Oak Park, IL Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)
Key Facts
- Commission hearing decision window
- 45 days after public hearing
- Village Board decision window
- 30 days after Commission recommendation
- Owner-opposed designation vote
- requires unanimous Village Board vote
- Unpermitted demolition penalty
- misdemeanor, up to 6 months county jail
- General violation fine
- up to $500.00 per day
- Re-nomination waiting period
- 1 year after rejection
Summary
The Village of Oak Park designates historic landmarks under Village Code section 7-9-7, following a Historic Preservation Commission recommendation and a Village Board vote. Once designated, a landmark cannot be altered, relocated, removed or demolished without following the Article's permit and review process.
HISTORIC LANDMARK: ... Any property and/or improvement which has special character or significant historical, cultural, architectural, archeological, community or aesthetic value as part of the heritage of the Village of Oak Park, the State of Illinois, or the United States which has been designated as an Oak Park historic landmark pursuant to this Article and shall include all designated interior historic landmarks. ... A. Within forty five (45) days following completion of the public hearing(s), the Commission shall determine, based on the criteria set forth in Section 7-9-4 of this Article whether to recommend designation of an historical landmark to the Village Board ... The resolution shall require an affirmative vote of a majority of the full members of the Commission to recommend designation to the Village Board. ... B. Within thirty (30) days after receiving the resolution and report containing the recommendation for designation from the Commission, the Village Board shall either designate the historic landmark or reject the nomination by a simple majority vote of the full Village Board, unless the owner is opposed to the nomination, in which case designation of the historic landmark may only occur upon a unanimous vote of the Village Board. ... D. Any person violating any provision of this Article shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-9: Code current through: Ord. 26-159, passed - -2026).
Full Breakdown
Oak Park Village Code section 7-9-2 defines a historic landmark as any property or improvement with special character or significant historical, cultural, architectural, archeological, community or aesthetic value to the heritage of the Village, Illinois, or the United States that has been designated an Oak Park historic landmark, a category that also covers designated interior historic landmarks. Under section 7-9-7, once the Historic Preservation Commission completes a public hearing it has 45 days to vote, by majority of its full membership, on whether to recommend designation to the Village Board, applying the criteria in section 7-9-4.
The Village Board then has 30 days to designate the landmark or reject the nomination by simple majority, except that if the owner opposes the nomination the Board must vote unanimously to approve. A rejected nomination, or one the Commission declines to recommend, cannot be resubmitted for the same or a substantially similar property for at least one year. Once the Board approves designation by ordinance, the Village files a copy with the Cook County Clerk and the Historic Preservation Commission notifies the property owner by mail.
Section 7-9-7(F) lists the properties already designated, including the Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio at 428 Forest and 951 Chicago Avenue (designated June 17, 1996, interior, exterior and improvements), the John Farson Home at 217 Home Avenue, Unity Temple at 875 Lake Street (interior and exterior), and the Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Home at 339 N. Oak Park Avenue. Designations may be amended or rescinded only through the same hearing and criteria process used for an original designation, under section 7-9-7(E).
Violations & Fines
Section 7-9-19 makes it unlawful to alter, relocate, remove or demolish a historic landmark, or to do construction work on a building within a designated historic district, without complying with the Article. The Village Attorney or the Village Manager's designated representatives can bring a civil action to prevent, restrain, abate or correct a violation, including restoring the structure to its pre-violation appearance. Unpermitted demolition of a landmark is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in the Cook County jail, and the Village may revoke for one year the license of any contractor or owner who performs unauthorized construction, alteration, relocation, removal or demolition. Any other violation of the Article is punishable, upon conviction, by a fine of up to $500.00, with each day of a continuing violation charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who decides whether a property becomes an Oak Park historic landmark?
Does the owner have to agree to the designation?
What happens if someone demolishes a designated landmark without a permit?
Can a rejected landmark nomination be resubmitted right away?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Oak Park
Compare Oak Park to another location·View the Illinois historic preservation overview
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Historic-Cultural Monuments in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cook County handle historic-cultural monuments.