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.
October 2022
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.
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.
The Graver Driscoll House will be in Open House Chicago
The next big event for the Ridge Historical Society will be Open House Chicago on Saturday and Sunday, October 15 and 16, 2022, when the Graver-Driscoll House will be open to the public free-of-charge from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day.
Open House Chicago is the “public festival” from the Chicago Architecture Center that offers opportunities to explore architecturally, historically, and culturally significant sites across the city. RHS has participated in this event for several years, and this year is special, as the Graver-Driscoll House celebrates its centennial, and RHS celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Visitors to RHS for Open House Chicago will get the chance to not only visit the historic mansion, but to also see the exhibit in place about the architect who designed it, John Todd Hetherington. The exhibit “Hetherington Design Dynasty” features three generations of that family of architects who called Beverly home and designed many fine buildings here, and the artwork of Mildred Lyon Hetherington, who created portraits and illustrations for children’s publications.
One of the themes of RHS is that “every house has a history,” and the Graver-Driscoll House sure does. This includes the stories of the owners of the house since it was built in 1922. RHS took over the house in 1972, but the first fifty years the house were the stage setting for six different families who owned it.
The next few posts will explore those six families. The stories include a wedding and a fire, and the people include a football legend, an ice cream cone expert, and a wealthy horse breeder.
Stay tuned.
Photo: The Graver-Driscoll House at 10621 S. Seeley Avenue, Chicago, in the 1940s, from the Fenn Family Collection.
The Ridge Historical Society will be open tomorrow, Sunday, Oct. 2, from 1 to 4 p.m. The address is 10621 S. Seeley Ave.
A special thank you to Janice Bruno Griffin of Party Pros, Inc. She's our go-to person for events at RHS, and has been for years. She likely knows that kitchen at the Graver-Driscoll House better than most of the RHS folks.
The current exhibit at RHS is Hetherington Design Dynasty, featuring the three generations of architects in the Hetherington family and the art work of Mildred Lyon Hetherington.
Mildred was known for her portraits, and she did many portraits of local children.
Janice helped at an RHS event last week, and saw the exhibit. It turns out that Janice and her siblings sat for portraits by Mildred, and Janice has agreed to lend those to us for the exhibit.
Here are the portraits of Janice and her brother. Aren't they wonderful?