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the highland park landmark | February 21, 2019 | 27
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From the Editor
Treasure your local history
Erin Yarnall
Editor
There’s a scene in
my favorite movie,
“Lady Bird,” where
the title character, Christine
‘Lady Bird’ McPherson
is picked up by her
mom in an emotional
state. She’s sobbing to her
mom’s character, and her
mom knew exactly what
to do to cheer her daughter
up — they go to open
houses for the beautiful,
elegant old houses that
they both love so much.
Out of the many scenes
in that movie that made
me think that the writer
and director, Greta Gerwig
took my own journals and
memories as inspiration
for the movie, this scene,
in particular, always stuck
out to me because my
mom and I would always,
and continue to do the
same thing.
I grew up in Lindenhurst,
about 25 miles northwest
of Highland Park. It’s
home, but it’s not notably
beautiful or historic. When
my mom and I wanted to
experience some beauty
and history, we would head
out to the North Shore,
driving around in awe as
we looked at the charming
homes from Lake Forest all
the way down to Wilmette.
We would go out in
every season, picking out
which houses we wanted
to live in and which rooms
would be ours.
I’ve always loved old
houses — maybe it was
instilled in me through the
drives I would take my
mom in the North Shore. In
Lindenhurst, I grew up in
one of the oldest houses in
our area, and it’s only been
up since the ’50s. Most
houses in our town look
exactly like all of the others
— the town is rife with
cookie-cutter subdivisions.
When I first read about
the landmarked house on
Central Avenue, with its
floors created by William
Walter Witten, my
heart broke. The floor
was transplanted from
an award-winning dance
floor that Witten created
at the 1893 World’s
Columbian Exposition in
Chicago — the one with
the first-ever Ferris Wheel
and H.H. Holmes.
While I understand
things have to progress
and buildings can’t stay
the same forever, it
reminds me to appreciate
them while I have the
opportunity.
My mom and I might
have to take another drive
through the North Shore
sometime soon.
To read more about the
Central Avenue house,
turn to Page 4.
On Feb. 8 Ravinia Festival posted, “2019
RAVINIA POSTER COMPETITION WINNER
UNVEILED: Congratulations to Sean Quinn
(Minneapolis, MN) for winning this year’s
poster competition. Thank you to everyone
who submitted their beautiful work!”
Like The Highland Park Landmark: facebook.com/hplandmark
On Feb. 12 Highland Park City Manager Ghida
Neukirch posted, “Showing appreciation to our
finance employees by wearing green today.
Thanks @CityHPIL colleagues for all you do!”
Follow The Highland Park Landmark: @hparklandmark
home
From Page 4
ning house with beautiful
architecture not to overlook
its history and the
part Witten played in the
growth and development
of Highland Park. It could
be used as a welcoming
house to Highland Park or
a museum.”
One of the grandchildren
of the house’s original
owners, Patsy Witten
Kelly, came equipped with
two large books full of historical
information about
the house.
“Our family [my grandparents]
lived in that house
for about 60 years,” Witten
Kelly said. “We hope
it can be saved from the
wrecking ball.”
Green asked if it was
possible to wait until the
next meeting to make a
decision about the COA so
he could bring some new
options that had arisen to
his client.
“There are some important
questions and issues
raised here tonight,”
Green said. “There also
seems to be some confusion
about the process. The
community deserves clarification
of some items,
more answers. We are in
no rush and will bring the
options—like moving the
house to another location
within our site—to our client
who really does care.”
“It is so frustrating to
know the house’s rich
history and the contributions
made by Witten to
the community,” Highland
Park resident Keane Taylor
said. “We have been inside
the house and know the
beauty of the flooring and
woodwork, not to overlook
its outside beauty.”
Dershin presented
Meghan Salamasick, vicechair
of the HP Historic
Preservation Commission
with a petition to preserve
the historic house. The
names of 217 HP residents
were on it.
“We hope to obtain more
names and present it at the
next meeting,” she said.
go figure
14
The HP Historic Preservation
Commission staff
currently is drafting the
meeting minutes, which
will be posted on the City’s
website for approval at its
March 14 meeting.
An intriguing number from this week’s edition
The amount of cars broken into on
Feb. 5 in Highland Park. Read more
about it on Page 6.
The Highland Park Landmark
Sound Off Policy
Editorials and columns are the opinions of the author. Pieces from
22nd Century Media are the thoughts of the company as a whole. The
Highland Park Landmark encourages readers to write letters to Sound
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Landmark. Letters can be mailed to: The Highland Park Landmark, 60
Revere Drive St. 888, Northbrook, IL, 60062. Fax letters to (847) 272-
4648 or email Editor Erin Yarnall at erin@hplandmark.com