Zook Home and Studio Relocation
Hinsdale
R. Harold Zook was one of the most prolific architects in the Chicago area during the early 20th century. His designs include the St. Charles City Hall, the Pickwick Theater in Park Ridge, and hundreds of other structures, including nearly 50 residences in his hometown of Hinsdale. In late 2004, his own English Cotswold Cottage-style residence and architecture studio were sold to a developer, who planned to replace them with new McMansion-style residences. The Hinsdale Historical Society quickly nominated the building for Landmarks Illinois Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois. The resultant listing in March 2005 helped to generate widespread publicity, public support, and private donations to save the structures. Just two months later, the house, studio and a garden wall were moved by the historical society to a village park—two miles south—that already featured a Zook-designed park building. The two-day move, executed by Dillabaugh Inc. of Crown Point, Ind., was documented in a film funded by a grant from the LPCI Preservation Heritage Fund.