Ravisloe Country Club Listed on the NRHP

Despite its previous owners shuttering the storied, 107-year-old country club due to declining membership and economic stress, Dr. Claude Gendreau envisioned Ravisloe as a vibrant community space for the city of Homewood, Illinois as well as golfers across the nation. The ardent environmental advocate understood what his predecessors did not: in order to create ne opportunity for the club, Gendreau would not only need to reintegrate the country club into the community with facility upgrades and modernization, but also put a spotlight on its unique past.

To recognize the historical significance of their facility, Ravisloe Country Club enlisted Bailey Edward to complete the necessary procedures for the club’s listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Throughout the nomination process, Bailey Edward uncovered facts and stories about the 1901 country club contributing to its successful listing on the NRHP. Established in response to the booming popularity of golf in the early 20th century, Ravisloe cemented its role as a leader within the world of golf by opening their doors predominately to the Jewish community, unlike other nearby clubs who discriminated against non-Christian faiths. The Spanish Mission-style clubhouse was designed by Chicago architect George Croll Nimmons, known for his factory designs and work at the nearby Olypia Fields Country Club fourteen eyars later. As the club grew in popularity, RAvisloe contracted world-renowned course designer Donald Ross, the Scotsman responsible for many of the innovative course features such as sand traps, bunkers, and grass tufts making up hole designs seen on greens around the world today.

Ravisloe Country Club’s successful listing on the NRHP doesn’t just mean they will get a nice bronze plaque demonstrating their historic significance to hang on their walls. It also comes with access to federal tax credits and grants from both local and national nonprofits like Preserve America, Saving America’s Treasures, and Landmark Illinois. These organizations share not only financial but also educational resources to ensure historic facilities have the tools they need to keep their buildings in shape and functional for future generations.

How to list your place on the National Register of Historic Places

Whether a golf club, a home, a school building, or a toll booth, all types of buildings can be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. If you maintain or own a historic building you believe should be listed, you can begin by contacting your State Historic Preservation Office

Determine if your District / Site / Building / Structure / Object is Eligible

Start by asking “Is my district / site / building / structure / object at least 50 years old?” It is very rare for places younger than 50 years to be listed on the NRHP. But it is not impossible—if a case can be made for its long-lasting significance in American History, Architecture, Archaeology, Engineering, or Culture, your place may have a spot on the list. Here are some criteria to consider: 

• Is it associated with significant events contributing to broad patterns of our history or culture? 
• Is it associated with the lives of significant public figures? 
• Does it embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction?
• Is it a representation of a work of a master or high artistic values? 
• Does it demonstrate or reveal important information in prehistory or history? 

Contact your State Historic Preservation Office

Before moving forward, it’s important to contact your state or region’s State Historic Preservation Office. Share why you think your building is of historic importance and they will share with you the required documentation to list your property on the National Register of Historic Places.   

Prepare the Proper Documentation with Thorough Research

Though this process can be daunting, you don’t have to do it alone. Bailey Edward is adept at navigating the forms and requirements unique to each property. Our Historic Preservation team will conduct research, take necessary photography, and craft your facility’s unique story highlighting its cultural and historic story.  

Historic significance is unique to each property and therefore, the journey to preparing and writing the documentation for each nomination can vary. For Ravisloe, we began by conducting a broad search for information across newspaper archives and library databases, this search unveiled details such as key events in the club’s history, important individuals associated with the club, and the architects and landscape architects involved in its construction and development. From there we combed databases for information on architect, George C. Nimmons, and golf course designer, Donald Ross. Research also pointed to the location of articles and architectural drawings of Ravisloe’s Clubhouse, these were found in early issues of the Architectural Review and the Architectural Record at the Newberry Library. The team reached out to the Homewood Historical Society who provided historical imagery and publications from the club’s early days.  Field studies and photography help us determine the construction and condition of the project, identifying or uncovering the distinctive characteristics representing the era in which it was built or high artistic value.  

Our preservation architects then craft the narrative of your historic building to fit the requirements of the National Register of Historic Places. The result is a succinct story about your property’s architectural history and significance, a great resource for your modern community to understand its roots and share with future generations.  

Preserve your Historic Facility

Once listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is important to maintain your building in a way that meets the standards of your State Historic Preservation Office.  Just as the listing process may feel intimidating, so too can the maintenance of your historic place. Bailey Edward’s historic preservationists can work with you to develop a master plan outlining financially feasible maintenance and upgrades with associated fees for your historic property to ensure it can continue serving the community for years to come. 

To learn more about our historic preservation services including NHRP documentation, federal tax credits, and master planning, please reach out to our Technical Principal and Historic Preservation leader, Robin Whitehurst: rwhitehurst@baileyedward.com