Old McCormick Mansion Ruins
"Villa Turicum"
Lake Forest, Illinois

Ah, the old McCormick Mansion ruins.   What a fantastic, intriguing place.  Harold McCormick, son of Cyrus McCormick, inventor of the mechanical reaper and founder of International Harvester and Edith Rockefeller, daughter of John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil, were married November 2nd, 1895. In 1899 the McCormick's first child, John was stricken with Scarlet fever and died. This and the death of nine month old daughter Edith left Mrs. McCormick in a state of shock from which she never recovered.  To help Edith forget the tragedies, Harold  decided to build her a country estate. Designed by Charles Adams Platt, and it was finished in 1912 at a cost of  5 million dollars.  Platt incorporated the use of gardens, terraces, fountains and pavilions around the dwelling.  These features were in keeping with the Italian villa concept which emphasizes the beauty and pleasures of country life.

      Edith named it Villa Turicum, an ancient name used by Helvetian Celts for the town of Zurich, Switzerland, meaning "settlement on water".  Villa Turicum is modeled after Villa d 'Este in Tivoli, Italy.

The house was built of brick covered with an off-white cement stucco. The trim and ornamental features were of limestone. The roof was concrete, covered with red tile. The main house consisted of 44 rooms with 15 baths. Each of the 13 master bedrooms had the use of a private bath and fireplace. 

At the base of the 75 foot bluff was a 40-foot oval swimming pool complete with changing house.   The oval pool has been slowly sliding into Lake Michigan.  These photos were taken in 1983, so it may be in Lake Michigan by now.  

Two methods were available for reaching the changing house.  First, a series of stairs lined by cascading waterfalls led from the bowling green (east of the house). These stairs were still there in 1983.  They were in pretty bad shape, but given the shape of the rest of the property, they fit right in.  They had a really neat feel to them as you walked down them, especially the circular stairs.  If I remember right, there were benches part way down the stairs.

  
Second, an elevator shaft and tunnel were available for those not wishing to step outside. 

After the completion of their country estate, both Harold and Edith entertained in the magnificent house.  However, Edith's mental stability grew less.  In 1912 or 1913 she entered a sanitarium in Switzerland with a nervous disorder.  Here Edith was treated by Dr. Carl Jung, famed associate of Dr. Sigmund Freud.  After five years (1918) Harold and Edith agreed to a legal separation.  Edith remained in Switzerland another three years, until 1921.   She met Edward Krenn, a Swede who was a staunch disciple of Dr. Jung.  The two returned to Chicago in September of 1921, and shortly thereafter, Edith divorced Harold.

Part II

Villa Turicum Index