Riverside, Illinois

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Riverside Landscape Architecture District
(U.S. National Historic Landmark)
Ginkgos along Harlem Avenue in Riverside, Illinois
Location:	Riverside, Illinois
Built/Founded:	1869
Architect:	Frederick Law Olmsted; Calvert Vaux
Added to NRHP:	September 15, 1969
Reference #:	69000055 ^[1]
Governing body:	Local

Riverside is a village in Cook County, Illinois. The population was 8,895 at the 2000 census. It is a suburb of Chicago, located roughly 9 miles west of downtown Chicago and 2 miles outside city limits.

1 History
2 Geography
3 Demographics
4 Government
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] History

Riverside is arguably one of the first planned communities in the United States, designed in 1869 by Frederick Law Olmsted. The village was incorporated in 1875 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970.

In 1863 the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was built heading southwest from downtown Chicago to Quincy, Illinois, passing through what is now the Near West Suburban area of Chicago in a western-southwestern direction. This new access to transportation and commerce brought about a significant housing and construction boom in what was once farmland far from the bustle of the city of Chicago.

In 1868, an eastern businessman named Emery E. Childs brought together a group of associates to form the Riverside Improvement Company with the intent of purchasing and investing in land in the form of residential development. They turned to the economically booming Chicago area where they purchased a 1600-acre tract of property along the Des Plaines River and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad line. The site was highly desirable due to its natural oak-hickory forest and its mere 11 mile distance from the Chicago Loop. Further, its position along the winding Des Plaines River cooled the area, and due to good drainage, the land was mosquito free.

The Riverside Improvement Company commissioned well-known landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and his partner, Calvert Vaux, to design a "rural" bedroom community. Olmsted and Vaux had already received widespread acclaim and fame for their design of New York City's Central Park. The Improvement Company wanted Riverside to combine the pleasures of suburban living with urban conveniences such as community-provided gas, water services, and maintained streets. Olmsted and Vaux went one step further in that regard. Instead of planning the community's streets in a grid fashion as Chicago and most of its suburbs at the time were, they planned the streets to follow the area's natural contours. Streets follow the Des Plaines River, and continue from there to wind all through the Village. The town's plan, which was completed in 1869, also accorded for a Grand Park system that uses several large parks as a foundation, with 41 smaller triangular parks and plazas located at intersections throughout town to provide for additional green spaces.

Olmsted's reputation, plus the lovely curvilinear streets, open spaces, and attractive village center they designed for Riverside, attracted Chicago's elite. By the fall of 1871 a number of large, expensive houses were occupied or under construction and an elegant hotel had opened. Unfortunately for the developers, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 drained away both construction crews and capital from the village. The financial Panic of 1873 compounded the company's troubles and it went bankrupt.

The demise of the improvement company brought new construction nearly to a halt for some time. A village government was established in September 1875 and Olmsted's original development plan remained in force. In 1893 several wealthy local residents formed an association and opened the Riverside Golf Club, one of the oldest golf clubs in the Chicago area. Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, William Le Baron Jenney, and several other prominent local architects drew the plans for houses that still stand in the village. A striking Romanesque village hall was built in 1895, and in 1901 the Burlington line constructed a charming stone railroad station.

A major period of residential development came in the 1920s and late 1930s, when many modest houses were constructed on smaller parcels. The population grew to 7,935 by 1940 and comprised primarily small proprietors, managers, and professionals who were predominantly of Anglo-American and German American background. The remaining residential areas were developed during the post–World War II boom and by 1960 no space was left. Population peaked at 10,357 in 1970 and dropped below 8,500 by the mid-1990s.

Riverside, much like Chicago, has become an architectural museum. Architects flocked to build their masterpieces in Chicago after the Great Fire, and they did the same in Riverside. Frank Lloyd Wright, Danial Burnham, Louis Sullivan, William Le Baron Jenney all left their mark on the village, which is recognized by the village's National Historic Landmark designation. The village housing stock varies from well-maintained 1920s bungalows and huge Victorian and early-twentieth-century mansions that attract architectural tours. The charming village center houses several reasonable restaurants as well as coffee shops, and hosts stores selling antiques and Victorian house fixtures, reflective of the village's older affluent population. Riverside is among the most acclaimed architectural treasures of suburban Chicago, along with Oak Park and Evanston, among others.

[edit] Geography

Riverside is located at 41°49′51″N, 87°48′58″W (41.830881, -87.815981)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 5.2 km² (2.0 mi²). 5.1 km² (2.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (1.00%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 8,895 people, 3,552 households, and 2,436 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,743.3/km² (4,509.1/mi²). There were 3,668 housing units at an average density of 718.9/km² (1,859.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.38% White, 0.26% African American, 0.08% Native American, 1.60% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.57% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.50% of the population.

There were 3,552 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.4% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the village the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $64,931, and the median income for a family was $80,146. Males had a median income of $56,808 versus $36,349 for females. The per capita income for the village was $34,712. About 1.8% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.