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Downtown Commercial District

2003: This irregularly shaped area encompasses the commercial and office areas located on both sides of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad.

General facts about the survey area include:

  • The survey area encompasses the historic business and civic core of Hinsdale, the earliest parts of which date to 1866 when the Village was first platted. These first developments lie along Washington Street south of the railroad tracks. The original business district expanded outward in the 1870s, and in the 1920s municipal functions were established north of the tracks with the construction of the Memorial Building.

  • The survey area contains the oldest commercial buildings in the village, representing architectural styles and types spanning over 130 years.

  • The area contains 125 structures, 78% of which are used for commercial activities. The majority of these buildings are of some type of masonry construction and are set on the long, narrow lots typical of 19th century commercial development. The uniformity of the lot size gives this area a strong sense of visual rhythm.

  • Four prominent architects are represented in the survey area, among them Hinsdale's own R. Harold Zook and William Gibson Barfield.

  • Of the three areas that have been surveyed in the Village, the downtown has the highest percentage of well-preserved historic buildings. On some blocks in the heart of the survey area, nearly every building retains a significant amount of its historic character. Twenty-nine structures were ranked significant or potentially significant by the surveyors.

  • There are six buildings within the survey area that may be eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places: Memorial Hall (1927), 111 S. Lincoln (1955), Hinsdale Historical Society Museum (1874), U.S. Post Office (1940), Brush Hill Railroad Station (1898) and 101 S. Washington (1927).

  • The survey was conducted between April and August 2003 by Historic Certification Consultants, of Chicago, which submitted a bid for the project. Surveyors gathered extensive data on each building in the area from several sources, including visits to and photographs of each structure in the area. The purpose of this survey was to identify, document and evaluate historic structures for their architectural significance and to make recommendations for landmark designations. Evaluation criteria used in the survey came from the Hinsdale Historic Preservation Ordinance, the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and the National Register of Historic Places. A major portion of the survey was paid for by a state grant awarded to the Village of Hinsdale.

  • Previous surveys have included the residential neighborhoods surrounding the downtown to the east, south and west.

To view the entire Downtown Commercial District Architectural Resource Survey. pdfs (5.8 Mb file)

NOTE: The survey can be viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you can't view the survey you can install the free Adobe Acrobat Reader software here. The survey is a large file and may take a few minutes to download over a 56 Kbps modem.

Please contact the Village Planner at (630) 789-7030 with any questions and for assistance in designating your home as a landmark.