Project Details Page

synopsis

J. C. Olmsted first visited the estate of prominent Chicago business owner Charles L. Hutchinson in 1901. Located in Lake Geneva, WI, the forested property was set back about three miles from the famous lake. The Olmsted Brothers appreciated the varied and interesting topography of the grounds and proposed adjusting the orientation of the planned house.

J. C. Olmsted first visited the estate of prominent Chicago business owner Charles L. Hutchinson in 1901. Located in Lake Geneva, WI, the forested property was set back about three miles from the famous lake. The Olmsted Brothers appreciated the varied and interesting topography of the grounds and proposed adjusting the orientation of the planned house. The firm recommended “pushing the house westward to the positions staked” to bring it “more behind the Wisconsin weeping willow which is growing on the shore and appears to be too valuable to sacrifice.” Furthermore, they designed multiple alternative approaches on the property, including a “circuitous drive” to make a faster route off the grounds. To ensure privacy from the main road while maintaining a clear view of the water, they called for lining the shore walk with “wild grapes and bittersweet, instead of bushes, so as to not unduly interrupt the view of the lake.” The planting plan for the lawn included mostly shrubbery and perennial plants (plan 00416-16). [Olmsted Brothers to Charles L. Hutchinson_01-10-1901_LOC-OAR-B-00416_im.4&8]

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