In 2011 Harboe Architects was contracted to complete drawings for the restoration of the roof and dormers and for the exterior restoration of the station and warming house facades.  The roof restoration completed in the fall of 2011. The remaining exterior restoration of the facades was completed in the fall of 2016. Work on the exterior facades included masonry repair, cleaning, and repointing, stucco repair, wood repair, and painting.  

lake forest train station

The Lake Forest Train Station was built in 1900 to serve the Chicago and North Western Railroad.  It currently serves as the station for the Metra commuter system and has several tenants.  The station was designed by Chicago architects Frost and Granger, both of whom designed many buildings in Lake Forest.  Although altered somewhat since its construction, the station retains its historic integrity and is an integral part of downtown Lake Forest.  It is located on the east end of Market Square, recognized as the first automobile oriented shopping plaza in the country.  The station was designed in an English Tudor style, which set the precedent for the design of Market Square in 1916.

In the fall of 2008, Harboe Architects was retained by the Lake Forest Historic Preservation Foundation to complete a historic structure report for the train station. Harboe Architects staff members completed an assessment of the site and buildings and completed the historic structure report in the spring of 2009.  The report includes recommendations for future restoration work.

Project Information