Lake Forest McDonald's Mural Moved Safely To Gorton

LAKE FOREST, IL — A memorable mural at McDonald's has been rescued from the franchise's recently shuttered Waukegan Road location. Since the unique fast food location's closing nearly three months ago, the 99-tile creation from Lake Forest artist Mark McMahon has been carefully preserved and reassembled ahead of the site's planned demolition and impending replacement with a Chase Bank branch.

The mural depicts more than a dozen scenes from notable Lake Forest locations, including Market Square, St. Patrick Church and Lake Forest High School. McMahon, an alumnus and member of the LFHS Hall of Fame, was working on a mural in the school's library at the same time ahead of the 1997 opening of the then-controversial McDonald's.

During a summer break in the midst of creating the LFHS mural, McMahon hired some of the more than 100 students who were helping him to assist with the assembly, he told Daily North Shore. Some of them ended up getting art scholarships, he remembered.

Now, the charming scenes that used to be enjoyed alongside burgers and fries are on display in a public space – the Gorton Community Center. The mural's preservation is all thanks to the help of numerous donors who kicked in between $20 and $500 to cover moving costs, the Lake Forester reported.

McMahon estimated the total cost of relocation would be about $6,000, according to Daily North Shore, which first reported the mural's impending move in August.

Over the course of three days in September, McMahon and a Seattle art specialist disassembled the mural, taking down each tile with the McDonald's drywall attached before mounting them on plywood at Gorton over the course of three days in October, he told the Lake Forester.

McMahon's murals are also on display in downtown Chicago, Sears School in Kenilworth and Everett Elementary in Lake Forest, in addition to the LFHS library piece, according to Daily North Shore.

The mural, originally commissioned by McDonald's owner and operator William McEssy, was donated by McMahon, his wife, Carolyn, as well as McEssy and his wife, Lois. It was dedicated in the memory of Steve Malin, Jr. and in honor of Lake Forest kids.

"Before we knew it, the mural was hanging on our walls," Gorton Community Center Director of Development Catherine Yehle told the paper. "It was an amazing project."

» Read more from the Lake Forester and Daily North Shore

_{Top photo: Former Lake Forest McDonald's, 884 S. Waukegan Rd. | Google Street View}