Chicago Sun-Times, Pioneer Press: Open House

Restoration of the home of Adlai E. Stevenson II, one of the most revered figures on the Illinois and national political landscapes, is near completion.

Stevenson served as governor of Illinois from 1949 to 1952 and was twice the Democratic nominee for president, losing to Republican Dwight Eisenhower in 1952 and 1956. President Kennedy appointed Stevenson ambassador to the U.N. in 1961, where he served with distinction during the Cuban Missile Crisis, until he died in 1965.

Part of the Federal Save America's Treasures initiative, the project, championed jointly by U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, R-10th, the Lake County Forest Preserve and the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, is set to be completed next spring. At that time the home, grounds and exhibits relevant to Stevenson's life will be open to the public.

"We need to preserve this real piece of American history," said Kirk who spearheaded securing a $99,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Interior for the creation of interpretive educational exhibits that will serve to showcase Stevenson's life.

Located in north suburban Mettawa, the Stevenson home is now owned by the Lake County Forest Preserves. In its heyday, the Stevenson's had provided hospitality to such luminaries as then Sen. John F. Kennedy and former first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt.

In addition to a matching grant from the National Park Service, the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, a governmental agency tasked with the duty of maintaining most state-owned historic sites in Illinois, allocated another $2 million to subsidize the restoration of the grounds and home.

"We are restoring the site back to its original 1965 appearance," said David Blanchette, spokesman for the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. "To date, a total of $2 million has been spent on the restoration of the home, the outside structure and the grounds."

The Stevenson home is one of the few surviving residences from the early 20th century settlements of gentleman farmers in the fields south of Libertyville.

"All moguls of industry, the Swifts, the Armors, the Stevensons, would come out of the city in the summers to get away from the heat," said Bob Speckmann, facility development manager for the Forest Preserves. "They would have their gentleman farms designed for them by prominent architects as places they could work and relax unencumbered."

Affectionately dubbed "The Farm" by Stevenson, the two-story structure was patterned after the Modernist style of architecture. The Forest Preserve is restoring the site to 1965, the last time Stevenson occupied the home. The original house commissioned by Stevenson in the 1930s, was a prefabricated, metal structure that was destroyed in a fire.

"It was supposed to be fireproof," said former U.S. Sen. Adlai E. Stevenson III, the ambassador's son.

"Well this fireproof home turned out to be a wonderful oven," he added. "Everything in the house was burnt leaving just a shell standing.

"By the time my father arrived, the place was gutted," Stevenson added. "All the family memorabilia and heirlooms were gone. Even the silver had melted down and dripped into the basement."

But Stevenson took the scene in stride, as was characteristic of his low-key manner.

"My father picked up a burning ember, lit his cigarette with it and said, 'Well, at least the house is still good for something.' "

The home was eventually rebuilt and remained the family hub until Stevenson's unexpected death in 1965.

Working from that historical date, the Forest Preserve is taking special care to restore the site to its original condition, including bringing back any flora and fauna that would have been indigenous to the region at the time Stevenson lived there.

"It's important to note," said Katherine Hamilton-Smith, director of Cultural Resources for the Lake County Forest Preserves, "that restoration is always much more expensive than construction because some of the materials and unique attributes of the home simply are not made today, and so they have to be specially ordered."

Attributes like the red linoleum counter tops with metal trim that the Stevensons had installed in their kitchen; a popular feature in the 1960s but hard to come by in 2006. The Forest Preserve also hired renowned architectural conservator, David Arbogast, to do an historical paint analysis on the walls. Some 10-15 layers had to be peeled away from various sections of the home to discover the original pigment.

In September of 2003, the Stevenson home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and is currently being considered for nomination for National Historic Landmark status, according to historian, Robie Lange.

This should not be a hard sell as the home was an integral part of a family dedicated to public service. Stevenson's grandfather, Adlai Ewing Stevenson I, was the nation's 23rd vice president under Grover Cleveland from 1893-1897; his father, Lewis Green Stevenson, served as Illinois Secretary of State and was considered a strong contender for the Democratic vice-presidential nomination in 1928; and Stevenson's son, Adlai Ewing Stevenson III, served as a U.S. senator from Illinois form 1970 to 1981.

"We were always roving the world, living in London, Washington and elsewhere, but The Farm was always home, always base," said Stevenson.

While his son relishes many memories of fine evenings on the family porch with one political dignitary or another, he admits there have been some near political howlers, too. Like the time the Oba, a tribal leader or minor king, of Akra, Ghana, came to their home dressed in a traditional blue robe and headdress, escorted by State Department officials. As fate would have it, his visit coincided with Halloween.

"He came to the door of The Farm and was greeted by our caretaker who, unfortunately, had never seen such traditional dress before," laughed Stevenson. "The State Department intervened before there was an international incident."

Stevenson will long be remembered for the dignified manner in which he accepted defeat following his runs for president, and the genuine integrity with which he approached all of his public duties.

Considered by many to have been the conscience of Liberalism, Adlai E. Stevenson II perhaps summed it up best when he said, "Your days are short here; this is the last of your springs. And now in the serenity and quiet of this lovely place, touch the depths of truth, feel the hem of Heaven. You will go away with old, good friends. And don't forget when you leave why you came."