Ely, Mrs. C. Morse, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1923 on the east side of Moffett Road in Lake Bluff, Illinois, this L-shaped brick mansion was designed by architect David Adler for Mrs. C. Morse Ely, a woman living alone with many servants. Adler based the design on La Lanterne, a Louis XV pavilion in the park of Versailles. The house has 19 rooms, cream-colored tapestry brick, limestone detailing, a wood shingle hip roof, and a Doric-columned sun porch. A symmetrical forecourt provides the formal approach. The original estate covered 17 acres with two gate houses, an orangerie and axial gardens; the nominated portion is 5.87 acres that retain enough integrity to set off the house. A north service wing was moved west in the early 1950s, yet the public rooms, floor plan and historic features remain unaltered. The house reflects Adler's work for wealthy clients on Chicago's North Shore, and later owners have carefully restored it.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an excellent example of David Adler's work, modeled on the Louis XV Pavillon de la Lanterne at Versailles. It retains excellent integrity, with no compromising changes to historic spaces or features. It also represents the era of large country estates built on Chicago's North Shore, where Adler designed many of his major houses.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 00001339, listed November 8, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 111 Moffett Rd., Lake Bluff |
|---|---|
| County | Lake County |
| Listed | November 8, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00001339 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | David Adler (architect) |
| Architectural style | French Renaissance (French Renaissance Revival) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently a single dwelling with garden, rehabilitated and restored by the current owners; the north service wing was removed and relocated in the early 1950s. |
| Acreage | 5.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.27177, -87.83252 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 00001339.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q86753451
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.