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The Farnsworth House, a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, celebrated the 15th anniversary of being named a National Historic Landmark with the dedication of a bronze plaque located in front of the Visitor Center.
Located at 14520 River Road near Plano, the Farnsworth House is a unique architectural attraction in the Kendall County area, located along the lower Fox River adjoining Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area near Plano. The house was built in 1951 as a weekend retreat for Dr. Edith Farnsworth, a successful Chicago research physician. It was designed by the noted modernist architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and is a 1,500-square-foot glass and steel pavilion widely recognized as a milestone in modern architecture.
Farnsworth House was designated a National Historic Landmark on Feb. 16, 2006, after being listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. After being owned by the British Baron, Peter Palumbo, from 1970-2003, the 55-acre property was purchased by a group of philanthropists and gifted to the National Trust, with a Preservation & Conservation Easement maintained by Landmarks Illinois.
The National Historic Landmark program is operated by the National Park Service (NPS) under the United States Department of Interior. Bob Bryson, NPS associate regional director for Cultural Resources, stated that the bronze plaque affirms the iconic Farnsworth House as a National Historic Landmark (NHL). “There are currently 89 NHLs in Illinois, including the recently designated Wrigley Field and sites such as the Pullman Historic District, the Shedd Aquarium, and the homes of Ulysses S. Grant, Abraham Lincoln, and Frank Lloyd Wright. Nationwide there are 2,620 NHLs including the White House, Carnegie Hall, Pearl Harbor, the Brooklyn Bridge, Alcatraz, Mount Vernon, and the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr., just to name a few. All these Landmarks were designated based on their unquestioned national significance to the history and culture of the American people and the Farnsworth House is among them.”
Bonnie McDonald, president and CEO of Landmarks Illinois, commented, “From helping purchase the once-endangered home in 2003 with a $1 million contribution, to staffing it until 2010 and maintaining an ongoing easement on the property, Landmarks Illinois has been a proud preservation partner of the Farnsworth House for the last two decades. Our mission at the Farnsworth House has always been to ensure it remains an Illinois landmark for people to experience and enjoy. The addition of the National Landmark plaque will help tell the unique story of this modern marvel.”
Rena Zurofsky, the National Trust’s interim vice president for Historic Sites, thanked the National Park Service and Landmarks Illinois for their assistance and oversight in the ongoing preservation and promotion of the Farnsworth House Historic Site. “These are challenging times for museums and historic sites and we welcome participation and partnerships with government, nonprofit, corporate and individual supporters.”
Farnsworth House Historic Site is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. through March 27, then Wednesday through Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. starting March 30. Guided interior tours (with gallery access) are $25 and grounds-only access is $15 (starting March 30). Advance purchase of tickets is required and more information may be found at farnsworthhouse.org/tours.