December 05, 2008

Site of South Shore Club was Originally Northwestern Military Academy

Posted to South Shore Club, Theresa Larsen

Northwestern Military Academy, founded in 1886, was originally located in Highland Park, Illinois as a junior high and high school for young men stressing discipline and ethics. Its first Director, Harlan Davidson, came from the East and organized the academy in a hotel which later burned. Other buildings were erected and Highland Park remained the location for the school until 1915 when it was moved to Lake Geneva.

After his father’s death in 1911, Royal Davidson became the director and expanded the curriculum to include military training. Experimentation with cars that were mounted with guns and plated with steel were driven around the grounds and became the first prototype of armored tanks. Since the cadets were required to begin and end each school year with maneuvers and encampments at Lake Geneva, it became a natural move to relocate the school there in 1915 after another fire destroyed most of the buildings in Highland Park.

During the First World War, trenches were dug on the property as well as listening posts and machine gun locations so that the cadets could practice actual warfare. Graduates have served in the World War I and II, Korean War, Vietnam and Desert Storm. Because of declining enrollment, the school merged with St John’s Military Academy in Delafield, WI and the property at Lake Geneva was sold.

The 40 acres and 900 feet of lakefront property is now the location of the South Shore Club, an upscale community of homes. Membership entitles the owners use of the clubhouse and zero depth pool, use of all the boats in the yacht club, HarTru tennis court, chip and putt area, playground, fire pit and concierge services. Only 8 home sites are available for sale ranging in price from $999,999 to $1,751,000.

For information on this site or other lakefront properties, contact Nancy Lehman and Lael Vandenburgh at nancylael@keeferealestate.com.

Posted by: Nancy Lehman Lael Vandenburgh

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