Robbins Park Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Robbins Park Historic District is a set of three hundred and sixty-eight buildings in Hinsdale
, Illinois
. Two hundred and thirty-two of these builds contribute to its historical value. The district was plat
ted by William Robbins in the 1860s and 1870s following the completion of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
. Wealthy entrepreneurs moved to the district beginning in the 1890s due to its natural beauty and proximity to major golf resorts. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 2008 and features two houses previously honored by the register.
(CB&Q) was opened in 1862 and added a station in modern-day Hinsdale
, Illinois
two years later. Before the station was built, real estate developer William Robbins purchased 700 acres (2.8 km²), the first land in Hinsdale, including a lot for his own home. He plat
ted the Town of Hinsdale in 1866, almost all of which was south of the railroad tracks. Robbins advertised the land in Chicago newspapers and built cottages and a school to promote residential development. He added land to the town later in 1866 and in 1871. Horace W. S. Cleveland
was hired to plat the 1871 addition, which was in the emerging curvilinear style instead of the predominant gridiron
plan. Curvilinear plans spared the local environment, maneuvering around large trees and hills. The Robbins Parks Addition was one of Cleveland's first ventures in the Midwest.
The Great Chicago Fire
caused many Chicago residents to reconsider a move to the suburbs, resulting in a population boom. The Highlands train station
, just north of the Robbins Park district was added to the CB&Q in 1873. By this time, the population of Hinsdale was 1,500. Hinsdale issued bonds to improve its public works, resulting in running water, electricity, and a sewage system for the town. Streets were paved with asphalt
and brick
. The Hinsdale Golf Club, opened west of Hinsdale in 1899, prompted wealthy patrons to move near the club. Hinsdale's reputation grew as one of Chicago's most beautiful suburbs of Chicago, and several publications heralded the architectural styling of the town.
Local entrepreneurs flocked to the Robbins Park district. William Whitney was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives
and first proposed legislation to incorporate Hinsdale. His house
is independently listed on the National Register of Historic Places
(NRHP). William Gibson Barfield was a local architect who designed the Hinsdale Theater and the Hinsdale State Bank, as well as many of the Robbins park residences. Howard George Hetzler was the President of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad
and the Superintendent of the Chicago division of the CB&Q. Charles G. Root was a partner of the United States Gypsum Corporation. Orland P. Bassett, whose house
is also on the NRHP, was the first to commercially sell the American Beauty rose.
and bungalow
designs. Four contributing houses are of Italianate design and thirty-two are Queen Anne
style. The district is almost entirely residential, with the exception of four churches and two non-contributing businesses.
The Boston
, Massachusetts
firm of Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge
designed the George H. and Carrie R. Mitchell House at 244 E. First Street in 1893. Eben Ezra Roberts
designed the 1910 Prairie School
Albert Wilson True House at 231 E. Third Street. Fellow Oak Park
native John S. Van Bergen
was the architect of the 1923 Harold Klock Residence at 306 S. County Line Road. Schmidt, Garden and Erickson was responsible for two Colonial residences, built in 1934 and 1937. Solon Spencer Beman
, who designed the first company town
of Pullman, Illinois, also designed the Church of Christ, Scientist
building in the district in 1951.
Hinsdale, Illinois
Hinsdale is a suburb of Chicago, Illinois; it is located partly in Cook County and mainly in DuPage County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 17,349 at the 2000 census. The town's ZIP code is 60521. The town has a rolling, wooded topography, with a quaint downtown and is a 30-minute...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. Two hundred and thirty-two of these builds contribute to its historical value. The district was plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted by William Robbins in the 1860s and 1870s following the completion of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
. Wealthy entrepreneurs moved to the district beginning in the 1890s due to its natural beauty and proximity to major golf resorts. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2008 and features two houses previously honored by the register.
History
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy RailroadChicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
(CB&Q) was opened in 1862 and added a station in modern-day Hinsdale
Hinsdale, Illinois
Hinsdale is a suburb of Chicago, Illinois; it is located partly in Cook County and mainly in DuPage County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 17,349 at the 2000 census. The town's ZIP code is 60521. The town has a rolling, wooded topography, with a quaint downtown and is a 30-minute...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
two years later. Before the station was built, real estate developer William Robbins purchased 700 acres (2.8 km²), the first land in Hinsdale, including a lot for his own home. He plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted the Town of Hinsdale in 1866, almost all of which was south of the railroad tracks. Robbins advertised the land in Chicago newspapers and built cottages and a school to promote residential development. He added land to the town later in 1866 and in 1871. Horace W. S. Cleveland
Horace Cleveland
Horace William Shaler Cleveland was a noted American landscape architect, sometimes considered second only to Frederick Law Olmsted...
was hired to plat the 1871 addition, which was in the emerging curvilinear style instead of the predominant gridiron
Grid plan
The grid plan, grid street plan or gridiron plan is a type of city plan in which streets run at right angles to each other, forming a grid...
plan. Curvilinear plans spared the local environment, maneuvering around large trees and hills. The Robbins Parks Addition was one of Cleveland's first ventures in the Midwest.
The Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about in Chicago, Illinois. Though the fire was one of the largest U.S...
caused many Chicago residents to reconsider a move to the suburbs, resulting in a population boom. The Highlands train station
Highlands (Metra)
Highlands Station is one of three commuter railroad station along Metra's BNSF Railway line in Hinsdale, Illinois. The station is from Union Station, the east end of the line. While Metra give the address as "1/4 mile north of the Intersection of County Line Road & 47th Street," it is actually...
, just north of the Robbins Park district was added to the CB&Q in 1873. By this time, the population of Hinsdale was 1,500. Hinsdale issued bonds to improve its public works, resulting in running water, electricity, and a sewage system for the town. Streets were paved with asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
and brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
. The Hinsdale Golf Club, opened west of Hinsdale in 1899, prompted wealthy patrons to move near the club. Hinsdale's reputation grew as one of Chicago's most beautiful suburbs of Chicago, and several publications heralded the architectural styling of the town.
Local entrepreneurs flocked to the Robbins Park district. William Whitney was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives
Illinois House of Representatives
The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The state House of Representatives is made of 118 representatives elected from...
and first proposed legislation to incorporate Hinsdale. His house
William Whitney House
The William Whitney House, also known as the Hallmark House, is a historic Late Victorian & Italianate residence in Hinsdale, Illinois. William Whitney moved to Winfield in 1858 and was elected DuPage County Circuit Clerk and Recorder two years later. During his term, he became involved in real...
is independently listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
(NRHP). William Gibson Barfield was a local architect who designed the Hinsdale Theater and the Hinsdale State Bank, as well as many of the Robbins park residences. Howard George Hetzler was the President of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad
Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad
The Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad was the third elevated rapid transit line to be built in Chicago, Illinois and was the first of Chicago’s elevated lines to be electrically powered...
and the Superintendent of the Chicago division of the CB&Q. Charles G. Root was a partner of the United States Gypsum Corporation. Orland P. Bassett, whose house
Orland P. Bassett House
The Orland P. Bassett House, also known as the "American Beauty" House, is a historic Colonial Revival residence in Hinsdale, Illinois. The house, and the accompanying carriage house, were constructed in 1899. Bassett began his career as a printer, moving to Chicago manage the Pictorial Printing...
is also on the NRHP, was the first to commercially sell the American Beauty rose.
Architecture
The earliest homes in the district represent the Gothic Revival style, including Robbins' own. The most popular style of building in the district is Colonial Revival (sixty-three buildings). Most structures are from the Late Victorian era, but there are a few examples of more modern American CraftsmanAmerican Craftsman
The American Craftsman Style, or the American Arts and Crafts Movement, is an American domestic architectural, interior design, landscape design, applied arts, and decorative arts style and lifestyle philosophy that began in the last years of the 19th century. As a comprehensive design and art...
and bungalow
Bungalow
A bungalow is a type of house, with varying meanings across the world. Common features to many of these definitions include being detached, low-rise , and the use of verandahs...
designs. Four contributing houses are of Italianate design and thirty-two are Queen Anne
Queen Anne Style architecture (United States)
In America, the Queen Anne style of architecture, furniture and decorative arts was popular in the United States from 1880 to 1910. In American usage "Queen Anne" is loosely used of a wide range of picturesque buildings with "free Renaissance" details rather than of a specific formulaic style in...
style. The district is almost entirely residential, with the exception of four churches and two non-contributing businesses.
The Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
firm of Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge
Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge
Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge was a successful architecture firm based in Boston, Massachusetts, operating between 1886 and 1915, with extensive commissions in monumental civic and collegiate architecture in the spirit and style of Henry Hobson Richardson....
designed the George H. and Carrie R. Mitchell House at 244 E. First Street in 1893. Eben Ezra Roberts
Eben Ezra Roberts
Eben Ezra Roberts was an American architect known for his work in the early modern Prairie style, pioneered by Frank Lloyd Wright, as well as other traditional residential styles. Roberts was born in Boston and attended architectural school in New Hampshire. After moving to Chicago he eventually...
designed the 1910 Prairie School
Prairie School
Prairie School was a late 19th and early 20th century architectural style, most common to the Midwestern United States.The works of the Prairie School architects are usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in horizontal bands,...
Albert Wilson True House at 231 E. Third Street. Fellow Oak Park
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,...
native John S. Van Bergen
John S. Van Bergen
John Shellette Van Bergen was an American architect born in Oak Park, Illinois. Van Bergen started his architectural career as an apprentice draftsman in 1907. In 1909 he went to work for Frank Lloyd Wright at his studio in Oak Park. At Wright's studio he did working drawings for and supervised...
was the architect of the 1923 Harold Klock Residence at 306 S. County Line Road. Schmidt, Garden and Erickson was responsible for two Colonial residences, built in 1934 and 1937. Solon Spencer Beman
Solon Spencer Beman
Solon Spencer Beman was an American architect who was based in Chicago, best known as the architect of the planned Pullman community and adjacent Pullman Company factory complex. Several of his other largest commissions, including the Pullman Office Building, Pabst Building, and Grand Central...
, who designed the first company town
Company town
A company town is a town or city in which much or all real estate, buildings , utilities, hospitals, small businesses such as grocery stores and gas stations, and other necessities or luxuries of life within its borders are owned by a single company...
of Pullman, Illinois, also designed the Church of Christ, Scientist
Church of Christ, Scientist
The Church of Christ, Scientist was founded in 1879 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, by Mary Baker Eddy. She was the author of the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. Christian Science teaches that the "allness" of God denies the reality of sin, sickness, death, and the material world...
building in the district in 1951.