Gillson Park, Wilmette Harbor History Showcased By Landmarks Illinois

WILMETTE, IL — Landmarks Illinois, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving historically and culturally significant sites, is scheduled this week to host a presentation on the historic landscape of Gillson Park and Wilmette Harbor.

The event will be held via Zoom videoconferencing software from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursday. It will be free for Landmarks Illinois members and $5 for non-members.

Landmark Illinois last year included the park on its list of the 2022 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois. More recently, Gillson Park was nominated for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, with Landmarks Illinois sponsoring the project. And on Friday, the Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council unanimously voted to support the listing.

Speakers at this weeks presentation include Julie Bachrach, a landscape historian, and Malcolm Cairns, a retired Ball State University professor. They prepared the 72-page nomination for the National Register.

The pair conducted two years of research and documentation about the park, highlighting the significance of the park , which is a designed landscape largely made of landfill. Registration for Thursday's event is available online.

Earlier: Gillson Park Named Among 'Most Endangered' Sites In Illinois