Geneva Lake Audio Tours, Lake Geneva, WI (2024)

01/18/2024

Did you know in the late 1800s on the shores of Geneva Lake stood a hotel larger than the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island? 🤔

Called Pishcotaqua Park House Hotel, it opened in 1880 and was the largest in the Midwest. It was a stunning hotel with verandas on every level and it should have been a roaring success. But the hotel struggled to survive financially going through multiple owners and a foreclosure. Operating as a temperance resort likely didn’t help. When brewer John Cooke acquired the hotel 1890 that changed immediately. Cooke brought in alcohol and changed the name to Cooke Parke Villa Hotel.

Just when the Hotel looked like it was turning the corner, in 1891 parts of it were destroyed by a fire. The hotel was remodeled and rebuilt only to be completely destroyed the following year by another fire. But Cooke loved the area so much he converted the surviving billiards hall into his home and called it Ara Glen. It still stands today as a residence. Eventually the property was subdivided and now you'll find Knollwood subdivision and Ara Glen subdivision on either side.

Listen to more great stories like this one as you walk the path with the VoiceMap app.

https://voicemap.me/tour/lake-geneva-wisconsin/geneva-lake-shore-path-audio-guide-21-miles-of-stories
Photos courtesy of Lake Geneva Public Library

01/06/2024

Part 3. If you missed Parts 1&2 about Jeremy Piven's connection to Lake Geneva you can get there with the link in the comments.👇

The Selfridges hired prominent Chicago architect Henry Lord Gay to design Harrose Hall and construction was completed in 1899. Gay designed several Lake Geneva estates including Stone Manor, the Echoes and Maple Lawn to name a few.

The Selfridges’ love of the lake kept them returning for several summers even after their move to England to open Selfridges’ Department Store.

The Whiting family purchased Harrose Hall sometime in the 1920s and they changed the name to Somerset. The house was eventually torn down in 1975 and it is now the Somerset subdivision.

For more great lake stories get the VoiceMap App tour and hear the stories as you walk the path.

https://voicemap.me/tour/lake-geneva-wisconsin/geneva-lake-shore-path-audio-guide-21-miles-of-stories

12/30/2023

Part 2. If you missed Part 1 about Jeremy Piven's connection to Lake Geneva you can get there with the link in the comments.

Selfridge is one of the most impactful individuals to live on the lake. His ideas have likely impacted your life in some way. He was a retail genius who revolutionized the department store market. He had too many innovative ideas to list here but here are a few of his best ones. His Big window displays started the concept of window shopping-tempting the onlookers to come inside. He pioneered displays that let the customers handle the merchandise before they purchased them. He started what we now know as a wedding registry. He is credited with opening the first restaurant in a store. And, he is also credited with coining the phrase “the customer is always right” and “there’s only xx days until Christmas”.

Selfridge retired from Marshall Fields after a very lucrative career. While travelling overseas he saw an opportunity in London, England to bring his retail concepts to a new market. He opened Selfridge’s department store (pictured) in 1909 to huge success with reports of 90,000 people showing up to his grand opening. Selfridges is still in operation there today and his techniques have been adopted by modern department stores around the world. Follow us and find out what happened to his Lake Geneva estate Harrose Hall in part 3.

12/20/2023

What is Jeremy Piven’s connection to Lake Geneva? 🤷‍♂️

Well, Piven portrayed Harry Selfridge on the highly rated tv show “Mr. Selfridge” on PBS. Mr. Selfridge ran for four seasons, was seen in 165 countries, and has a score of 7.7 on IMDB as of this posting. Piven is quoted as saying it was the best work of his life and his favorite character to play.

So, who is Harry Selfridge?

Harry Selfridge made a name for himself at Marshall Field & Company in Chicago where, over the course of 25 years, he worked his way up from stock boy to manager and in the process became a very wealthy man. Selfridge married Rose Buckingham who came from a wealthy Chicago family. She was the cousin to Clarence F. Buckingham whom the famous Buckingham Fountain was built to memorialize. Harry and Rose built a summer home on Geneva Lake and by combining their first names they called it Harrose Hall.

It was a massive Tudor-style home with over 30 rooms including a grand ballroom, green house, and extensive gardens. But its most notable feature was the Tiffany-style oculus above the grand double staircase.

Follow us and stay tuned for Part 2 and learn more about the retail genius of Harry Selfridge and find out what happened to Harrose Hall.

Get more great Geneva Lake stories like this one on the Shore Path audio guide and hear them as you walk the path.

https://voicemap.me/tour/lake-geneva-wisconsin/geneva-lake-shore-path-audio-guide-21-miles-of-stories

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Lake Geneva, WI

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