As Riverwoods was being created, in the early 1950s, steel magnate Edward L. Ryerson chose Edward Humrich as the recommended architect for the village.
The tiny (population 4,000) Village of Riverwoods is an easily overlooked enclave in Chicago’s northern suburbs, bordered by Bannockburn, Lincolnshire, Deerfield, Northbrook and Buffalo Grove. Driving through Riverwoods it’s easy to believe you’re in a forest preserve rather than an inhabited place. Humrich’s organic, Prairie-style architecture meshed with the character of the area that Ryerson wished to preserve.
I recently re-connected with old friends, Bill and Sherry Kaplan, who happen to be the Mayor and First Lady of Riverwoods, and they took me on a guided tour of their bailiwick, starting at the village hall, driving through the village, and stopping for walks through several beautiful homes.
We concluded our tour at Bill and Sherry’s home, which is surrounded on 3 sides by the Ryerson Conservation Area. The home was originally built for Andy Frain Jr in 1967 and designed by Edward Humrich. I didn’t have time to tour the home’s interior, but will return at a later date.
You can see all of the video from our tour at the RiverwoodsIL channel at YouTube.