Contact: Jean Sogin, 847-926-9059
Highland Park Historical Society Board Member
City of Highland Park Historic Preservation Commission Chair
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HIGHLAND PARK HISTORICAL SOCIETY DEDICATES
SECOND HIGHLAND PARK LEGENDS PLAQUE
Highland Park, Illinois (November 1, 2012) – On Sunday, November 18, 2012 at 3:00pm at 1894
Sheridan Road, Highland Park, the Highland Park Historical Society will unveil and dedicate a Highland
Park Legends plaque honoring John Van Bergen (1885-1969). A free reception following the dedication
will be held at Yummy Bowl, 1908 Sheridan Road, Highland Park. Reservations are appreciated:
hphistorical@sbcglobal.net or 847-432-7090.
“This event is the culmination of a series of Van Bergen Month activities, including a successful house
tour, lecture, and exhibit” stated Highland Park Historical Society President, Rob Rotering. He added,
“the collaboration between the City of Highland Park’s Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) and the
Historical Society has been the key to successfully bringing educational and exciting programming to our
City.” In addition, the HPC has created a bike/driving audio tour brochure on Van Bergen available at the
Historical Society, City Hall, and the Library.
This is the second plaque in what will be a series recognizing the remarkable individuals who have lived
in Highland Park. The plaque’s location is in front of Van Bergen’s only surviving commercial structure.
Rotering commented,“the interest in this program has been tremendous. This plaque is sponsored by the
building’s current owner, Rick Nelson. We are grateful to his commitment to keeping our history alive.”
Until recently, John Van Bergen has primarily been known as an assistant to Frank Lloyd Wright. After
closing down Wright’s Oak Park office he opened his own practice in Oak Park in 1911. He moved to
Highland Park in 1920 and practiced here for 26 years.
A retrospective exhibit of Van Bergen’s work is
on view at the Highland Park Historical Society, 326 Central Avenue until November 30, 2012
(Wednesday through Friday 1-4 pm and Sunday 2-4 pm).
The Highland Park Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization formed in 1966. The
museum is a 12-room, two-story Italianate Victorian house donated to the Society in 1969, by Jean Butz
James. The Society’s mission is to discover, preserve, provide access to, and disseminate the history of
Highland Park. The Historical Society is a 2010 recipient of an $86,000 Basic Processing and
Preservation Planning Project matching grant from the National Historical Publications and Records
Commission, the granting agency of the National Archives and Records Administration.
Visit the museum during open hours (Wednesday through Friday 1-4 pm and Sunday 2-4 pm or by appointment).
For more information about the Highland Park Historical Society programs and membership or to become
a Legends sponsor visit www.highlandparkhistory.com, email hphistorical@sbcglobal.net, or call 847-432-7090.