Saving North Beverly's Pike House Reaches Critical Stage

CHICAGO, IL — The Pike House, located on the southern boundary of Dan Ryan Woods in North Beverly, has been called a fairy-tale house just waiting for Hansel and Gretel to come skipping by to discover it.

However, unless formal interest in finding a use for the house and committing resources to its restoration is expressed by a group or individual by September 16, 2022, there may be no Pike House in the future for imaginary, or real, people to visit.

This makes the next three months critical for saving the building, which was added in April to the list of the 2022 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois by Landmarks Illinois, the preservation advocacy organization. The house is a contributing structure for the Ridge Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Pike House, located at 1826 West 91st Street, was built in 1894 as a gardener’s cottage on the private estate of Eugene Samuel Pike (1835 – 1916), a real estate developer who built several skyscrapers in downtown Chicago and helped develop the local community into the renowned residential area it is today. The architect for the house was Harry Hale Waterman (1869-1948), who designed many structures in the Beverly/Morgan Park community.

The estate was purchased by the Forest Preserves of Cook County (FPCC) in 1921. The house was used for decades as a watchman’s residence. Many families have lived in the house through the years.

The house has been vacant since 2015, when the FPCC determined the financial resources were not there to maintain and use the house any longer. The FPCC made a valiant attempt in 2018 to find someone to restore and adapt the house for a new use, but there were no takers. The house was slated for demolition.

This year, the Ridge Historical Society (RHS) and the Beverly Area Planning Association (BAPA) joined forces for a “Save the Pike House” campaign, endorsed by elected and civic leaders, which led to the endangered designation. As a result, the FPCC is once again attempting to find someone to restore and use the house.

The situation with the Pike House is complicated.

For one thing, the house and land are not for sale, so someone cannot just buy and restore it, and live there happily ever after. The land is owned by the FPCC and is set aside by state law to be used as a nature preserve and cannot be sold. Preserving green space is a good thing.

The options available are to negotiate long-term use of the Pike House through a license, partnership, or concession agreement with the FPCC.

In addition, the house is in a serious state of disrepair. The building’s heating, electrical, plumbing, ventilation, and flooring systems all need to be replaced. Masonry, tuckpointing, and roofing are all urgent needs. In 2017, the cost of exterior repairs was estimated at $225,000, and the cost of renovating the interior will depend upon the reuse.

A feasibility study, paid for by the potential new user, will be required to determine costs. Seeking grants, loans, and other fundraising strategies will depend upon the new users and purposes for the house.

In May, the FPCC issued a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) to locate potential new users of the house. This RFEI can be found on the FPCC website at fpdcc.com/about/doing-business-partnerships/#opportunities, or on a new website set up by RHS and BAPA, savethepikehouse.org.

The RFEI explains the requirements that must be met for potential new uses, and the process for submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) online.

There are many possibilities for reusing the Pike House. If the reuse offers services that are open to the public and advance the FPCC’s nature-related mission, it may be eligible for matching FPCC funds. As just one idea, a reuse example discussed a few years ago was an artist-in-residence program and artist studios, with nature-based art programs offered to the public.

The FPCC would also consider private uses in partnership with a planning or preservation organization, such as a bed-and-breakfast operation, that would not be eligible for matching funds. Mixed use of the space is a possibility.

EOIs are due by September 16, 2022, and must include a description of the proposed reuse, potential partners, funding sources and strategies, and commitment to paying for a feasibility study.

Potential new users will have the opportunity to tour the Pike House in person during a site visit planned for Wednesday, June 15. In another FPCC building on the site, a video will be shown, followed by discussion with architects familiar with the house. Those who then want to see the inside of the house will be required to sign waivers and don N95 masks. The original time given for the start of this process was 10:00 a.m.

According to the RFEI, the site visit will also be accessible by Zoom. Although the site visit is not mandatory, it is strongly recommended. FPCC staff will try to accommodate additional visits to the house following this site visit. These details are all in the RFEI.

As a note of caution, the temperature on Wednesday is forecasted to exceed 95 degrees, and there are no electricity and ventilation systems in the Pike House.

Regular updates on saving the Pike House, and information on contacting RHS and BAPA to explore opportunities, can be found at savethepikehouse.org.

Time is running out to save the Pike House. The public is encouraged to share the news of its status to reach as many people as possible. Hopefully, a new purpose and the resources to save this historic landmark will come forward in the next three months, allowing the fairy-tale house to be enjoyed by future generations.