A
newly listed Lake Forest estate, priced at $27.5 million, is now the second-highest property for sale in the Chicago area, according to Crain's report. This luxurious mansion spans 15,000 square feet and sits on a 5.3-acre lot with 570 feet of prime lakefront access, featuring a boathouse, pool, spa, and garage space for 22 cars. This property is managed by @properties Christie’s International Real Estate’s Ann Lyon and Kim Campbell.

    The current owner of this estate is Terry Rozdolsky, a Lake Forest entrepreneur who founded Harbortown Industries, a company supplying major retailers like Walmart and Target with picture frames. Rozdolsky acquired the site in 2010 for $4.5 million and demolished a 13-room house previously standing on the lot to build the current mansion in an Italianate style.

    The estate boasts two three-car garages that flank a grand entrance and a 16-car basement-level garage. A 75-foot bluff provides sweeping views of Lake Michigan, while a protected cove at the bottom of the bluff offers residents a swimming area and a boating dock. One of the estate's most striking features is a grand formal staircase that descends from the mansion to the lake, a vestige of the legendary Villa Turicum estate that once dominated the area.

    The Villa Turicum estate was a 269-acre property established in the early 20th century by Harold McCormick, son of International Harvester founder Cyrus McCormick, and Edith Rockefeller McCormick, daughter of oil magnate John D. Rockefeller. The couple's 44-room mansion was a marvel of its time, designed by renowned architect Charles Platt and set amidst lush, landscaped grounds.

    The estate's bluff staircase, completed in 1912, is one of the few surviving elements of the once-imposing estate. Though the McCormicks divorced in 1921 and the mansion was eventually demolished in 1959, the site has since had multiple homes built on the grounds. Today, the Rozdolsky property represents the third mansion to occupy the historic estate, with previous owners, Carole and Ron DeBruin, having restored the original staircase and a reflecting pool during their tenure.

    While the reflecting pool appears to have been replaced by a motor court, echoes of the estate's grandeur still linger in the surrounding properties, including the Villa Turicum teahouse, which remains a landmark for visitors exploring nearby ravine preserves accessible via public trail.

    If this estate sells near its asking price, it will join an exclusive list of eight-figure multimillion-dollar transactions in this prestigious Chicago-area enclave.