Bennett, Edward H., House and Studio
Why it's listed
Bagatelle is a two-story French Renaissance style house at the corner of Deerpath and Green Bay Road in Lake Forest, Illinois. City planner and architect Edward H. Bennett designed it for himself and built it in 1915-1916 on land given to him and his wife Catherine by her father, David B. Jones. Gray stucco, red brick quoins and string courses, and a slate roof define the house. It is built of concrete with hollow tile inside the walls because Bennett feared fire. The 2.03-acre property also has a matching coach house, a concrete wall along the street sides, formal gardens on axis with the house, and an Art Moderne studio Bennett designed in 1936. Bennett studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and the formal composition reflects that training. He co-authored the Plan of Chicago with Daniel Burnham and later worked on the Michigan Avenue Bridge, Wacker Drive and Buckingham Fountain. The site is valued for that association and for its well-preserved design.
Significance in brief: The property is tied to Edward H. Bennett, the planner who co-authored the Plan of Chicago with Daniel Burnham and later led major Chicago projects such as the Michigan Avenue Bridge, Wacker Drive and Buckingham Fountain. The house and grounds show his Beaux-Arts training in their formal, axial design. The form describes the buildings and setting as retaining excellent integrity.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 95000196, listed March 3, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 89 E. Deerpath, Lake Forest |
|---|---|
| County | Lake County |
| Listed | March 3, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000196 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Edward H. Bennett (designed the house, coach house and studio) |
| Architectural style | French Renaissance; Moderne (Art Moderne studio) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single-family residence with a secondary structure; the form says changes were made by Bennett or are sympathetic to his designs, and integrity is excellent. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 42.25033, -87.84485 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 95000196.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16984115
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.