LFLB History Museum

John Griffith (1863-1948).

John Griffith opened his Lake Forest business in 1903 which grew to include real estate, insurance and mortgages. Born in North Wales, he came to Chicago in 1888 and within five years was in Lake Forest, assisting Louis F. Swift to buy up farmland in West Lake Forest. His marriage to Mary Clunis produced a son, John Jr. and daughter, both of whom died relatively young.

John Griffith & Company played a pivotal role in the development of the community during the estate era. The successor real estate firm of Griffith, Grant & Lackie continues to this day. John Griffith, his wife, and son are buried in Lake Forest Cemetery.

Lake Forester, 1926.

In the first part of the 20th century, John Griffith handled most of the large estate transactions in the Lake Forest area. He oversaw the transfers of farmland to estate owners, particularly Louis F. Swift and J. Ogden Armour on the west side of Lake Forest. His firm also handled a rental property business for summer visitors, many of whom then became permanent residents. In 1917, John Griffith built a warehouse under the name Lake Forest Fire Proof Storage Co., designed by Howard Van Doren Shaw, on Bank Lane near Westminster so that locals could store their valuable possessions when renting their houses out.

Griffith block on Western Avenue, c. 2000.

John Griffith received permission from the City of Lake Forest to build this building, the Griffith Block, on Western Avenue in 1903. Completed in 1904, the design is attributed to architects Frost and Granger. It later bordered Market Square to the north and helped set the precedent for the square’s style.

Looking northwest at Market Square, 1917.

John Griffith played a key part in the development of Market Square. Working with architect Howard Van Doren Shaw and developer Arthur Aldis, it was Griffith who calculated the rental income required to make the project successful for investors. The need for shop window frontage (and thus higher rental income) led to the innovative u-shaped design of the square. As an agent for the Lake Forest Improvement Trust, John Griffith began compiling parcels of property beginning in 1912. Griffith managed the purchase and demolition, and in a few cases relocation, of existing structures along Western Avenue prior to construction. His firm and its successors continued to manage Market Square until 1968.

Sanborn Fire Insurance map, 1929. Note that Rose Terrace contains Griffith Road.

Several subdivisions got their start through the work of John Griffith and his company including Rose Terrace (1913), Washington Circle and Onwentsia View. These subdivisions provided housing for local merchants and tradesman and in the case of Rose Terrace, were close to the North Shore interurban railway. Several homes within the developments were also built by estate owners such as Cyrus McCormick, Jr. to house staff from the estates. In addition to real estate, John Griffith and his firm provided appraisal, mortgage, banking and insurance services.

John Griffith: Developing Lake Forest