The Ridge Historical Society’s collection has grown through the generous donations of family and community historical items related to our neighborhood, and we are always excited to welcome new additions!
To ensure your historic materials receive the proper care and security they deserve, we ask all prospective donors visit during our regular hours (Tuesdays & Sundays 1:00PM-4:00PM) or reach out to us to schedule a donation appointment. Please do not leave items at the door or drop them off outside of our regular hours.
How We Evaluate Donations
Every proposed donation is carefully reviewed by our Collections Committee. This team evaluates all items to determine whether to formally accept (accession) them into the archives based on our current collection objectives and our ability to properly preserve them. To ensure we can responsibly care for our holdings, we focus on specific types of historical materials.
RHS will collect, preserve, study, interpret, exhibit, and publish materials:
- Made and/or used within the Beverly Hills, Morgan Park, Mount Greenwood, and Washington Heights communities of Chicago, Illinois.
- That are associated with a person, place, or event in these communities.
- That are typical or representative of objects made or used in these communities; and that are historical, cultural, or aesthetic in nature.
Topics of Particular Interest Include:
- The exploration and original settlement from the late seventeenth through the early nineteenth centuries, including the Native Americans of this area and their culture, as well as the formation and establishment of its communities.
- Business and industry in the nineteenth century to the present day, including the development of the railroads, and local educational and cultural institutions.
- The transition of the community from an agrarian area to a residential area of Chicago beginning in the late nineteenth century.
- The changes in the physical environment, economy, and lifestyle of the Beverly Hills, Morgan Park, Mount Greenwood and Washington Heights communities as a result of their continued growth.
- Material from underrepresented populations in the Beverly Hills, Morgan Park, Mount Greenwood and Washington Heights communities.
Our full collections policy can viewed here.
Custody Receipt
To ensure we properly document and care for every item, a Custody Receipt is required for all donations. This form helps our Collections committee accurately record your information, the history of the items, and your preferences for how the items should be handled if they fall outside of our collection scope.
RHS has physical copies available for you to fill out when you arrive for your scheduled donation appointment. Alternatively, you can download and print the form to complete it ahead of time to streamline your visit.