Jensen, Jens, Summer House and Studio
Also known as: See Also:Jensen, Jens, House and Studio
Why it's listed
This Highland Park property in the Ravinia area of Lake County, Illinois, includes a one-story, L-shaped Shingle Style summer house with intersecting gables and a separate studio building on a wooded ravine site. Landscape architect Jens Jensen bought the land around 1908 and called it "The Clearing." The house was probably built between 1908 and 1918, and he lived in Chicago and spent summers here. After 1920 he lived in Wilmette, and the studio became his working office until he retired to Wisconsin in 1934. The property matters because Jensen developed and expressed his design ideas here. He built his first council ring on the slope of a ravine, a circular stone seating form that became his artistic signature. The surviving clearing, stonework, rocky ledge, bird feeding station and some plantings still show his approach. The nominated area excludes a 1950s ranch house and a vacant lot lacking significant landscape features.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the Summer House and Studio as the residence and office most closely associated with Jens Jensen's design career. Jensen developed his design ideas here and built his first council ring on the site, which he used as an artistic signature. Remaining stonework, the clearing and some plantings are cited as evidence of his work.
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 91000795, listed June 19, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 930--950 Dean Ave., Highland Park |
|---|---|
| County | Lake County |
| Listed | June 19, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91000795 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Jens Jensen |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style (with Tudor overtones) |
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The current function is listed as vacant. An earlier inventory sheet rated the condition as fair and noted a 1970 rear addition. A garage intrusion and a 1950s ranch house stand nearby. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 42.17002, -87.77804 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 91000795.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6179715
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.