History

Learn the local history of the Dole Mansion, Country Club, Franciscan Order, First Congregational Church, and 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

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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

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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

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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

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2002 – Major fundraising effort was underway, called the “Lakeside Legacy Project,” spearheaded by the Crystal Lake Jaycees, neighbors, and several community leaders.

The 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

January 25th, 2016 – The property officially changed the name to Lakeside Arts Park at the Dole.

 

August 22nd, 2019 – The property officially changed the name to The Dole.

 

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