Roaring 20s Love Nest In Highland Park Returns To Market

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — A historic Highland Park estate returned the market last week asking for more than a million dollars more than its sale price from 18 months ago. The E. Lichtstern Estate was built in 1919 by architect Arthur Heun on 2.4 acres of wooded grounds designed by landscape architect Jens Jensen. It last sold in March of last year for $1.18 million and was listed Aug. 7 for $2.2 million, according to its listing.

Sitting atop a bluff beside a beach and a view of Lake Michigan, the Italian-style stone villa mansion has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982.

"The entrance hall surrounds you in travertine marble & Romanesque vaulting. Moving around the first floor you will notice the tremendous detail work within the plaster moldings & hand carved walnut," it said, noting the home would be sold as-is. "Every time you enter the home a new adventure awaits!"

Featuring intricately detailed and masterfully decorated original finishes, the 15-room, 14,000-square-foot mansion features marble and hardwood flooring, a screened porch and terraces overlooking Lake Michigan and a recently repaired pool, according to its listing. There's also an elevator, a wine cellar, a music room and a ballroom on the third floor.

The original owner, E. Lichtstern, was the son of Adolph J. Lichtstern, a successful commodities broker at the Chicago Board of Trade. He came from Germany at three years old, sold newspapers on the streets of Chicago and wound up becoming "the most daring speculator in wheat" of his day.

The younger Lichtstern's first name may have been lost to history. But according to articles from the time, the mansion was commissioned to function as a romantic retreat, Crain's Chicago Business reported, to be shared with his lover Mary Garden, a famous diva of the time and former managing director of the Chicago Civic Opera. Originally, the main wing of the opulent estate was designed to include just two bedrooms.

Property records indicate the home was purchased in March 2017 by Alex Miller from a bank for under $1.2 million. Now, 18 months later, its asking price is 86 percent higher.

Before that, the Roaring '20s lovenest was sold to Mike and Robin Nasatir in 1991 for $2 million, Chicago Magazine reported. They spent $4 million restoring the home before listing it for $7.75 million in 2009.

Crain's reported Bank of America started foreclosing on the couple's $4.3 million mortgage in 2011 and negotiated the sale of the house to Miller for $1.18 million in 2015. Miller intended to carry out renovations to the property, its current listing agent told Crain's, but family issue got in the way. The agent said the property has been vacant for at least five years, and no major work has been done on it since it last changed hands.

According to the listing, the historic home is an opportunity to transform this one-of-a-kind property "back into the opulent home" it was originally built to be.

• Address: 105 S. Deere Park Drive, Highland Park, Illinois
• Price: $2.2 million
• Square Feet: 14,286
• Lot: 2.4 acre
• Bedrooms: 7
• Bathrooms: 5 full, 3 half
• Built: 1920
• Last Sold: March 2017
• Listed: Aug. 7

This listing originally appeared on realtor.com. For more information and photos, click here.