Rosewood Park
Why it's listed
Rosewood Park is an 11-acre lakefront park in Highland Park, Illinois, set on a bluff above Lake Michigan and bounded by Roger Williams Avenue, the lake and a ravine. It occupies the former Julius Rosenwald estate, and its landscape dates to about 1910 and was designed by Jens Jensen. The house is gone and a parking lot now lies to the south, but mature trees with sun openings between them remain. A path slopes down the ravine toward the shore, with stonework along its edge and a stone bridge near the bottom. Near the parking area are the remains of a stone pool with a curved stone bench and a winding watercourse, though the pool no longer holds water and the stream is overgrown. The site was listed because it retains several features characteristic of Jensen's work, including hillside wildflowers he planted and a miniature version of the prairie river scenes for which he was known.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the site has several features distinctive of Jens Jensen's designs. These include stonework along the shaded ravine path, a stone bridge, wildflowers planted by Jensen on the hillside, and a stone pool with a curved sitting area and winding watercourse that recall his prairie river scenes in miniature.
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 82002576, listed September 29, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roger Williams Ave., Highland Park |
|---|---|
| County | Lake County |
| Listed | September 29, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82002576 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Architect / builder | Landscape: Jens Jensen |
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Overall condition is rated good but altered: the house has been removed, a parking lot added on the south, the stone-lined pool no longer holds water and the stream is overgrown. The site is owned by the Park District of Highland Park. |
| Acreage | 11 |
| Coordinates | 42.16618, -87.77291 (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 82002576.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q85797924
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.