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.
Eugene S. Pike House
The Ridge Historical Society/Beverly Area Planning Association Historic Buildings Committee invites area residents to help with a fall yard clean up at the historic Eugene S. Pike House, 1826 W. 91st St., on the southern edge of the Dan Ryan Woods, on Saturday, Nov. 19, from 9 a.m. to noon. Students can earn community service hours. All volunteers are welcome. For additional information, contact RHS at 773-881-1675 or ridgehistory@hotmail.com.
Cleaning up the historic Pike House property is still on for tomorrow!
The Ridge Historical Society/Beverly Area Planning Association Historic Buildings Committee invites area residents to help with a fall yard clean up at the historic Eugene S. Pike House, 1826 W. 91st St., on the southern edge of the Dan Ryan Woods, on Saturday, Nov. 19, from 9 a.m. to noon. Students can earn community service hours. All volunteers are welcome.
Rakes, brooms, shovels, bags, and gloves will all be provided for use and hot coffee will be available to keep everyone warm on a cold November day.
If plenty of people show up, the work should be finished pretty quickly!
The Ridge Historical Society would like to thank the volunteers who showed up yesterday to clean up the Pike House grounds. It was a cold day and the effort was really appreciated.
Here are some pictures of the crew and their handiwork. The place looks great now! Thank you to the Forest Preserves staff, also, for your help!
More pictures from cleaning up the Pike House yesterday.
UPDATE: Save the Eugene S. Pike House
Last year the RHS/BAPA Historic Buildings Committee, Ridge Historical Society and Beverly Area Planning Association began working to save the historic Eugene S. Pike House, located on 91st Street in the Dan Ryan Woods, and to find a suitable and sustainable reuse of the house.
To that purpose, the Committee, with the assistance of Landmarks Illinois, created the Eugene S. Pike House Foundation and received 501(c)(3) not-for-profit status. Creating this foundation, which is overseen by a volunteer Board of Directors composed of representatives from BAPA, RHS, BIA and the community, will enable the new organization to continue to engage community members and elected officials in efforts to work with the Forest Preserves District of Cook County (owner of the Pike house) to stabilize the house, identify and secure a suitable reuse, and strategize ways to fund restoration.
April 28, 2023 is the extended deadline for the RFEI submissions to the Forest Preserves District.
The Eugene S. Pike House Foundation will be submitting a Request for Expression of Interest (RFEI) letter. The new Foundation’s proposal will outline the intention to raise awareness, funds, and assistance needed to underwrite essential repairs and updates for the Pike House. The Beverly Arts Alliance, another local not-for-profit organization has submitted a Request for Expression of Interest (RFEI) letter as a potential end user for the Pike House. Other submissions are encouraged.
The Pike House Foundation welcomes volunteer assistance from area people who represent fields such as tax law, construction and restoration trades, real estate, not for profit organization, and historic preservation, as well as interested members of the community. To learn more and get involved, contact Debra Nemeth, Ridge Historical Society, dnemeth.rhs@gmail.com or Grace Kuikman, Beverly Area Planning Association, gkuikman@bapa.org. Our new foundation is committed to helping interested persons or groups throughout the RFEI process.
Visit savethepikehouse.org for details, RFEI and Addendum 5 with the submission link.