Reed, Mrs. Kersey Coates, House
Also known as: Helen Shedd Reed House
Why it's listed
Set on a bluff above Lake Michigan on North Lake Road in Lake Forest, this Georgian Revival mansion was completed in 1932 for Mrs. Kersey Coates Reed. Architect David Adler designed it, and his sister Frances Elkins planned the interiors. It replaced an 1884 house called Elsinore, which the Reeds had bought in 1915 and later demolished. The main section is built of Pennsylvania stone containing mica, in a five-part plan with a 2-1/2-story central block, two-story side dependencies and a long service wing. The house has 72 rooms and more than 32,000 square feet of space. Its seven-acre grounds include a stone wall, wrought iron gates bearing the monogram HSR, and a formal entrance court with a circular pool. The interior shows Adler's use of cross axes and classical detailing alongside Elkins's decorative work. It is a notable example of Lake Forest's second wave of estate building and the Colonial Revival, and it remains in use as a single dwelling.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as a major work by architect David Adler and an example of Georgian and Colonial Revival estate design in Lake Forest's second wave of estate building. It is among the largest estates in the community and retains its floorplan, public spaces, landscape and historic features without alteration. The truncated text does not include the formal significance statement or criteria.
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 01000178, listed March 2, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1315 N. Lake Rd., Lake Forest |
|---|---|
| County | Lake County |
| Listed | March 2, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01000178 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | David Adler (architect); Frances Elkins (interior decorator) |
| Architectural style | 19th and 20th Century Revivals/Colonial Revival (Georgian Revival) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as meticulously maintained by its current owners since 1976, with no alterations to the landscape, public spaces, floorplan or historic features; still used as a single dwelling. |
| Acreage | 7 |
| Within district | Lake Forest Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.26307, -87.82720 (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 01000178.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q86755175
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.