2017 Donnelley Fund Grant Recipients

Chicago Parks Foundation - Jens Jensen Formal Garden

Humboldt Park’s Formal Garden was designed by renowned landscape architect, Jens Jensen, in 1908. The 219-acre circular garden is in need of restoration. The concrete walls and pergolas are cracking and the wood is rotting. Three organizations, the Chicago Parks Foundation, the Chicago Park District and the Garden Conservancy, are working together to raise the necessary funds to restore this iconic garden.

The Jensen Formal Garden Restoration will be conducted in two phases. The scope of work includes restoring the deteriorated pergolas, walls and pavement, as well as incorporating new paths to provide accessibility. New floral beds will be planted following Jensen’s historic palette with new additions where appropriate. Piet Oudolf, known locally for designing the Lurie Garden in Millennium Park, has been selected as the designer the restoration.

Evanston History Center: Charles Gates Dawes House, Evanston

The Evanston History Center (EHC) is located in the historic Charles Gates Dawes House, built in 1894 on a nearly two-acre lakefront site. The three-and-a-half story, French chateaux-style mansion was designed by Henry Edwards-Ficken. This National Historic Landmark was listed on LI’s Chicagoland Watch List in 2008 due to $4 million of needed repairs. Since that time, EHC has completed an architectural and structural assessment of the building and completed Phase I and II of the restoration. In 2016, LI awarded a Preservation Heritage Fund Grant to the EHC for construction administrative services for Phase III restoration, which focused on masonry repair and interior structural repairs. EHC seeks funding to complete the work in the bidding process, the vital part of the planning for work in Phase III of restoration of the Charles Gates Dawes House.