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Beverly Hills/Morgan Park residents are stewards of some of Chicago’s most distinctive architecture. The community is home to the Ridge Historic District, one of the largest urban districts on the National Register of Historic Places, as well as three Chicago Historic Districts and several individual Chicago Landmark properties.
Incentives are available for eligible homeowners who wish to restore and improve their historic homes.
The Ridge Historic District (designated 1976), runs through the heart of Beverly Hills/Morgan Park. Composed of more than 3,000 buildings, the district showcases every regional architectural style built between 1844 and World War II, and homes designed by significant architects including Frank Lloyd Wright, George W. Maher, Walter Burley Griffin, Daniel Burnham, and Howard Van Doren Shaw. Chicago Landmark properties are Iglehart House (1994) one of the city’s oldest homes; Adams House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright (1994); Frank Lloyd Wright’s two American System-Built Homes (1994); and Palliser’s Cottage Home #35 (1999). The Longwood Drive Historic District runs along Seeley Avenue and Longwood Drive. It includes Givins Beverly Castle, and is characterized by a rich mix of architectural styles that includes Italianate, Gothic, Queen Anne, Prairie School and Renaissance Revival. The Beverly/Morgan Park Railroad Station Historic District (1995), includes rare surviving examples of Chicago commuter stations built between 1889 and 1945.
The Walter Burley Griffin Place Historic District, (1981), the largest collection of Griffin’s Prairie Style work in America, the district showcases houses built between 1909 and 1914.
The neighborhood also has many certified Historic Chicago Bungalows.
Any proposed alteration, demolition or new construction affecting individual landmarks or properties in Chicago landmark districts are subject to Chicago Landmarks Commission review as part of the permit review process. Verify if your home is in a Chicago landmark district Chicago Historic Resources Survey
Many homes in the national and Chicago landmark districts are eligible for incentives for historic preservation through the Property Tax Freeze and Preservation Easement programs.
The Chicago Bungalow Association offers resources for restoring and vintage homes.
Ridge Historical Society archives a wealth of local history, including documented information on many neighborhood homes. Open by appointment, ridgehistory@hotmail.com or 773-881-1675.
Commission on Chicago Landmarks provides information on individual landmarks, how to get landmark designation and the status of city landmarks.
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency is an excellent resource for information on architecturally and historically significant homes and provide information on historic preservation and restoration.
Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois has programs to facilitate, educate, and promote historic preservation, including the Preservation Easement Program.
The Beverly Area Planning Association (BAPA) is one of Chicago’s most successful grassroots civic organizations. Since 1947, we have worked to preserve and improve the Beverly Hills/Morgan Park neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. We do that through proactive, effective programs and events that unify residents, institutions, and businesses around the common cause of nurturing Chicago’s best neighborhood.
Beverly Area Planning Association
1744 W. 99th Street
Chicago, IL 60643
773-233-3100