1010 GREEN BAY RD, LAKE BLUFF, IL ANN LYON
F rom stately lakefront mansions to stunning midcentury modern homes, the North Shore has one of the most impressive collections of historic residential architecture in the country. And no one knows this history, its actors and the homes themselves better than Susan Benjamin, architectural historian, author, and founder of Highland Park–based Benjamin Historic Certifications. Aspire recently sat down with Susan to learn more about the area’s esteemed architectural heritage and what buyers of these one-of-a-kind homes should know. WHEN DID YOU FIRST BECOME interested in historic homes ? Susan Benjamin : I’ve always loved architecture. I studied art history in college and grad school, then moved to Chicago and began working at CAC, the precursor organization to the Chicago Architecture Foundation. My husband was a founder of CAC, which was established to save the Glessner House, and I was an early employee. That is how we met, and it was my first job in architecture. In 2004, I founded Benjamin Historic Certifications, and over the past two decades, I’ve been lucky to work with talented architects, REALTORS® and homeowners who care deeply about preservation.
1010 GREEN BAY RD, LAKE BLUFF, IL ANN LYON
WHAT SHOULD BUYERS KNOW about owning a home by one of the great North Shore architects like David Adler or Howard Van Doren Shaw? There are more important historic homes on the North Shore than people realize— including ones by distinguished lesser-known architects like Edwin Hill Clark, Stanley Anderson, and Larry Perkins. That said, homes by Adler or Shaw are the pinnacle. It feels good to live in one. You become a steward of someplace special—a work of architecture that contributes to the character of great communities like Lake Forest and Winnetka. If the previous owner loved and cared for the home, then it is probably in good condition. If not, everything is upgradable.
“You become a steward of someplace special—a work of architecture that contributes to the character of great communities like Lake Forest and Winnetka.” — SUSAN BENJAMIN
60 // ASPIRE ON THE SHORE
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