Ridge Historical Society
Breaking News – The Pike House has been awarded “Endangered Status”
By Carol Flynn
April 20, 2022
Today, Landmarks Illinois announced the 2022 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois, and the Eugene S. Pike House in Dan Ryan Woods in North Beverly is on the list.
According to Landmarks Illinois, the Most Endangered list is a call to action for historic and culturally significant sites that face serious risk of demolition and/or are suffering significant neglect due to lack of maintenance or insufficient funding for repair.
This is the case with the Pike House, and it was the Ridge Historical Society, working with the Beverly Area Planning Association (BAPA), that submitted the application for Endangered status. The awarding of Endangered status is the culmination of months of work by RHS researchers, writers, and advocates to document the importance of the house to the community and the support for saving the house.
The designation of "Endangered" does not bring any protection with it, but it does call attention to the structure’s situation, and brings with it a commitment to save the house. In this case, that means finding a new purpose and new occupants for the house, which includes coming up with the substantial financial resources needed to restore the house.
The Pike House, at the corner of 91st Street and Longwood Drive, was designed by architect Harry Hale Waterman and built in 1893-94 as a gardener’s cottage on the private estate of Eugene S. Pike.
Pike was a wealthy real estate developer and horticulturist who built several “skyscrapers” downtown as well as residential and business developments in the city. He was a major developer in North Beverly, known for his well-landscaped plots.
The Forest Preserves of Cook County bought the Pike estate in 1921 and added it to the Beverly Woods Preserve, which later was renamed the Dan Ryan Woods. The Pike House was used as a superintendent’s headquarters and watchman’s residence during the 100 years it has been owned by FPCC.
The fairy-tale-like stone, stucco and timber house has been a beloved landmark in Beverly for all this time, but it was allowed to deteriorate badly in recent decades. It has been sitting vacant for years.
This is a major first step in saving the Pike House, but now the real work begins to find new occupants and restore the house. Follow the RHS page for updates on this project.