Snug Harbor is the next stop on our tour of 19th Century homes
that graced the shores of Geneva Lake in southeastern Wisconsin.
By the time of the Great Chicago Fire, George Sturges and
his wife Mary had been summering in the
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| Antique postcard depicting Sung Harbor from my collection. |
The lower level was constructed of thick rock, and a 5-story
high tower provided a unique circular alcoves adjoining the parlor and master
bedroom. To make the home's very large rooms seem not so big, the family purchased
custom made extra large furniture.
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| Snug Harbor's Veranda |
The home contained 20 main rooms in addition to enough
bedrooms for their eight children. Mary Delafield Sturges and the children spent
most of their time at the lake house while the city of Chicago continued to grow.
The Sturgeses presented many gifts to the community of Lake Geneva and were
highly respected. George sold the property in 1919, and it passed through several
owners until in 1947, the estate was purchased by the Covenant Church and the
grounds became known at Covenant Harbor Bible Camp. The mansion was used to
house large church groups until fire claimed the beautiful old home in 1957.
Today, the property is still known as Covenant Harbor and is used as a church camp
and retreat center. In the past, I attended several singles ministry retreats
in a modern building that sits on the main road leading into the grounds.
The small house in town continued in the family’s possession
until Mary passed away and willed the structure and the large plot of land
surrounding it to the town for use as a public library. She
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| Mary Delafield Sturges |
The small frame house was the town’s public library until
1953, when the old structure became unsafe for public use. It was abolished, and a beautiful prairie-style building with huge window walls that seem to
bring the lake inside was built.
Mary’s legacy lives on through local resident, Chris Brook’s
interpretive depiction of her. Chris dresses in the style of Mary’s times and
entertains and educates with facts about Mary’s unique life—far too many to
share here.
Next month I’ll bring you a snapshot of another of the many
mansions of Geneva Lake.
Resource: Lake Geneva, Newport of the West; Ann Wolfmeyer and Mary Burns Gage
A native
of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, author Pamela S. Meyers lives in suburban Chicago
with her two rescue cats. Her novels include Thyme for Love, and Love
Will Find a Way, contemporary romantic mysteries, and her 1933
historical romance, Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. When she
isn’t at her laptop writing her latest novel, she can often be found nosing around
Wisconsin and other Midwestern spots for new story ideas.
So interesting to read about the old mansions at Lake Geneva. Love to read how they were purchased, built, burned, donated and remodeled. sm wileygreen1(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteWow what an interesting story. I love to read histories like this!
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon. I'm actually the great, great grand daughter of George and Mary Sturges! Although I was born and raised in California, I lived in Kenosha for awhile. When my mother would come visit from San Diego, we would go to Lake Geneva to the old property and she would fondly remember the days spent as a young child playing at Snug Harbor's boat house and at their home on Dummer Hill. I wish I could've seen Snug Harbor before we lost it to the fire. It must've been spectacular!
ReplyDeleteThank you for preserving the history of such a grand era gone by - such rich traditions of Lake Geneva.
Hi--my name is Trudy Ring, and I was recently in Lake Geneva. I wondered if the Sturges family of Lake Geneva is related to movie director Preston Sturges--I'm a huge fan of classic films. I know he was born in Chicago in 1898 and took the name of his stepfather, Solomon Sturges. I saw there was an earlier Solomon, George's father, so that makes think there might be a connection. Would appreciate any info! Thanks.
ReplyDelete