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Robbins Park I Architectural Resources Survey

2002: This area is roughly bordered by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad on the north, Garfield Street on the west, County Line Road on the east and Fourth Street on the South.

General facts about the survey area include:

  • The survey area encompasses two early developments in Hinsdale. The northern half was platted in 1866 by Hinsdale founder William Robbins, and contains some of the oldest housing in the Village, representing a wide variety of styles. The southern half was platted in 1870.

  • The survey area provides an interesting contrast between early subdivision standards (rectilinear lots and streets) and later "picturesque" efforts (curving streets and park-like setbacks, based on the model provided by the 1869 plan for suburban Riverside.

  • The area contains 204 structures on 16 blocks covering 123 acres. Of the 204 properties, 85% (190) are single-family houses. 140 (69%) of the 204 properties are considered contributing to the survey area's character. Among those, 60 structures (29% of the total properties in the survey area) are rated architecturally significant. When new construction is completed 64 (31%) of the structures will be noncontributing because they are less than fifty years old.

  • The survey area contains a fine mix of high style architecture. From the 19th century the Italianate, Greek Revival, and Queen Anne styles are represented. The most common 20th century styles in the area include Craftsman, Prairie School, Colonial Revival, Classical Revival, and Tudor Revival as well as several 20th Century popular house types (American Foursquare, Bungalow).

  • One of Hinsdale's four buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places is located at 142 E. First Street (William Whitney House/Hallmark Home). At least two other buildings in the survey area could be eligible for listing on the National Register.

  • The survey was conducted between April and August 2002 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 the 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 Sites Survey and the National Register of Historic Places.

To view the entire Robbins Park I Architectural Resources Survey. pdfs
(4.5 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.