It began, at least, with hope. Edith Rockefeller McCormick,
daughter of John Rockefeller; wife of Harold McCormick, was one of the richest
woman of her day. She determined to build Villa Turicum
(“Settlement on the Water”) as a country retreat and solace for the 1901
loss of her young son.
But after the house was complete, in 1913, Edith abruptly left her family
to seek treatment from Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung. Haunted by
the death of her son and rumors of her husband’s infidelities, she was
never to return fully to her marriage, or her mansion
The McCormicks separated in 1921, following Edith¹s return from Europe.
She lived on in her grand home at 1000
Lake Shore Drive in Chicago,
known for her lavish parties and flamboyant dress. Villa Turicum
remained fully furnished and staffed, awaiting its mistresses¹ bidding,
though she seldom, if ever, returned there.
It was during this time that
she joined in a ruinous business venture with Jung¹s Swiss protégée
Edward Krenn, and his partner Edward Dato. This partnership
resulted in the development of the Highlands
neighborhood in Highland
Park. This
last venture, underwritten with Standard Oil securities, went bankrupt
following the 1929 market crash.
Edith died in 1932. The Rockefeller heiress, who once owned a $1
million dollar diamond dog collar and emeralds that belonged to Catherine
the Great, died $3 million dollars in debt.
After her death, the valuable furnishings and artwork of Villa
Turicum were sold at public auction for pennies on the dollar.
In the 1940s, the property itself was sold for $75,000 in back
taxes, but development plans languished. In the 1950s, the estate
was proferred to the city of Lake
Forest, but the
offer was declined. Plans for a private club on the site fell
through
The estate was purchased in 1956 by Robert Kendler of Community
Builders. The house, found to be structurally unsound, was torn
down. The property was subdivided into 161 lots and in 1972 was
being marketed with a familiar name, “Villa Turicum.”
"Edith's relationship
with her father was stormy. She rebelled from his staunch frugality by
living extravagantly, and giving away millions to her favorite
causes," said Lonnie Sacchi of the Frederick Law Olmsted Society.
"She owned furniture that once belonged to Napoleon. She had
Catherine the Great's emeralds, too," Sacchi said. "Her pearls
were valued at $2 million. Her dog wore a diamond-studded collar."
Edith also built a 44-room
Italianate villa in Lake Forest. "The unoccupied villa was full of unopened crates of art
and antiques," he said.
