The Downers Grove Historical Society has named Ken Lerner the recipient of the 2025 Historian of the Year award. The award was established in 2013 by the Downers Grove Historical Society to recognize individuals who have significantly promoted and preserved Downers Grove History.
Lerner’s many contributions to Downers Grove have been focused mainly in the areas of preserving the Village’s natural heritage and protecting historic architecture. Through his upbringing, university years, and career choice, those areas of interest evolved naturally.
Lerner was raised in Park Forest, Illinois, by his father, a chemist at Argonne Laboratories, and his mother, a full-time homemaker who later returned to medical technician work to assist with college education for Ken and his two sisters.
Lerner always knew he wanted to go into law, so after completing his undergraduate degrees (double major) in Economics and Philosophy at the University of Illinois, went on to complete his law degree at the University of Michigan Law School. In 1995, he moved back to the Chicago area to be closer to his fiancé Aida Novickas who lived in Downers Grove. After responding to a bulletin board employment posting encouraging Law Interns to apply at Argonne, Lerner landed a position that led to a long career at the prestigious National Laboratory in Lemont, IL. Joining a group of researchers, Lerner’s team was tasked with analyzing the economic impacts of environmental systems, creating environmental impact statements, and consulting communities and other agencies in emergency preparedness efforts.
Lerner’s arrival in Downers Grove in the mid-1990s coincided with significant downtown redevelopment and updates in infrastructure. That time also saw a surge in demand for high-end housing. Many vintage homes were demolished in favor of new-builds, and several natural areas were being targeted for redevelopment. His appreciation for historic homes was triggered when he lived off-campus at the U of I (Urbana) in elegant vintage homes converted for student use. Then his career focus at Argonne brought him in touch with the impacts of commercial and industrial development on natural areas. Both of these life experiences guided his future volunteer efforts, and in the early 2000’s, he was able to carve out some time to get involved.
Lerner first became interested in the group Downers Grove Watch which focused on informing citizens about quality-of-life issues in the community. Then he got involved with Pierce Downer Heritage Alliance (PDHA), an organization established in the mid-1980’s to save Lyman Woods, now an important natural and educational resource in the NE corner of Downers Grove. PDHA had gone on to advocate for the successful preservation of Belmont Prairie, which ultimately was designated an Illinois Nature Preserve by the state, and it had become a collaborative partner in numerous other conservation and preservation projects that affected Downers Grove citizens. These interests aligned with Lerner’s and he joined the group in 2004, moved to a director position in 2005, and chaired the group from 2010-2025.
During Lerner’s chairmanship, PDHA continued its strong advocacy for and development of numerous initiatives that increased public awareness about the urgency of preserving our natural heritage. Ken’s collaborative approach and the dedication of the organization have made a difference. Lerner expressed his pride in the group for its recognition by the Chicago Region Trees Initiative in 2015, receiving the “Best Community Advocate” award, and in 2017, the “Canopy Award”. The list of projects is extensive and includes: working with the Village to monitor and expand the tree canopy in Downers Grove involving canvassing neighborhoods for opportunities for more parkway trees; educational opportunities for all ages including talks, natural area walks, conservation workshops, and seminars by preservation experts; collaborating with local government to implement natural areas when renovating or restoring public areas (e.g. Prince Pond and the Belmont Rd cloverleaf); and advocating for ‘greener’ policies when the Village approves development projects. PDHA has raised substantial funds for the Wonder Woods (formerly Little Sprouts) program, a partnership between the Park District and District 58 that creates a full-day field trip to Lyman Woods for 1st – 3rd graders to build an appreciation for our natural heritage.
The preservation of historic architecture became part of PDHA’s mission statement as Lerner and others shared concerns evolved. PDHA became an early advocate for the preservation of The 1846 Blodgett House. This early residence of Israel and Avis Blodgett was believed to be a stop on the Underground Railroad. Since it’s successful relocation and restoration, it has been entered on the National Park Service “Network to Freedom” list of stations on the Underground Railroad.
Lerner’s leadership encouraged PDHA’s growing interest in safeguarding Downers Grove’s architectural heritage. In 2013, he volunteered to help with the Architectural+Historical Survey to catalog homes that significantly contribute to the architectural heritage of the community. Around the same time, he became aware of the efforts of a grass-roots group created to find a way to prevent the demolition of 942 Maple Avenue, known as The Edwards House. This movement sought to find a way to either landmark or relocate this structure which had become the target of redevelopment. PDHA became involved with this group and helped support its mission. Although the struggle to preserve the house was not successful, the resulting effort to collaboratively work with the Village to revise the Historic Preservation ordinance proved a major change agent. Ken continued with Friends and supported their efforts to qualify as a 501©(3) organization, renamed Friends of the Edwards House (Friends). In 2017, this was achieved at which time Ken was elected to the board. In 2017, the group won the prestigious Landmarks Illinois 2017 Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Project of the Year Award for Advocacy. Lerner continues to serve as Secretary on the board of Friends. Only 2 properties had been landmarked when the group’s efforts began. Due to helping create increased awareness about historic structure vulnerability and the more user-friendly Historic Preservation Ordinance, 30 additional historic properties have been landmarked since.
Ken’s guidance also helped PDHA work collaboratively with the Village, encouraging more emphasis on sustainable practices and recommending policy changes that support environmental sustainability throughout the Village. When state grants were solicited by local government bodies for major projects (e.g. restoration of Barth Pond and Belmont underpass cloverleaf natural areas), PDHA volunteers helped by writing letters of support to help state politicians understand the importance and level of community support for these projects. Their ‘partnership’ approach helped to revitalize the Villages Environmental Concerns Commission (ECC) which has a broad charter to develop, improve, and recommend Village policies aimed at community-wide conservation and environmental sustainability. In 2023, PDHA worked with Greener Grove (another local advocacy group) to encourage the Village to join the “Greenest Region Compact” at the highest level of commitment. Villages in this Compact agree to adopt 49 high-level goals centered on improving the quality of life for their residents. The ECC will review the Village’s plan in mid-2025 as part of the Guiding DG Strategic Planning process. PDHA also provided input on several environmentally green building practices for the new Civic Center.
Recently, the PDHA organization was dissolved, passing along its assets and aspirations for the future to the work of three other groups; Greener Grove (in Downers Grove), Chicago Regional Trees Initiative, and the National Conservation Foundation. Lerner is already involved in committee work with Greener Grove and has been appointed to the Village’s Environmental Concerns Commission
When asked what future opportunities he would like to see explored, he stated, “I still hope for the day when Lyman Woods receives the State Nature Preservation Designation”. Lerner also hopes the Village will adopt a broad Tree Ordinance to further protect Downers Grove’s award-winning canopy. As for the protection of the Village’s historic homes, he sees extensive opportunities for the formation of Thematic Landmark Districts, whether historic neighborhoods like the Prince Pond area, or thematic groups of homes like 4-Squares or Kit Homes. He stated, “Homeowners now have all the tools they need to protect their historic homes from demolition.”
The Downers Grove Historical Society would like to thank Ken Lerner for his tireless efforts to help preserve the natural beauty and historic architectural charm of Downers Grove. By helping to preserve our heritage, he has helped to safeguard our future.
