The RHS Facebook page is a rich archive of history-related posts by Carol Flynn, RHS Facebook admin and writer until mid-2025. Carol prolifically wrote a wide variety of meticulously researched local history articles for RHS. She continues to write for the Beverly Review and other media sources with articles particularly focused on local Ridge history.
Past Events: 2022
All ready for the Beverly Art Walk – TODAY – Saturday, September 17, 12 noon to 5 p.m.
Be sure to stop by the Ridge Historical Society, 10621 S. Seely Ave., Chicago.
Exhibit: The Hetherington Design Dynasty featuring the artwork of Mildred Lyon Hetherington.
Other highlights: Coloring activity for children, beer tasting from Horse Thief Hollow, performances by the Weber School of Irish Dance.
Join RHS this Sunday for a wine and mead tasting event with Wild Blossom Meadery and Winery. Tickets available through Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rhs-special-tasting-fundraising-event-tickets-416378067007.
The address is 10621 S. Seeley Avenue, the cost is $40 for RHS members, $50 for non-members.
The Ridge Historical Society is open today from 1 to 4 p.m., free of charge. Enter at 10621 S. Seeley Avenue. At 4 p.m., the mead and wine tasting fundraiser begins, and there are still tickets available.
From the Ridge Historical Society, a couple of things –
1. RHS will be open to the public tomorrow, Tuesday, September 27, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., free admission. The address is 10621 S. Seeley Ave. View the current exhibit, the Hetherington Design Dynasty, focusing on the three generations of the Hetherington family of architects who designed upwards of 100 buildings in the community. Also featured is the artwork of Mildred Lyon Hetherington, a local artist who excelled at portraits and illustrations for children’s books and craft projects.
2. RHS has some oak tree seedlings to give away – they are by the Seeley Avenue entrance, 10621 S. Seeley Avenue. Please help yourself – and help restore and preserve the tree canopy of the community for future generations.
3. A great time was had yesterday at the event at RHS put on by Greg Fischer of Wild Blossom Meadery and Winery. Here are some pictures – look at that spread! Wild Blossom is coming out with two spirited beverages in RHS’s name, and RHS will receive some proceeds from the sales. Watch this Facebook page for more details.
Reminder – Open House Chicago is next weekend!
The Ridge Historical Society (RHS) will be open on Saturday and Sunday, October 15 and 16, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. free-of-charge for Open House Chicago. No reservations are needed.
Visitors will be able to visit the historic Graver-Driscoll House and view the “Hetherington Design Dynasty” exhibit on the Hetherington family of architects and artists.
There will also be a tour of the outside house and grounds which will include the history of the house, the Blue Island Ridge, and the Ridge Historical Society, and information on current restoration efforts. The tour includes a steep driveway and stairs onto terraces and is not fully handicapped accessible.
The tours will be offered every half hour from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (final tour) both days, weather permitting. The tours will begin in the grass courtyard of the 10621 S. Seeley Avenue entrance.
Photo of the Graver-Driscoll House by C. Flynn for the porch concert this summer.
Probably the number one request we get at the Ridge Historical Society (RHS) is for house histories, and one of the themes of RHS is that “every house has a history.” Researching the origins of a home – who designed it, who built it, when, how much did it cost, etc. – is especially interesting to those who own homes in a historic community like Beverly/Morgan Park.
The “Hetherington Design Dynasty” exhibit that is currently on display at RHS through the end of this year profiles the architectural work of three generations of the Hetherington family who lived on the Ridge and designed many fine homes here. Now, as part of the exhibit, an Architectural Lecture Series has been scheduled for Friday evenings in November.
The first program, scheduled for November 4th at 7:00 p.m., will be “Discover the History of Your Chicago House.” Tim Blackburn will be the presenter, and attendees will learn how to research the histories of their pre-1955 homes within the city, including the architecture, construction, inhabitants, and owners. The research methods and information covered will include building permits, local history, Chicago streets’ renumbering, Sanborn maps, and more.
Tim Blackburn is a member of the RHS Historic Buildings Committee. He assists members of the community with research on their homes and local history questions. He has completed extensive research on his Hetherington designed home, and is a major contributor to RHS’s current exhibit, “Hetherington Design Dynasty.”
Tim works in technology as a Vice President for a global marketing and data company. He is a Chicago Marathon runner, which provides him the opportunity to study the architecture of the Ridge during his long training runs. On Sunday, he completed his eleventh Chicago Marathon. This shows he has the determination and follow-through to tackle the most complicated history requests at RHS!!
Two other programs are planned for the series and will be covered in detail in the next posts.
On Friday, November 11, Photographer Mati Maldre will present, “Photographing Architecture and a View Camera Demonstration.”
On Friday, November 18, Michael Lambert, Architect, Historian, and Preservationist, will present “John Todd Hetherington: From Lake Forest to Geneva.”
RHS is located at 10621 S. Seeley Avenue. The cost per program is $10/members, $15/non-members. A reception will follow each lecture. Information about reservations will be posted in the next few days, and reservations are recommended.
These images of the Graver-Driscoll House, RHS Headquarters, were taken by Mati Maldre. He will share his expertise on photographing architecture as part of the Friday Evening Hetherington Architectural Lecture Series in November.
The Ridge Historical Society is open right now! Tuesday afternoons from 1 to 4 p.m., free of charge, at 10621 S. Seeley Ave.
Our next event is this week-end, October 15 and 16. We'll be part of Open House Chicago and open both days from 10 am to 5 pm. Visitors will be able to view the current exhibit, Hetherington Design Dynasty, and get an outside tour of the grounds and house.
This week's Beverly Review has an article on the Graver-Driscoll House, owned by RHS and used as our headquarters.
https://www.beverlyreview.net/news/community_news/article_f73c9bc0-497d-11ed-9663-4f8ff3e3a1b9.html
The Ridge Historical Society
Friday Evening Hetherington Architectural Lecture Series
The second program that will be part of the RHS Friday Evening Hetherington Architectural Lecture Series will be held on Friday, November 11, at 7:00 pm. Featured will be Mati Maldre presenting “Photographing Architecture and a View Camera Demonstration.”
Mati is the chair of the RHS Historic Buildings Committee. He is an Emeritus Professor of Art/Photography at Chicago State University. His photographs have been widely published, collected, and exhibited in significant organizations such as The Art Institute of Chicago and The International Venice Architecture Biennial. He is the co-author and photographer for Walter Burley Griffin in America and The Chicago Bungalow, and his photographs are featured in the publication The Griffins in Australia and India.
Mati owns a historic home in Beverly designed by another famous architect, Walter Burley Griffin. He currently has an online exhibit on Griffin’s architecture at https://www.griffinsociety.org/mati-maldre-exhibition/?fbclid=IwAR0Js0mCsipfSweu-_EKpto2iHsrzesjNovEgXh2qchqhV9YCxMgHEUNkSo
Mati’s statement for the RHS program reads: “In my architectural photographic documentation, I strive to blend fundamental documentation and the interpretive expression that reveals new appreciation and understanding of our man-made environment. I attempt to couple a firm respect for the subject’s integrity and the architect’s intent with a desire to produce an accurate photographic image with my Deardorff 4×5/5×7 view camera. My photos, like the buildings they represent, are both art and science, both personal and practical.”
The RHS Friday evening programs in November are part of the Hetherington Design Dynasty exhibit currently being shown at RHS. The exhibit features three generations of architects from the Hetherington family who called Beverly home and designed upwards of one hundred buildings in the community. The exhibit will run through the end of the year. Mati’s photographs of some of the buildings the Hetheringtons designed cover one wall of the exhibit.
The other two programs in the series are:
Friday, November 4, 7:00 p.m., Tim Blackburn, Researcher, “Discover the History of Your Chicago House”
Friday, November 18, 7:00 p.mm, Michael Lambert, Architect, Historian, & Preservationist, “John Todd Hetherington: From Lake Forest to Geneva”
Information on these programs is highlighted in other posts.
The programs will be at RHS in the historic Graver-Driscoll House, located at 10621 S. Seeley Avenue, Chicago. The cost is $10/members, and $15/non-members for each lecture. A reception will follow each lecture.
For now, save the date. The link to register for the program on Eventbrite will be posted in coming days. Reservations are recommended.
The Ridge Historical Society
Announcement for Upcoming Programs
As part of the Hetherington Design Dynasty Exhibit, a series of in-person programs will be offered at RHS, located at 10621 S. Seeley Avenue in Chicago.
Friday Evening Hetherington
Architectural Lecture Series
$10/members, $15/non-members for each lecture
Reservations are recommended
A reception will follow each lecture.
Friday, November 4, 7:00 pm
Tim Blackburn, Researcher, “Discover the History of Your Chicago House”
You will learn how to research the history of your Chicago home, including the architecture, construction, inhabitants, and owners. You’ll develop research methods that will help you gain a new understanding and appreciation for your home’s history. The research methods covered will be useful for anyone researching a building older than 1955 in Chicago. You’ll learn about building permits, local history, Chicago street renumbering, Sanborn maps, and more.
Friday, November 11, 7:00 pm
Mati Maldre, Photographer, “Photographing Architecture and a View Camera Demonstration”
In my architectural photographic documentation, I strive to blend fundamental documentation and the interpretive expression that reveals new appreciation and understanding of our man-made environment. I attempt to couple a firm respect for the subject’s integrity and the architect’s intent with a desire to produce an accurate photographic image with my Deardorff 4×5/5×7 view camera. My photos, like the buildings they represent, are both art and science, both personal and practical.
Friday, November 18, 7:00 pm
Michael Lambert, Architect, Historian, & Preservationist, “John Todd Hetherington: From Lake Forest to Geneva”
With a career long-overlooked, John Todd Hetherington was, at the close of the 19th century, the architect to some of Chicago’s most prominent residents. Hetherington, along with other leading residential and landscape architects of his era, designed some of the first, estate homes in Lake Forest, Illinois. At the dawn of the 20th century (and on the heels of Colonel George Fabyan), longtime friends E. F. Dorton and T. S. Fauntleroy moved from the North Shore to the banks of the Fox River and commissioned Hetherington to design three homes that initiated the transformation of Geneva’s Batavia Road neighborhood.
Register through Eventbrite at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hetherington-architectural-lecture-series-tickets-443264575277
For any questions, contact RHS at ridgehistory@hotmail.com or 773/881-1675.
The Ridge Historical Society will offer a series of educational programs on Friday evenings in November as part of the current exhibit on architect John Todd Hetherington and his descendants.
The Friday Evening Hetherington Architectural Lecture Series will lead off on November 4th at 7:00 p.m. with “Discover the History of Your Chicago House,” presented by RHS researcher Tim Blackburn. Attendees will learn how to research their pre-1955 homes located within the city limits to learn about the architecture, construction, owners, and inhabitants through the years. Public records such as building permits and Sanborn maps will be discussed, as well as research methods to learn about local history.
Tim Blackburn is a member of the RHS Historic Buildings Committee and assists members of the community with research on their homes and local history questions. He has completed extensive research on his own Hetherington-designed home and many other homes in the area, and was a major contributor to the current exhibit, including designing, photographing, and installing the Google Earth Tour of the “Hetheringtons on the Ridge.” He works in technology as a Vice President for a global marketing and data company.
This first event is sure to fill up because many people in this community are interested in the history of their houses. Those who wish to secure a spot are advised to make a reservation – see the information below.
The second program, on November 11th at 7:00 p.m., will feature photographer Mati Maldre presenting “Photographing Architecture and a View Camera Demonstration.” Using his Deardorff 4×5/5×7 view camera, Maldre blends architectural photographic documentation with interpretive expression to create appreciation and understanding of our man-made environment. His work is both science and art.
On November 18th at 7:00 pm, the final program, “John Todd Hetherington: From Lake Forest to Geneva,” will be presented by Michael Lambert, architect, historian, and preservationist. Hetherington’s career has been long overlooked. He was architect to some of Chicago’s most prominent residents, and designed some of the first estate homes in Lake Forest, Illinois. He was commissioned to design three homes that initiated the transformation of Geneva’s Batavia Road neighborhood.
The programs will be held at RHS, 10621 South Seeley Avenue. The cost for each program is $10 for RHS members and $15 for non-members. A reception will follow each program. Parking is on Seeley Avenue. Entrance to the house is wheel-chair accessible but the restroom facilities are not.
Reservations are advised, and can be made through Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hetherington-architectural-lecture-series-tickets-443264575277.
For questions, contact RHS at 773-881-1675 or ridgehistory@hotmail.com.