Eye on preservation

Nancy Foley served on the Riverside Preservation Commission since its inception in 1992. She recently stepped down after 14 years of service, leaving Richard Ray as the only other original commissioner. Nancy kindly agreed to an interview, and we sat in her dining room on a warm fall day and had this conversation.

Lonnie Sacchi: I’d like to start the interview with a little background information. Tell me a little about yourself. How did you come to live in Riverside?

Nancy Foley: Although I was born in Illinois, I grew up in New Jersey. My family moved back to Oak Park when I was in high school. I attended Trinity High School and then graduated from Rosary College [now Dominican University].

Two weeks after graduation I landed a job with the Chicago Tribune as a women’s interest and general news reporter. It was really exciting for me, a young woman fresh out of college, to work alongside some of Chicago’s famous newsmen.

I married Tom Foley in 1956 and, when we started house hunting, we were introduced to Riverside by mutual friends. We fell in love with the village. We ended up finding the house we wanted here, but when we decided to show my parents our new house we got lost. Naturally, my father wondered how we could buy a house we couldn’t even find. I’m still living in that house.

After resigning from the Tribune I was asked to substitute teach at Hauser Junior High, Central School and St. Mary’s. I taught French, English and art. I have also been active in volunteer work for the last 33 years at the Loyola Medical Center.

My husband, Tom, who was a village trustee, died in 1995. We had one son, Michael, who with his wife Karen and two children, lives in Riverside.

Sacchi: How did you get involved in preservation?

Foley: It started with my involvement in the Landmark newspaper.

Sacchi: I know you once wrote for the Landmark. Let’s talk about that.

Foley: Jim Finnegan, who ran the “Scribes” business here in town, along with John Koys, approached me about starting a paper.

We felt that a paper focusing on Riverside news had worked before and could once again. The Landmark’s first issue came out in November of 1985. In the beginning, due to financial constraints, it was only a monthly paper. Jim was the editor and I was the features editor. I did the “Profiles” [interviewing interesting people] and “Behind Closed Doors” [stories of interesting homes] sections of the paper.

Each home became an individual to me, and my interest in preservation grew. We were gradually able to add staff and went to biweekly issues after the first year.

Sacchi: You’ve been on Riverside’s Preservation Commission from the start. How did it begin? What led to its creation?

Foley: Riverside was designated a National Historic Landscape and Architectural District in 1971. The village board recognized the importance of preserving the village and created, by ordinance, the Riverside Preservation Commission, which began its work in January of 1992.

We were given a list of 112 properties that were deemed significant in an Illinois Historic Structures Survey and the village put a moratorium on those properties so no changes could be made on them until the commission had a chance to review them.

There were a lot of negative feelings created by that moratorium, and we had to work very hard to change that. Every Saturday morning found us walking up and down the streets checking out the properties and talking to people.

Of that initial list of significant structures, 59 properties were designated landmarks. People began to appreciate preservation and now come to the commission asking to add their homes to the list.

There are now 72 landmark properties in Riverside.

Sacchi: How does the Preservation Commission work?

Foley: We meet the second Tuesday of each month. Typically, the village board brings issues to us that merit our attention and we advise the board on any action that should be taken. Not only does the commission recommend properties for landmark designation, it also meets with owners of current landmarks when they want to renovate their properties to make sure the renovations are in keeping with their landmark designation.

If so, the commission issues a Certificate of Appropriateness so that the work may proceed. Riverside is fortunate in that many of its homeowners are diligent in maintaining their properties. It’s a good system that’s worked well.

Sacchi: How does Riverside’s preservation ordinance compare with that of other communities? What can we do to strengthen preservation?

Foley: Chicago’s is the strongest, but we are on a par with most other towns, some of which have used our ordinance as a model. We’ve strengthened it by adding a demolition delay ordinance and also by including the parkland in our ordinance.

We worry about intrusions in the parks. I think we could do more to educate new people in town about preservation and landmark homes. Some people are still afraid of it because of misinformation, thinking that they won’t be able to remodel or pick their own colors.

Sacchi: During your time on the commission, what have been some notable successes and disappointments?

Foley: The disappointments are the properties that got away, especially because of owner disagreements. But we did get most of them. Our biggest success has been the change in attitude. We’ve worked hard to educate people about how important it is to preserve Riverside, and we’ve had an impact.

The feeling in 1992 was “We’re not letting anyone tell us what to do.” Now it’s “What can we do?”

Sacchi: Do you think that Riverside is more preservation-oriented since your time on the commission or less so?

Foley: Definitely more. Again, I’ll point to the attitude change. People now ask us for advice on how to restore or remodel in a sensitive manner. They appreciate the whole ambience of the village and are concerned with more than just their own home.

Sacchi: Why did you leave the commission, and what’s next for Nancy Foley?

Foley: It’s time for new people to serve. We’ve done what was needed in identifying the landmark structures and educating people. I felt that some of the issues coming before the commission now requires more technical expertise.

I’m leaving the commission at a time when it is in good hands and has had a positive effect. I want to concentrate on my volunteer work and personal tutoring, and I still do some writing. And, of course, I want to enjoy time with my grandchildren.

Sacchi: Nancy, thanks for spending this time with me. I’m sure the readers will join me in thanking you for your years of service to Riverside and your sincere dedication to preservation. Your work has made the village a better place.