Bowen, Joseph T., Country Club
Also known as: Bowen Park
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Why it's listed
Bowen Park, a 60-acre tract along Sheridan Road in northeast Waukegan, began as a farm site in 1843 and became the Joseph T. Bowen Country Club in 1911. Louise DeKoven Bowen and Jane Addams bought the land that year as a permanent summer camp for children of the Hull House Association, naming it in memory of Mrs. Bowen's late husband. Earlier owners included Chicago mayor John Charles Haines, who added to the original farmhouse in the 1870s, and Waukegan mayor Fred W. Buck. Hull House built residential cottages, a dining hall, a recreation hall, an infirmary, a pool and other facilities, many funded by trustees and donors. Several wood-frame buildings survive, including the Haines Farmhouse, Lilac Cottage, the garages, Rosenwald Cottage, Pelham Cottage and Goodfellow Hall. The site keeps wooded areas and a ravine, and it has been owned by the Waukegan Park District as a recreational and educational park.
Significance in brief: The site was a summer retreat for underprivileged children and adults of the Hull House Association, the Chicago settlement house founded by Jane Addams and others. It was funded largely by Louise DeKoven Bowen in memory of her husband. It has also stayed largely intact, with woods and a ravine that show how Waukegan once looked.
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 78003400, listed November 30, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1917 N. Sheridan Rd., Waukegan |
|---|---|
| County | Lake County |
| Listed | November 30, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78003400 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Architect / builder | Pond & Pond, Architects (The Commons, 1912); Anderson & Tichnor/Ticknor, Architects (Lilac Cottage and Garages, 1928) |
| Areas of significance | Social History |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the Waukegan Park District and in use as a public park, in good condition and altered; several older cottages and camp buildings have been removed because of deterioration. |
| Acreage | 60.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.38995, -87.82980 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
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 78003400.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16985027
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.