This 20,000 Square foot Palatial Mansion in WI was Demolished in 1984

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Loramoor was one of the most elaborate palatial retreats built in Lake Geneva by wealthy Chicago businessmen at the turn of the century.

Loramoor was designed by Jarvis Hunt of Chicago. He was the nephew of the notable architect Richard M. Hunt, and Loramoor was one of his first major designs. Hunt was educated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He went to Chicago in 1893 to supervise the construction of the Vermont State Building at the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893 and stayed to practice there for the next 35 years. His more notable designs include the Kansas City Union Terminal and Union Terminals at Dallas and Joliet, Illinois, the Great Lakes Naval Training Station at Oak Bluffs, Illinois, and the Lake Shore Athletic Club.

At Loramoor, Hunt's sensitivity to the complexity between the site and design is admirable. This is particularly noticeable in the house, where exposure and views are intrinsic to the design, and in the outbuildings, often melding into a hillside. Rooflines at Loramoor are complex, reflecting the architect's desire to create an attractive impression upon arrival along the ridge road leading into the estate. Perhaps the most outstanding feature at Loramoor is the grandeur of scale. All of the outbuildings are larger than would be expected for buildings of their function. The gatehouse and stable represent this aspect of Loramoor.

Hunt ably adapted characteristics of the Tudor style to turn-of-the-century American tastes. The buildings show an interesting application of design elements to buildings with diverse uses. Materials and craftsmanship are of high quality, in part demonstrated by their durability. The estate was featured in a 1904 issue of the Architectural Record, and numerous articles appeared in the Lake Geneva newspapers as the estate was being built.

Loramoor was built by James Hobart Moore, a lawyer and financier, born in New York State in 1852. Moore moved to Chicago in 1873 and was admitted to the bar in 1891. He and his brother, William, formed a law partnership, specializing in corporate law.

The Moore brothers made their fortunes by promoting large corporations. Among their most successful ventures were the Diamond Match Company, the National Biscuit Company, and the American Tin Plate Company. They were also the directors of several railroad companies. James Moore married Lora Small, the daughter of one of his business associates. They had one son, Nathaniel. Moore's devotion to his wife is demonstrated in the naming of his estate, Loramoor, for her.

When James Moore built his estate at Lake Geneva in 1900, the city was already a thriving resort. Wealthy people from Chicago were particularly attracted to this scenic area in southeastern Wisconsin. There are few clues as to why Moore built so ostentatiously. Paul Reczec, a Franciscan occupant of the estate, studied its history extensively and concluded that Moore simply wanted the biggest estate on the lake; perhaps to show the level of his success.

Mr. Moore died at Loramoor in 1916. Shortly thereafter the estate was purchased by Frederick D. Countiss, who maintained it in the style of Moore until 1925. Then the estate had a series of owners; at one time it was a country club. In 1951 it was bought by the Franciscans in order to expand their college-seminary program. Loramoor became the Queen of Peace Friary.

A developer later purchased the property and divided it. The stables were purchased and restored. Unfortunately, a buyer could not be found for the mansion itself, and it was torn down in October 1984.

Building Description

The Loramoor estate was originally comprised of 32 structures, only three were owned by the Order of Franciscan Monks. The nine others that remain have been altered extensively. J. H. Moore's residence, the gatehouse, and the stables constitute the property that was owned by Queen of Peace Friary.

Loramoor buildings were all designed in the Tudor Revival style that was popular among wealthy estate-builders around the turn of the century. The buildings occupied 133 acres on the south shore of Lake Geneva and were designed to follow the contours of the gently undulating landscape, with regard to environmental constraints and advantages.

The house is set on a slope, facing the lake. A gently curving plan was adopted so that a maximum number of rooms would have a lake view, as well as protection from the northern exposure, and plenty of sunlight and breezes. The three-story house was built of "rainwashed" brick; the mortar is recessed, creating an interesting tonal quality on the walls. A long veranda with a curving stairway encompasses the Lake side of the house. It had been partially enclosed at the far end, by no means a detrimental alteration. At the center of the curve there is a two-story porte cochere, segmentally arched and with oriel windows at the second story. A truncated stucco tower with a segmentally arched leaded glass window is situated at the intersection of the porte cochere and main building.

Several elements of the Tudor Revival style are apparent in the house. The steeply pitched gables, capped with stone coping, rise above the roof; the width of the gables is enhanced by pilaster masses at each corner. Several tall, massive chimneys with decorative brickwork rise from the gables. Bay and oriel windows grace many facets of the house, as do randomly placed dormers. Windows are generally rectangular and plain; some doors are round-arched.

An impression of massiveness is dominant on the interior. The entry hall has large proportions, accentuated by black stained quarter-sawed oak beams and woodwork and rough plaster walls stained an ox-blood color. A grand staircase, with heavy balusters painted white, ascends from and dominates the hall. Other rooms on the first floor are the living room, dining room, kitchen, and billiard room. The Franciscans have converted the living room to a chapel and have somewhat modified the dining room for their needs; the billiard room is now a parlor and the kitchen has been renovated.

The second floor contained seven bedrooms and a sewing room and barber shop, while the third floor housed nine servants' rooms. In the basement there was a bowling alley (still used), a game room, rathskeller, wine rooms, and storage rooms. There are seven fireplaces in the house, generally massive.

Steel and masonry are the dominant structural materials. Some walls are over four feet thick. Between each floor there are three feet of crawl space, and joists rest on padding to lower the noise level.

The builder was concerned with incorporating every available modern convenience. Thus, a central vacuum system, a hydraulic elevator, electricity, and a bell system for calling maids were all built into the house. In 1953 the Franciscans added a large wing to one end of the house. The two-story addition is a simpler interpretation of the Tudor Revival styling found in the original house. Because of the comparable roof lines, the extended gables with coping, plain windows, and nearly matching brick, the wing is complementary to the house. It provides 31 rooms, a classroom, and a gymnasium for the friary.

The stable continues the Tudor Revival motif of the house, but, like all of the Loramoor outbuildings, is more rustic in its interpretation. Curvilinear in plan, the stable was once complemented by a row of stalls; the two structures enclosed the paddock. Walls of the stable are brick and stucco. The roof is steeply pitched and shaped; it is embellished with a clock tower/vent, a vented pinnacle, and several dormers. A broad, truncated tower facing the paddock housed Mr. Moore's office.

Inside, the stable demonstrates a luxury comparable to that of the house. The first floor featured a carriage storage room, carriage washing room, hitching room, tack room, tack repair shop, the office, and a shower room for the horses. Upstairs were quarters for the stable men. The brass-trimmed oak stalls that faced the stables were removed by the Franciscans, who converted the area into a stepped garden. They remodeled the stables in 1953 to house the Provincial Depository Library, containing well over 50,000 books.

Situated just off South Lake Shore Drive, the gatehouse is the first glimpse of Loramoor that one has approaching from the city of Lake Geneva. The gatehouse is built in the Tudor Revival style of the stable, in a similar curvilinear plan. At the center, the drive goes under a gabled porte cochere. On either side of the porte cochere two wings extend; they provided housing for some of Loramoor's help. The walls of the building are stuccoed and two very large chimneys are found at either end. Gabled roofs and dormers show the shaping of the stable. Windows are plain, though there are oriel windows above the porte cochere on both sides. The building had been unused for several years, but was restored to house retreatants at the friary.