Lake Michigan Keck Estate!

Lake Michigan Keck Estate!

Lake Michigan Keck Estate!

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Crab Tree Farm, originally 370 acres, was begun by Illinois federal judge and president of the Chicago and Northwestern Railway, Henry W. Blodgett, in the late 1800s. Scott S. Durand purchased 250 acres for his wife, Grace, in 1905. Grace had been operating CrabTree Dairy in the village of Lake Bluff. The constant aggravation of her prized Guernsey cows getting out in the village, caused them to relocate to what is now Crab Tree Farm. It was in 1910, after a fire destroyed the original buildings, that Grace commissioned Solon Spencer Beman, architect of the historic Pullman Village. Jens Jensen, notable landscape architect, developed the plan for the gardens and grounds, though only part of the design was implemented.

In 1926, William McCormick Blair and Helen Bowen Blair bought eleven acres commissioning David Adler to build their lakefront summer home. After Grace’s death in 1948, the Blairs spent the next ten years purchasing the entire farm. John Bryan purchased the farm and most of the farmland in 1985 and the original Adler home. Mr. Bryan has dedicated enormous amounts of energy to restoring and maintaining the property.

In 1955, Edward McCormick Blair bought 27 acres along the lakefront and commissioned the brothers Keck to build a family home for his wife and two sons. He remained in this home until his passing in 2010. According to architectural historians, the Blair House is, together with Bruce Goff¹s Ford House in Aurora and Mies’s Farnsworth House in Plano, one of the most important residences erected in the Chicago area during the 1950s.

Nearly unchanged from its original design and intent, the first floor is comprised of a two bedroom, two bath suite and sitting room in the southwest wing, living room and walk-through, two-story conservatory, library, powder room and gallery to the right of the entrance. There are also the dining room, butler’s pantry, kitchen and three-room maid’s apartment and the four-car attached garage. The second floor has the very spacious master suite with the conservatory, the master bath with massive dressing room and the guest bed room and bath. Sixteen of the 27 acres are held in a conservation easement with Lake Forest open lands. For more information.

Chicago’s famed mid century Keck house on 27 acres is now for sale, priced at $9.995 million.

Source: gglrealty.com