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F E A T U R E A R T I C L E The Oak Park Conservatory
One of Chicagoland's "best-kept tourist secrets" and historical treasures BY DOROTHY ROSENTHAL
The Oak Park Conservatory has always enjoyed community support even in its darkest hour. That hour occurred in 1971, when the conservatory was declared unsafe and was closed. After a referendum to increase taxes to support the aging conservatory was defeated, it was decided that the building would be torn down. However, a community group led by Oak Park resident Elsie Jacobson banded together to save the conservatory. They looked for new ways to increase funds for the conservatory and expand its services to include educational classes. Today, the Oak Park Conservatory has been called "Oak Park's best-kept tourist secret," by Eileen Galley, executive director of the Oak Park Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. It is a haven of nature, serving more than 54,000 residents of Oak Park and surrounding Chicagoland communities. The uniqueness of the conservatory is expressed in the exotic plants and palms that populate it. The desert room, fern room, tropic room and growing houses often spill from their confines to color Oak Park with unique, breathtaking and exotic blooms that artfully match the season and brighten the Village throughout the summer. The existence of the conservatory as a part of the Park District of Oak Park also is unique. Although the conservatory has always been a part of the park district, it is unusual for a park district to also have the responsibility of a conservatory as a recreation facility. In addition to providing gardening materials for seasonal displays and summer beddings in and around the Village of Oak Park, the conservatory is a recreation facility for classes, nature exhibits, and naturalists who enjoy the varied collection of nature in their suburban back yards. History in the making The concept of a local conservatory was first born as a community effort in 1914. Residents, upon returning from exotic trips abroad often returned with living souvenirs in the form of plants. As the collection grew, it became necessary to provide a location to house the exotic and often temperamental
July/August 2001 | 33 S P E C I A L F O C U S blooms. The plant material needed special conditions to survive outside of their native environments.
The original idea for the conservatory was to create a structure that would house these unique plants and propagate them. Thus, the Oak Park Conservatory opened its doors in 1929, a three-room Edwardian glass structure, built at a cost of $36,000 and measuring 8,000-square-feet with 15,000-square-feet of exposed glass. At the time, the conservatory was considered the "Rolls-Royce" of its generation. Its spacious interior, Victorian woodwork (the old conservatory entrance has the original white cedar doors), and curved glass give the semblance of Old World elegance found on small English estates. For residents of Oak Park, it is the jewel of their community, and it compliments Oak Park's large number of late-Victorian and Edwardian period homes. A living showplace The Oak Park Conservatory's scale is intimate and its artfully layered walls—made of pastel, shaded crazy glass panes that undulate, curve and meander through raised planters—give the feeling of enveloping you in a world of tropical, exotic plants. Inside, the Conservatory houses a diverse selection of plants that require a carefully maintained environment. The steamy tropical forest requires moist and warm conditions, while the desert blooms require an atmosphere that is warm and dry. Seasonal displays found in all three of conservatory's rooms require varied temperatures, so maintenance is a challenge. The tropic room is home to the white bird-of-paradise flower and the century plant. In the winter of 1989 the century plant bloomed and began growing. Ultimately, it grew to 48 feet, which required the removal of two panes of glass from the conservatory's roof. These two botanical happenings are unique and rare, and caused a sensation when they bloomed out of season in 1999, and garnered the conservatory extensive television coverage as well as front-page coverage in the local newspapers. The tropic room is also home to a lagoon rustic bride and a double watercourse with tiny spill-away ponds. The desert room envelops and reflects the light and captures the airy, hot, dry atmosphere of a desert. The raised center bed in the desert room holds a fine collection of mature cacti, which invite visitors to inspect this varied, thriving collection. The fern room is offset by three towering fern trees that give the central fern room a lacy green canopy that hugs the curved glass panes. In addition, more than 48,000 plants are grown for seasonal displays, summer beddings, classroom exhibits and herb sales. The conservatory annually receives more than 20,000 visitors, many from outside the community, tour groups, and interested nature lovers who want to enjoy the splendor of exotic plants at home. In 1999 the Park District of Oak Park christened a new building project, the new Conservatory Center, as the "Millennium Project," a unique concept to welcome the next century. Friends Another unique aspect of the conservatory is the community and organizational support it receives in the form of donated money and time (volunteer docents, planters, and general helpers). In 1986, the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory (or FOPCON), was created for the sole purpose of the survival of the conservatory. Its initial membership was 350 and has grown steadily throughout the years to nearly 1,000 members. Of these, 37 percent live in communities surrounding Oak Park. From the time of its inception, the "Friends" have increased awareness of the conservatory's leisure, recreation and educa- 34 | Illinois Parks and Recreation T H E O A K P A R K C O N S E R V A T O R Y
tional mission. The Friends have provided new programs, visitors' services, marketing and fund raising. In 1995, the Friends raised $3,000 for architectural services to develop a formal plan for the new Conservatory Center addition. In 1998, the park board initiated a design competition to five architectural firms and held well-organized public meetings to receive feedback on the project. Ultimately, Gilmore Franzen Architect, Inc., was commissioned to design of the Conservatory Center. The community requested that the building be compatible with the surrounding residential buildings. They also provided detailed information on the various groups that would function within the new conservatory addition. The Friends responded to the board's commitment to the new project by pledging $100,000 towards the construction of the facility and an additional $100,000 to provide furniture for the center. The Rubenstein family of Oak Park established a memorial fund in honor of Elvira Rubenstein, who was a founding member and the first president of FOPCON. This fund provided $30,000 towards the project. In order to meet their financial commitment, FOPCON organized the "Help Plant the Future" capital campaign. Nearly 500 individual donors and corporate sponsors responded positively to the FOPCON campaign. They also recruited support from local corporate sponsors such as the Whole Foods Market and Starbucks Coffee Company. Through a silent auction, individual and corporate support FOPCON exceeded the Friends' goal. Growing to meet the future As the community grows, changes and adapts, the conservatory is faced with the challenge of keeping up with the demands of its thriving, curious residents. In addition to classes and hands-on teaching, this new center has made possible a new aspect of community involvement. Shortly after the opening of the center it became available for rental for small private parties, business meetings or lectures. The state-of-the-art room with adjourning kitchen located next to the living museum of the conservatory makes the rental of the center unique and unforgettable. Indeed, the Oak Park Conservatory fulfills the district's mission by providing "quality recreation opportunities in our community" and a warm, exotic place to visit in all seasons. Come see this best-kept secret for yourself. •
DOROTHY ROSENTHAL
The Oak Park Conservatory, located at the corner of East Avenue and Garfieid Street in Oak Park, is open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and Monday from 2:00 p m. to 4:00 p.m. Call for special event information at 708.386.4700. July/August 2001 | 35 |
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