By Anne Morrissy | Photography By Shanna Wolf and Holly Leitner
Thousands of people walk the north shore of Geneva Lake between Williams Bay and Lake Geneva every summer. this stretch of the lake — historically known as “millionaire’s row” for its many opulent homes — contains one particularly well-preserved Italianate gem known as Alta Vista.
Alta Vista – Then
Alta Vista is one of the storied historic lake homes originally built in the aftermath of the Chicago fire for wealthy Chicagoans looking to escape the city in the summer. The current home on the property is actually the second iteration of Alta Vista, built in 1920 to replace the original structure, which was lost to fire. The original Alta Vista was built on 74 acres belonging to Orrin W. Potter, president of a prominent steel company in Chicago.
The original Queen Anne-style home was built in 1882 and featured an impressive wraparound porch, two balconies and a four-story turret. The Potters lived in the home until Orrin Potter’s death in 1907. The next year, the home was sold to F. D. Countiss, a stockbroker with S.B. Chapin Co. The Countisses owned Alta Vista until 1919, when it was sold to W.N. Pelouze. Unfortunately, a fire that began in the third-story dormers destroyed the home in September of that year.
Alta Vista – Now
Pelouze and his wife Helen hired famed architect Howard Van Doren Shaw to design its Italianate replacement, which is the home that remains on the property today. Shaw’s design included a gray plaster exterior with stone balustrade balconies on the second floor. The interior features a high, vaulted loggia running the length of the house and a garden room separating the two main wings of the house which allowed guests to view the lake as they pulled down the property’s driveway. Inside, the home boasts tall marble archways framing the entrances to the library, garden, living and dining rooms.
Shaw’s plans originally called for the carving of a large stone mantel in the living room, but when the home was nearing completion, Shaw decided the mantel was too large for the space, so he redesigned a smaller version and donated the original version to the Art Institute of Chicago. The current owners had the original mantel copied and have placed the replica in the dining room as a nod to Shaw’s original design.
The exterior of the home visible from the lake shore path remains remarkably unchanged since its construction in 1920. Inside, however, the home has been thoroughly updated, renovated and redecorated in a classic, neutral palette. The current owners bought Alta Vista 15 years ago, and completed an addition to the home three years ago. But through all the maintenance upgrades and improvements they have completed during their tenure, their goal has always been to remain true to the house and Howard Van Doren Shaw’s original vision.
The result is a classic work of architecture that has transitioned gracefully into the 21st century.
This home was featured in the Lake Geneva: Summer 2015 issue.
For more photos of our featured Lake Geneva homes, visit the Lake Geneva Gallery page.