Former Summer Residence of Architect Howard Van Doren Shaw

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Built in 1896-1897 as the summer residence of the Howard Van Doren Shaw family, Ragdale provides a still largely intact example of the kind of country estate favored by Chicago's affluent class at the end of the nineteenth century. Of the Lake Forest estates built at that time, Ragdale stands out because it was designed by an architect of distinction and because the entire estate is so well preserved.

Shaw's house is a remarkable early design of modern English taste transplanted to America. It's all stucco exterior and arts & crafts interior which reflects the English work of Baillie Scott and Voysey, must have been startling yet inspiring for Frank Lloyd Wright and other avant-garde midwestern architects. Perhaps it was Ragdale that stimulated Wright's switch in 1900 to all stucco houses. No doubt there is also a connection not yet studied between Shaw's work at Ragdale and the formation in 1897 of the Chicago Arts & Crafts society and the kinds of interiors that Wright and the Prairie architects began to design about 1900.

The extensive grounds at Ragdale are themselves of considerable interest. Everywhere one finds the handiwork of Shaw reflecting his urbane European, and especially English, point of view. The large garden is punctuated by sculptural mementos from Shaw's European travels, his own work, and that of his daughter, Sylvia. The high dovecote was built by the architect himself. He also designed a fountain near the house, as well as the arrangement of the grounds themselves.

It would be difficult to find, even in Lake Forest, so large an estate with so many still well-maintained reminders of the highly cultured family that built and lived here for nearly 80 years. That the grounds also include a genuine early log cabin brought from Indiana and a 3 acre virgin prairie are unexpected attributes that, with everything else, make Howard Van Doren Shaw's Ragdale not merely remarkable, but extraordinary.

Locally, Shaw had built, before 1925, more than 30 mansions in Lake Forest, as well as the city's central square and business district: Market Square. His architectural expression, stated so prominently, prolifically, and early in Lake Forest's history, established the cultural tone of Lake Forest's development as a gracious residential community.

Ragdale was built in 1896-97 as a summer home for Shaw's family and his parents. It had no electricity or staff quarters at that time, and cost about $5,000. It was built on 50 acres which included an existing farmhouse and barn, circa 1850. In 1905 the ground floor was expanded to include a glassed-in dining porch and a large kitchen. After 1945 the house was winterized and a 3-room apartment for staff was added along with a double garage beneath.

After the death of Shaw's widow in 1937, the 50 acres were divided between the 3 Shaw daughters. Svlvia received the southern portion on which the Ragdale house stands; Frances received the middle portion on which the old farmhouse and barn stand (now a restored residence sold to Mrs. Frederick Preston); and, Evelyn received the north portion on which stood the outdoor theater, Ragdale Ring.

Howard Van Doren Shaw was born in Chicago, on May 7^th, 1868. His father, Theodore Andrews Shaw, of Scotch Presbyterian and Quaker ancestry, was a dry good merchant from Madison, Indiana; his mother, Sarah Van Doren, was of Dutch ancestry from Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from Harvard School, Chicago, in 1886, from Yale University in 1890, and from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1892. During school vacations and after his return from study in Europe, he worked as a draughtsman in the office of Jennie and Mundie in Chicago (1891-93). In 1893 he married Frances Wells of Chicago, the same year opening his own office which he continued independently until his death on May 6^th, 1926. Shortly before his death he was awarded the Gold Medal of the American Institute of Architects. His children are Evelyn (widow of John T. McCutcheon, cartoonist), Sylvia Shaw Judson, sculptress (now Mrs. Sidney G. Haskins), and Frances Theodora (wife of John L. King, architect).

Site Description

Ragdale, the estate of Howard Van Doren Shaw, and his family for three generations, is located along tree-lined North Green Bay Road in Lake Forest. The house is approached by way of a drive through a semi-circular dry stone wall with pointed oak gate posts holding a lantern with "RAGDALE - 1230" illuminated. The 220-foot driveway, straight and tree-lined, leads to the front entrance of the house, which is on a 100 ft. diameter lawn circle, the center of which is ornamented by a granite sculpture of 2 lambs by Shaw's daughter, Sylvia Shaw Judson (Haskins).

The 3 story house is of grey stucco with blue green painted trim. The roof is slate. The front elevation has 2 pointed gables and a deeply recessed entrance portico supported by 2 stout columns. On either side are large green glazed tubs marked with the year 1900, which Shaw brought from Europe, now planted with pink geraniums, originally planted with bay trees. A long blue green bench along the portico, beneath the entrance hall's casement windows, invites rest. Windows are accented with blue green window boxes which are planted with pink geraniums. Virginia creeper climbs the gables. A mounting block stands at the driveway's edge for access to and from carriages.

The entrance hall (8 x 24 ft.) with casement windows, is arched, wainscoted in oak, and has window seats. On the inner wall there are leaded glass lights, each with a different design, on either side of a shallow arched central doorway which leads to the dining room.

The dining room has wallpaper panels, a plate rail and beams painted blue green, and a wide bay window looking west under a grape arbor. The high brick fireplace has notable fire irons designed by Shaw.

The living room (18 x 30 ft.) opens from the south end of the entrance hall and has wide glass French doors to the west onto a hammocked screened porch. The original Wm. Morris wallpaper was early replaced by panels of unfinished oak. The variegated brick fireplace with raised stone hearth and hobs is in a wide alcove with a bracketed overmantel flanked by corner oak benches with single bookshelves above. Outside a large south window is an unscreened porch with a fountain beyond, of which the carved basin designed by Shaw carries a poem written by Mrs. Howard Shaw. Beyond the fountain is a green glade with a 14th-century statue of St. Martin on horseback dividing his cloak with a beggar, which came from Caen in Normandy.

The upper part of the house, reached from the stairs at the north end of the entrance hall, is characteristic of Shaw's houses in that it easily divides into 3 sections, each with two bedrooms, a bath and a screened sleeping porch. The 3^rd floor is an attic used as a children's playroom, and there is a basement beneath the house. Rather recent additions to the house are an elevator, a 3-room apartment for staff with a double garage below, and a frame workshop immediately north of the house.

To the west of the house a lawn, which was originally a bowling green, extends to a boulder wall. Beyond this stretches approximately 16 acres of woods, pastureland, virgin prairie, and creek, with 2 miles of lanes laid out by Shaw and accented with hedges, rustic fences, and sculpture by Shaw and his daughter, Sylvia. There is a large crossway signpost at a lane intersection indicating the direction to Fort Dearborn, and, an animal graveyard for the pets of the household, ornamented with a stone sculpture by Shaw. In a wooded section south of the pasture is the sculpture studio of Shaw's daughter, Sylvia Shaw Judson (Haskins). The exterior wall of the studio is ornamented with a huge carved wooden angel which Shaw designed to be used in the 4^th Presbyterian Church of Chicago in 1912.

The adjoining property to the north of the boundary contains the restored farmhouse and barn (circa 1850) of the original 50-acre farm Shaw had purchased. The formal gardens North and Northwest of the Ragdale house contain gates, a dovecote, and a sundial built by Shaw, as well as an Italian well head brought from Italy, and an authentic log cabin from southern Indiana which was reconstructed at the 1933 Century of Progress (Lincoln Group) in Chicago. North of the formal gardens is the site of the outdoor theater, Ragdale Ring, built by Shaw for summer theatrical events, including plays written by Frances Shaw (Mrs. Howard Shaw). Shaw's daughter, Evelyn, has built her home on the west half of the site; the remaining half serves as the front court of her home.

Front or East elevation 1975 (1975)

Rear or West elevation (1975)

Entrance hall showing living room on left, dining room on right (1975)

View of garden showing, from L to R the Dovecote, Sundial, and log cabin in the background (1975)

Bridge designed by H.V.D Shaw which crosses a stream called the Skokie Ditch which runs from North to South across the far western edge of the estate (1975)

This farmhouse was standing at the time H.V.D. Shaw bought the 50 acre farm to build his estate. It has been remodeled into a residence, as has the barn (1975)

The parcel on which this house stands was separated from the original 50 acre estate when Shaw's widow died in 1937. Shaw's daughter, Evelyn, built this house here (1975)

Authentic log cabin moved to site from Indiana (it had been used as part of the Lincoln display in 1933 in the Century of Progress in Chicago.) (1975)

Prairie west of pasture and main house (1975)

Dovecote designed and built by H.V.D. Shaw. It stands in the formal gardens northwest of the main house (1975)

Remains of the East half of the outdoor theater, Ragdale Ring, which now serves as a garden retaining wall circling the front lawn of the House built in the late 1930's (1975)

Pasture west of main house lawn (1975)

View from center of virgin prairie, fence, and lawn, to Ragdale main house (1975)

Sundial designed by H.V.D.Shaw with poem inscribed. Located in Gardens northwesterly of house (1975)