Lake Geneva and Walworth County
Submitted by admin_green on Mon, 09/14/2009 - 15:52
An ideal spot for a bit of green building.
Located within easy reach of Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison, Walworth County and the Geneva Lakes have been a popular destination for tourist and vacationers in the Midwest for more than a century. Geneva Lake, 8 miles long, 2 miles wide, 144 feet deep and bordered by the towns of Lake Geneva, Williams Bay and Fontana, as well as a collection of some of the finest mansions in the state of Wisconsin, is the center of this popular summer destination.
See the Lake Geneva area in Google Maps
The development of the Geneva Lake area as a summer home destination for Chicago's rich and famous was a result of the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, which devastated much of the city. As it was rebuilt, the wealthiest looked north for new building grounds, and gradually bought up and developed land around the crystal clear lake. An entire economy was gradually built around the influx of the "summer people."
Bright skies, clear waters, ubiquitous docks and the estates of turn-of-the-century Chicago tycoons are the hallmarks of the Lake Geneva shoreline.
Lake Geneva has been called both "the Newport of the Midwest" and "the Hamptons of the Midwest." Residents have included such well-known business names as Wrigley, Maytag and Schinn, such notorious names as Al Capone and Axl Rose, and such creative names as Sidney Smith, one of America's first great cartoonists, and Ernest Gary Gygax, who created Dungeons and Dragons.
As well as they typical summertime diversions of boating, fishing, swimming, shopping, festivals, country drives and parklands, Lake Geneva offers one of the most unusual and entertaining walks in America. The entire 21-mile circumference of the Lake is ringed by a walking path that passes through all the communities...and all the estates. While much of the land is private, the entire length of the path is open to the public (public access may not be restricted), offering walkers the opportunity to see some of the finest houses and lands in the area up close. The path itself is a study in contrasts: you may be stepping over roots one minute, walking on cobblestones the next, wood planking the next, smooth pavement the next...then back to stepping over roots. Each turn in the road brings a fresh surprise.
Tour boats embark from the Riviera in downtown Lake Geneva
Today, one of the most popular activities for visitors is the boat tours which circle the lake, passing by the most famous estates and interesting houses and telling the history of the area. A unique boat tour is the daily summertime mail boat, which actually delivers mail to mailboxes on the docks around the lake. Since the tour boats never stop moving, the young letter carriers get quite a workout...and the occasional soaking.
The green spirit is alive here.
The towns themselves: Lake Geneva, Williams Bay and Fontana, have retained the small-town charm and relaxed pace of an earlier time, despite the summertime traffic and annual influx of visitors. Even at the height of the summer season, people find quiet spots and simple pleasures. Walworth County has taken careful, balanced approach to development, which has maintained the quality of local life and the local landscape. This is why we came here originally, and why we believe this is the perfect location for a green-built B&B.
Our goal, which is to bring new faces and new attention to the Walworth County area while minimizing the environmental impact, is very much in line with the current goals of County officials. We expect that our plans and our development will be held up to the strictest scrutiny. We will document these developments as they happen on this site.
To learn more about the Lake Geneva area, click on any of the links listed below.
To see a gallery of Lake Geneva images, go to our gallery page.
Lake Geneva Chamber of Commerce site
