History
Learn the local history of the Dole Mansion, Country Club, Franciscan Order, First Congregational Church, and Lakeside Arts Park at the Dole.
1800 – Grain Merchant and Armour, Dole & Co
1860 – Purchased Land 1000 acres surrounding Crystal Lake
Step back to a simpler time to explore the craftsmanship and unexpected brilliance of a Civil War era architectural masterpiece – the historic Dole Mansion.
1858 – Owned the Largest Grain Elevator
Chicago Board of Trade Committee
1863 – Started Building Architectural Styles: Romantic Italianate & Second Empire
- Detail Designs:
- Wheat Icons Designs – Grain Merchant
- Black Walnut Wood
- Pocket Doors
- Fireplaces – Marble White Carrara
- Dumb Waiter
- Servant’s Stairs
1865 – Finished Construction Cost: $100,000
Doles Family
- Charles Dole | Died at 85 Years Old
- Wife: Julia Louise Dole | Died at 66 years old
- Son: Sydney Hope Dole | Died at 26 years old
- Daughter 1: Mary Florence Dole | Died at 66 years old
1883 – Mary Florence Wed A.C. Stowell - Daughter 2: Harriet(Hattie) Delia Dole | Died at 52 years old
1873 – Crystal Ice Company
Shipped blocks of ice all over the Midwest.
1896 – Dole Retired
Sold Mansion & Ice Company for $1.00 to son-in-law A.C. Stowell.
1914 – Crystal Lake Ice Company burned down
1922 – Mrs. Lou Ringling Purchased for $500,000
She was a widow of Al Ringling, oldest brother of the famous circus family.
Original Country Club of Crystal Lake
1925 – Annex Built
- Tutor style tower
- Magnificent Ballroom
- 44 Bedrooms
- 18-Hole Golf Courses
1929 – Great Depression
1938 – Doors Officially Closed
1944 – Franciscan Order of Lake Forest Purchased
Converted into St. Mary Minor School for Boys (Prep Seminary)
Annex – School & Bedrooms for the Boys
Mansion – Chapel & Home to the Franciscans
Franciscans Order Coat of Arm – Stained glass window
“Pax et Bonum”– Peace & The Good
“Via, Veritas, Vita”– The Way, The Truth, The Life
1976 – First Congregational Church (FCC) Purchased
The annex portion of the structure was renovated for use by thousands of hour of volunteer work. The Church named the facility “Lakeside Center.”
- Community Center
- Friendship House Day Care Center for Children
- Church Offices
- Meeting Rooms
- Reception Hall
- Retreat Facilities
1979 – Held the first Ice Cream Social. The Ice Cream Social grew over the years into Lakeside Festival
2002 – Major fundraising effort was underway, called the “Lakeside Legacy Project,” spearheaded by the Crystal Lake Jaycees, neighbors, and several community leaders.
Community generously gave over one million dollars in just 42 days to enable the hastily formed Lakeside Legacy Foundation.
Eventual reawakening took over two years, and several hundred thousand dollars in donations to complete The Lakeside Legacy Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 organization.
July 4, 2005 – The property officially opened the new Lakeside Legacy Arts Park.
September 13, 2012 – New endeavor ‘the Listening Room’ a destination to be enjoyed by both the performer and the audience.
Lakeside Legacy Foundation dedicated this beautiful venue on September 13, 2012, and was made possible by the generosity of a special group of individuals from Beach Cite, Inc. Learn More
