R. HaROLD Zook HOME & STUDIO

SAVING THE HOME AND STUDIO

The task of saving both the home and studio of R. Harold Zook was a job the Hinsdale Historical Society did not take lightly. Back in 2004, when it was learned that a developer had purchased the home and studio at 327 South Oak Street in Hinsdale, Illinois with plans to demolish, the Society found themselves in a situation where action had to be taken. However, to save one of Hinsdale’s most historically and architecturally significant homes was a feat that required support beyond the Society. Due to the amazing generosity of donors, and the remarkable collaboration of dedicated architects, preservationists, and supporters, R. Harold Zook’s home and studio have been saved from demolition.

The 1924 home and studio, designed and occupied by R. Harold Zook until his death in 1949, were moved to Katherine Legge Memorial Park by house movers, Dillabaugh, Inc., of Crown Point, Indiana in May of 2005. Since then, the Society has worked to raise awareness and funds to begin the task of rehabilitating this invaluable piece of Hinsdale’s unique heritage. To date, the Society has, among many other projects related to the home and studio, completely removed and replaced the unique pseudo-thatched roof, as well as completed the first floor of the Zook Studio.

The Society has dedicated much time, money, and effort to this project. However there is still a great deal to be done, and your support is needed in order to preserve Zook’s legacy and Hinsdale’s distinctive character. Join this legacy endeavor, built to thrive for decades under careful stewardship of the Hinsdale Historical Society. Be a part of the legacy for the enjoyment of our children and our children's children.

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Who was R. Harold Zook?

Homes with “thatched” roofs, exposed chamfered beams, brick, stone, stucco and wood, beamed cathedral ceilings, and small irregularly shaped rooms bring Cotswold cottages to mind. Add spider web designs, V-shaped windows, chevron patterns and cutouts in wooden shutters, gates and window boxes, and you get the designs of R. Harold Zook.

Roscoe Harold Zook was born in Valparaiso, Indiana in 1889. He earned a degree in architecture from the Armour Institute of Technology (now IIT) in 1914 and opened an office in the Loop. Early on, he worked with noted Chicago architect Howard Van Doren Shaw. In 1924 he built a home at 327 South Oak Street in Hinsdale, where he resided until his death in 1949.

Zook designed homes in Iowa, Wisconsin, and throughout Chicago’s suburbs. Public buildings include the St. Charles Municipal Building (1939), the former DuPage County Courthouse (1937) Maine East High School (1927), and the Pickwick Theater (1928) in Park Ridge, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.

R. Harold Zook and his talents can be found throughout the Village of Hinsdale, Illinois. He served on and chaired Hinsdale’s Architecture Committee and the first Plan Commission for seventeen years, fostering the Georgian design in our municipal and commercial buildings still enjoyed today. He designed approximately thirty-four homes and commercial buildings within the Village. Although most famous for the Cotswold style, he also created Tudor and Georgian structures. Each day as we pass through our Village, we see Zook’s impact on Hinsdale.

Zook was as much an artist as an architect. His passion is evident in his distinctive designs, use of natural materials, and quality craftsmanship. Zook’s romantic style contributes greatly to Hinsdale’s charm. His graceful architecture has enormously enhanced the Village, and it would be much diminished without it. Once you become aware of these unique works of art, a drive through his hometown of Hinsdale, Illinois will never be the same!