History
Designed in 1907 by renowned architect Howard Van Doren Shaw for Leverett and Helen Poole Thompson, 788 Woodland stands as a cornerstone of Lake Forest’s early 20th-century architectural heritage. Surrounded by formal gardens created by distinguished landscape designers Charles Platt and Rose Standish Nichols, the home was quickly celebrated by the Chicago Tribune as “one of the showplaces of Lake Forest,” admired for its refined craftsmanship and “delectable” setting.
A Masterpiece of American Design:
The Howard Van Doren Shaw Legacy Estate on Lake Road.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the home passed to Theodore Philip and Mae Swift, members of the prominent Swift family of meatpacking and banking. Their stewardship helped maintain the estate’s stature as a Lake Forest landmark.
By the mid-1990s, the property belonged to the Crowe family, who appeared in the Chicago Tribune showcasing the home’s paneled room, famously used as a set in the film Ordinary People.
As the estate evolved, it benefited from the influence of leading design voices of the era. Notably, enhancements and interior refinements were undertaken under the direction of Imogen Taylor of Colefax & Fowler, one of Britain’s most respected interior designers. Her work introduced a layer of timeless English sophistication while preserving and honoring Shaw’s architectural vision and Crowe's aesthetic. Improvements to the main house include a garden room, new kitchen breakfast room and butler’s pantry, billiards room and the family room addition.
The Crowes restored the existing swimming pool and commissioned Liederbach & Graham to design a historically sympathetic summer house—also referred to as the estate’s garden folly. Inspired by Samuel McIntire’s famed 1793 Derby summerhouse, the new structure was conceived as both an architectural focal point and a functional pool house. Completed in 2011, it was built using original McIntire drawings from the Peabody Essex Museum and executed with extraordinary craftsmanship: master carvers recreated the mahogany urns, drapery, and classical detailing using authentic Palladian proportions, and custom glass was produced in France using 18th-century methods. Though historically grounded, the building discreetly incorporates geothermal heating, a sustainable feature that modernizes its performance without compromising its traditional character. One of only two faithful replicas, the other at Berkeley Villa in Newport, Rhode Island, it stands as a romantic and architecturally significant presence overlooking the pool and gardens.
Today, 788 Woodland is a rare synthesis of original Shaw architecture, distinguished landscape design, thoughtful additions, and expert preservation—an estate whose history reflects more than a century of craftsmanship, stewardship, and enduring beauty.