Contemporary Prairie School, designed and built in 1968 by MIT architect Leonard W. Besinger Jr. — First Place, 1970 Chicago Residential Masonry Design Award.
Set on 1.71 wooded acres in Lakewood Lodge Estates, 660 Ravine Road was conceived in 1968 by Leonard W. Besinger Jr. — an MIT-educated architect (Class of 1957) and the developer behind the ambitious Meadowdale community. He designed and built the home as a personal statement of his craft, and in 1970 it was awarded First Place in the Chicago Residential Masonry Design Award.
The residence is a mature expression of Contemporary Prairie School thinking: long horizontal lines that settle into the landscape, honest masonry and timber, and open sight lines that draw the wooded setting indoors. Every material was chosen for permanence and every proportion for calm.
It stands as the culmination of three generations of Besinger building — a family that shaped much of Chicagoland's twentieth-century landscape — and remains, more than half a century on, one of the finest custom homes of its era in the Fox Valley.
The plan unfolds around five arched masonry fireplaces and vaulted timber ceilings — the interior architecture as deliberate as the award-winning brickwork outside.
Sculpted masonry hearths anchor the home's principal living spaces.
Exposed structural wood lifts the volume and warms the light.
The custom brickwork honored by the 1970 Chicago Masonry Award.
Bespoke paneling, cabinetry, and trim throughout the interior.
Purpose-built rooms for training, making, and focused work.
A flowing plan that frames the wooded landscape at every turn.
Successive renovation projects have introduced modern touches and renewed every major system — bringing contemporary comfort and reliability to the home while respecting the character of its 1968 design.
Complete membrane restoration across the home's low-slope roofscape.
Wide-ranging replacement preserving the original horizontal glazing lines.
Modern climate systems throughout for year-round comfort and efficiency.
Foundational systems serviced and modernized for lasting reliability.
The home rests within Lakewood Lodge Estates — part of the visionary Meadowdale development — on a private, gently wooded parcel with a running creek. The landscape was integral to the original design intent: architecture and site conceived as one.
Positioned in the Fox Valley with easy reach of East Dundee, Carpentersville, and Elgin, the setting offers seclusion without isolation — a rare balance for a home of this stature.
Besinger Jr.'s original drawing for 660 Ravine Road — the horizontal, open plan that organizes the home around its masonry hearths and vaulted volumes.
Original architectural drawing, 1968 · click to enlarge
Property data per the most recent MLS listing (MLS# 10895754) and Kane County public records; room dimensions are approximate. Total finished square footage combines 3,920 sq ft main level and 1,960 sq ft finished walk-out lower level; the original architect's specification cited 6,300 sq ft. Figures deemed reliable but not guaranteed — buyer to verify.
From founder to master builder to MIT architect, the Besinger name shaped towns, communities, and — in 660 Ravine Road — a singular home.
Founded the Besinger Company and built more than 240 homes in Clarendon Hills, laying the groundwork for decades of Chicagoland development.
Developed the Meadowdale subdivision and grew Carpentersville from 1,523 residents in 1950 to 17,400 by 1960 — building across Park Ridge, Arlington Heights, and Waukegan.
MIT-educated architect who designed Meadowdale International Raceway (1958) and the 4,000-home Meadowdale community — and, in 1968, this award-winning residence.
Archived by listing year — click any photo to enlarge.
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