House In The Woods

This historic Lakefront Home was built in 1906 for a hardware distributor named  A.C. Bartlett.   Through his innovative business, Mr. Bartlett was able to amass an enormous fortune. He also had a fond love of Lake Geneva.

The contractor, Richard Souter, was busy building the Swift and Harris homes at the time, so special plans had to be made to complete the home on schedule.

Mr. Souter borrowed a three-ring circus tent from P.T. Barnum, who kept the circus in nearby Delavan during the off season. The enormous tent was put up on site and heated so that construction could continue through the winter. The reason the project had to be finished on time, was because it was to be a surprise birthday present for his wife in the spring.

House in the Woods has won a variety of awards for its design.  In 1909, it was selected by “Ladies Home Journal” as one of the 12 most beautiful country homes in America. Today House in the Woods is owned by an insurance executive and his family, who have done much to restore both the home and grounds that surround it.