We are back for another stop on our tour of historical
estates and mansions that surround Geneva Lake in southeastern Wisconsin.
![]() |
Postcard (public domain) |
There is so much that could be said about Loramoor, the
once-large estate on the lake’s south shore that first began as an
elegant getaway for the James R. Moore family. It later became a monastery
during which time an addition was added for sleeping rooms. In more recent
years, it became a subdivided property with only the out buildings from the
original estate still in existence by being repurposed into homes.
The Moores had summered for two years on the lake,
staying in a rented cottage, then after an interruption
when he tended to his suddenly failing company,
![]() |
James R. Moore |
Moore was an avid horseman and one of the outbuildings was a
large stable with apartments on the second floor for the men who took care of
the horses. Other buildings included farm cottages, a gardener’s house, a
laundry house, a pump house, and many others.
![]() |
Horse Stable |
The horse barn (above) was large enough to stable 60 horses at one
time. The brass-trimmed stalls were made of oak, and the floors were covered
with wicker mats.
The main house was V-shaped, allowing every room (27 in
total) to have a view of the lake, even those on the third floor.
After the failure of Diamond Match, Moore and his business
partner brothers went on to form the National Biscuit Company.
![]() |
Leaving the estate one would go under the arch with the gatehouse above |
The repurposed horse stable is now on the market and you can take a virtual tour of the home by going to the Realtor's video https://youtu.be/A3Mbkj6f_zM .
If you had a chance to time travel back to the early 1900s would you like to spend time at a large estate like Loramoor or would you prefer to stay put in 2017 and live a contemporary home like the horse stable is now?
References; Information and pictures: Lake Geneva: Newport of the West; Ann Wolfmeyer and Betsy Burns Gage; 1976.
Discover Lake Geneva: Gage Marine; 2007
Pamela
S. Meyers lives in northern Illinois with her two rescue cats. Her novels
include Thyme for Love, Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, Second Chance Love, and
Surprised by Love in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin (a reissue of Love Finds You in
Lake Geneva). Her novellas include: What Lies Ahead, in The
Bucket List Dare collection, and If
These Walls Could Talk, in Coming
Home: A Tiny House Collection. When
she isn’t at her laptop writing her latest novel, she can often be found nosing
around Midwestern spots for new story ideas.
I would love to see the mansions in their heyday!!
ReplyDeleteI agree, Connie. It would be nice to time travel back to when most the homes I've been describing were there and seeing how they looked in their prime and how the people of privilege who lived in them went about their daily lives.
ReplyDeleteI would enjoy visiting the masions during their time. I've enjoyed the historical homes I visit and so glad there are the ones that have been preserved. Our minds can imagine how the home was lived in with filled with noise, smell, love and character of the residents. Thank you for sharing. Happy 4th of July to one and all.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see and experience the times and mansions
ReplyDeleteLove your stories about these old homes. When I was a teenager, we took a vacation trip to Michigan, but only made it to Detroit where we stayed with my aunt and cousins. Wish I had known about these homes back then. I would love to visit Lake Geneva even now since I am fascinated by old homes.
ReplyDeletethank you so much for researching and sharing this info. my grandpa lived in the mansion that was once the stable for all of my childhood and it was one of my greatest experiences spending so much time in such a historic relic. i would not know the history of such an important place to me if it weren’t for this article so once again, thank you.
ReplyDeleteWhy is Eleanor Durand not mentioned. And, her time and devotion spent on this prpoerty???
ReplyDeleteThank you. I suspected Loramore was in Wisconsin, and you have confirmed that. Nailed to our basement wall [above the used paint cans] for the past 45 years is a deer rack, with a commemorative medallion, stating it was the first deer, killed at Loramore [spelling on the medallion], in December 1900. My spouse's grandfather, Edward Alonzo Small born 1884, was hunting with his uncle, James Hobart Moore [JH Moore on the medallion]. Now I wonder if it was the first deer killed at Loramore or Edward's first deer kill. Nathanial Ford Moore, JH Moore's son and Edward's 1st cousin, was also born in 1884. The cousins were close friends in childhood, according to family oral history.
ReplyDelete