River Forest Women's Club Changing Ownership
For the first time, this building is changing hands. Is has been in the possession of the River Forest women's Club since it was built. They have kept it structurally intact and managed to do minimal maintenance to ensure the long term survival of the structure, but have had little money in the past decades to make any major changes to this historic building. It's history has therefore, ironically, been protected by years of harmless neglect (shortage of funds).
The Women’s Club has decided that they are no longer able to maintain and care for their building. For a few years, they have been making the difficult decision as to who they feel could look after the building and care for it properly and to take over its stewardship.
The building is a unique Prairie School structure designed by architect, William Drummond in 1913. As his wife was a member of the Club, Drummond donated the plans and his supervision of the construction, free of charge. (at right, William Drummond. Photo courtesy of the Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest.)
The building is basically two large spaces. The main part is an auditorium (with movable seating), a small stage and a balcony. This main space was created to be versatile, accommodating itself to music, dance, drama, lectures, public and private meetings. This main hall has acoustics as good as any other small auditorium in the country. Perfect for small musical ensembles, it requires no amplification for a speaker, even when the hall is full to capacity (about 150 people).
Historic photos from the “Western Architect".
The Women's Club as it looks today:
(Click on these to see larger photos.)
martin hackl photos © 2003
The downstairs basement is has a large hall with a large kitchen adjacent, suitable for banquets or other gathering. It is also designed to be used in conjunction with the main hall. In the back of the basement hall is a fireplace (below).
Painted over the lintel it says:
Art and Literature
Home and Education
Social Economics
Music and the Drama
Though it looks like an all wooden building, brick piers and massive steel beams support the main floor, the roof and the cantilevers of this very well built structure.
In my view, the acquisition of this building by the Park District, may endanger the survival of it's historic and architectural integrity. At best, this unique building will eventually receive only minor alterations. A "restoration" could possibly be in the long term plans. But if the past gives any clues, I fear that the type of restoration that the Park District might do would be an over-zealous renovation, the kind that tends to scrape away all the history - that really should be saved.
At worst, the building will keep receiving the kind of abuse that the park district has been subjecting it to in recent times (it has been renting space from the Women's Club). My instincts tell me that the building could eventually be demolished, when the over-taxed village and Park District decide that it no longer serves the public purpose or is no longer economically viable to keep or maintain. We can only hope that that day never comes.
Copyright © 2003 Martin Hackl