Ravenswood Manor Historic District

Ravenswood Manor is a triangular residential district on Chicago's northwest side, bounded by the North Branch of the Chicago River, Sacramento Avenue, and alleys near Lawrence and Montrose Avenues. It was platted in 1909 by New York developer William E. Harmon, who promoted it as a "Suburb Beautiful" in the spirit of the City Beautiful movement. Deed restrictions governed setbacks, garage placement and building character, and an improvement fund maintained trees and lawns until a neighborhood improvement association formed in 1914. Of 520 buildings, 475 contribute to the district, and about 94 percent were built between 1909 and 1933. Brick bungalows, American Foursquares and two-flats dominate, alongside Craftsman, Prairie, Tudor Revival and Italian Renaissance Revival houses. Rail service, including the 1907 Francisco Station on the line now called the Brown Line, drove its growth. Dead-end streets, private docks on the river, three small parks and mature trees give the area a quiet, cohesive character.