Lake County home to buildings designed by notable architects
Lake County is fortunate to be home to a multitude of buildings designed by some of America's greatest architects, including Frank Lloyd Wright, Howard Van Doren Shaw, and David Adler.
Adler (1882-1949) was one of the most prolific architects of the 20th century, designing more than 200 buildings, including several in Lake County.
Adler took work on a referral basis, and was greatly inspired by European architecture and design. He lived in Libertyville from 1917 to 1949. The David Adler Music and Arts Center is housed in the former Adler Estate on Milwaukee Avenue.
Adler graduated from Princeton and then traveled in Europe, studying and observing architecture. When he returned to the United States in 1911, he worked for Howard Van Doren Shaw, whose office was in Chicago.
After a year, Adler opened his own office with friend and business partner, Henry Dangler. Since Adler did not have a professional architect's license, his early work bears Dangler's name.
In 1916, Adler married Katherine Keith, and the following year they purchased an 1864 farmhouse and acreage north of Libertyville.
The farmhouse was far simpler than the lavish estates he was designing for America's richest, but true to his attention to detail he added formal landscaped gardens, and over the years made continuous changes that reflected his signature design features. At one time, the property totaled nearly 240 acres and extended east to the Des Plaines River.
In 1917, Henry Dangler died. Without a professional license, Adler needed another partner and chose Robert Work. Even without a license, he was elected to the prestigious American Institute of Architects in 1926.
Three years later, Adler became licensed as an Illinois Registered Architect. From then on, his plans bore only his name.
Probably Adler's most noted work was the house he built in Lake Forest for the wife of Kersey Coates Reed, the daughter of Marshall Field & Co. president, John Shedd. The 1931 project was a collaboration with Adler's sister, Frances Elkins, a noted interior designer. The Georgian mansion was built as a summer retreat, and exhibits Adler's fondness for European extravagance.
In 1930, Adler's wife died in an automobile accident in Europe. Her ashes were temporarily laid to rest at their Libertyville Country Estate under an obelisk he designed. Adler died in his sleep at his Libertyville home on Sept. 27, 1949.
The house is on the National Register of Historic Places and was recently listed as one of 150 "Great Places" in Illinois by the American Institute of Architects.