Lake Bluff commission nominates 348 Foss Court as local landmark, including sunken garden

The Lake Bluff Historic Preservation Commission voted to nominate the property at 348 Foss Court for local landmark designation, including the residence and its sunken garden, at its Oct. 8 regular meeting.

Commissioners said the 1895 house and its grounds meet multiple criteria for landmarking, noting classical architectural details, a hand-painted interior mural, and decades of social history that included use as seasonal lodging associated with Marshall Field employees. After a motion and second, the commission took a roll-call vote and recorded six yes votes, no opposition and one absence; the nomination will go to the village trustees for final consideration.

The nomination matters because designation would recognize both the house’s architectural features and its role in Lake Bluff’s social history, commission members said. Commission members also recommended that the draft ordinance name the residence and the…