The Dole Mansion |
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The centerpiece to the Lakeside Legacy Arts Park is its most unique piece of art - the historic Dole Mansion. Built during the Civil War, the Dole Mansion was originally intended as Charles Dole's summer home.
Back in the 1860's, when the town of Crystal Lake was about 25 years old, Charles S. Dole purchased over 1,000 acres of land overlooking the lake. It was his dream to construct an elaborate estate that would reflect his position as a successful businessman. Charles was an early member of the Chicago Board of Trade, a grain merchant and partner with his brother James Dole in the Chicago-based Armour, Dole and Company. To carry out his plan, he built a three-story mansion with adjoining gardens and stables. European craftsmen were imported to lay parquet floors, fashion archways and carve interior wood work from black walnut trees grown on the property. As a final touch, he brought in Italian artisans to build several marble fireplaces. According to Mr. Dole's obituary, construction costs exceeded $100,000, an enormous amount of money in those days. The estate was known as Lakeland Farm. Mr. Dole lived there with his wife Julia, his mother-in-law, Mrs. Harriet Coffin, his two daughters, Mary Florence, Harriet (Hattie), and son Sydney. Dole maintained the estate for over 30 years, entertaining lavishly. As an example, for his daughter's wedding in 1883 he built a spur line from the Chicago and Northwestern railway tracks almost to his doorstep. A canopied and carpeted walkway extended 750 feet from the front door to the train enabling the guests to walk to the mansion for the ceremony and return to the train without concern for the weather. Notable wedding guests included Julian Rumsey (mayor of Chicago and Dole's first cousin) and Levi Leiter (first partner with Marshall Field). Mr. Dole's interests changed throughout the years. He laid out a half-mile racetrack on his property and purchased the finest horses that money could buy, soon accumulating a string of horses that was the envy of northern Illinois. It is said that Mr. Dole loved to go up in his tower and watch his horses run. When tired of the fad of his stable, he disposed of his beautiful and valuable horses, holding an elaborate sale. The Dole's lived in the mansion until the late 1890's. He sold his home to his son-in-law for $1.00, who continued using the mansion as a place of business - an office for his ice harvesting business. ~ Transitions ~ During the early 1900's, the property was owned and operated by several different ice companies. Ice was harvested from Crystal Lake and shipped by rail to nearby Chicago. The advent of refrigeration brought about the decline of the ice business. After laying vacant for several years, the property was sold in 1922 to the Lake Development Company. The transaction involved nearly half a million dollars. Mrs. Al "Lou" Ringling was one of the principal investors and Vice President of the Lake Development Company. She was the widow of the oldest Ringling Brother, of circus fame. The mansion was rejuvenated, the huge annex was constructed (now called the Creative Art Center), and thus the property was converted into the first Crystal Lake Country Club. The club and annex included 44 bedrooms, a dining salon, ballroom, sun parlor, reception room, locker rooms, and a large outdoor terrace. Outdoor facilities included two 18-hole golf courses, a swimming pool, boating dock, an 80 acre game preserve, riding stables, and tennis courts. The club faltered in the stock market crash of 1929. It remained open but in receivership for several years until it was eventually sold and the property subdivided. In 1945 the building and adjacent property was sold to the Franciscan Order to be used as a seminary for high school boys studying for the priesthood. It was known as St. Mary's Minor School for Boys. The school had an enrollment of over 100 boys, approximately 75 percent of which lived on campus. The school operated until about 1970 when enrollment dropped and it was deemed necessary to close the facility. The building remained unoccupied and neglected until it was purchased by the First Congregational Church of Crystal Lake in 1977. The annex portion of the structure was renovated for use by thousands of hours of volunteer work. The Church named the facility "Lakeside Center," and operated it as a community activities center, hosting Friendship House Day Care Center for children, church offices, meeting rooms, reception hall, and retreat facilities. On January 30, 2000, the members of the First Congregational Church voted to sell the property in order to raise funds for a necessary addition to the church building on Pierson Street. After several sales attempts and failures, the future looked grim for Crystal Lake’s historic Dole Mansion. In 2002, a major fundraising effort was underway, called the “Lakeside Legacy Project,” spearheaded by the Crystal Lake Jaycees, neighbors, and several community leaders. In an unprecedented groundswell, the community generously gave over one million dollars in just 42 days to enable the hastily formed Lakeside Legacy Foundation to meet a deadline, and purchase the property, and save it for the community. Planning for the future of the facility, and its eventual reawakening took over two years, and several hundred thousand dollars in donations to complete The Lakeside Legacy Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization, is dedicated to the restoration of the Dole Mansion, and creation of a beautiful arts education center and park for use by the community. The property officially opened the new Lakeside Legacy Arts Park on July 4, 2005, providing a home for nearly a dozen arts education programs and over 16 artists (as of June, 2006). You’re encouraged to get involved in helping to secure a bright future for this gem, and be part of an incredible movement to breathe new life into the Dole estate—leaving a legacy for many future generations to enjoy. |
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Charles Sidney Dole