Robert Hosmer Morse House

Lake Forest, United States

Exterior only

Visible from the street; the inside is private.

Find out more

Heritage registerNational Register of Historic Places↗

Built in 1932 as a summer residence for businessman Robert Hosmer Morse, this house in Lake Forest, Illinois stands as a striking modernist departure from the area's prevailing traditional architecture. The architectural firm Zimmerman, Saxe & Zimmerman synthesized Moderne and Art Deco styles in a design marked by a stucco exterior, horizontal lines, casement windows, decorative limestone detailing around the front entrance, and a recessed third floor. Its progressive aesthetic was notably unconventional among wealthy Lake Forest homeowners of the era, who typically favored period revival and classical forms. The house was recognized on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.