Feb 21, 2021
Mar 19, 2021
Villa Hortensia was designed by Howard Van Doren Shaw and built for Edwin Swift in 1906. It s now on the market for $20.7 million.Â
According to the listing from Geneva Lakefront Realty:Â There were five lakefront estates on Geneva Lake designed by famed architect Howard Van Doren Shaw. Astonishingly, all of these homes are still standing to this day, a testament to the refined, livable nature of these classic residences. These legacy homes are the homes we know and love. Alta Vista; House in the Woods; Aloha Lodge; Allegheny; and Villa Hortensia.Â
The estate was named Villa Hortensia, in honor of Swiftâs wife, Hortense. Shaw collaborated with legendary landscape architect Jens Jensen to ensure the grand home settled confidently and quietly into this massive wooded site. The finished home was Mediterranean in style, blessed with classical arts and crafts details, and boasting a spacious domed entry hall spanning nearly the width