Judging is based on the ten standards from the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.

• Preservation – Maintaining the historical integrity and character of a structure or landscape through conservation, maintenance and repair.
• Rehabilitation – Continuing the use of a historic structure through repair, alterations and additions while protecting its historical, cultural and architectural character. Includes adaptive reuse.
• Restoration – Recovering, revealing or representing the state of a historic structure or landscape as it appeared at a particular time in history.
• Reconstruction – Recreating the form, features and details of a historic structure or landscape through new construction.
• New Construction or Infill – Building new construction that demonstrates exemplary contextual compatibility in an established neighborhood.

Gorton Center will host an information session on Sunday, March 3, at 2 p.m. to give more background on criteria for successful award nominations. To learn more about the Lake Forest Preservation Foundation’s annual spring awards or to make a nomination, please visit lfpf.org/preservationawards.