Alumni
8 Places We Love in Lake Forest
Spectrum polled students and faculty on their favorite spots around campus and added a few of our own to create this list. You will recognize many places -- showing that some things never change at the College. But a few of the newer buildings have developed a following too, highlighting how the school has changed and is moving forward.
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Lily Reid Holt Memorial Chapel
The serene and spiritual place is highlighted by a Louis Tiffany stained-glass window above the altar and a high, rounded ceiling with wood beams. The Chapel, named for Lily Reid Holt, Class of 1884, was built in 1899-1900 by architects Charles Frost and Alfred Granger in an English architectural style that they also incorporated in the design of the womenˇ¦s dormitory Lois Durand Hall. Today, the Chapel is home to concerts, lectures, weddings, and other special events.
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Calvin Durand Hall
Built in 1908 by famed local architect Howard Van Doren Shaw, the room was modeled after the dining hall at Kingˇ¦s College in Cambridge, England, and originally served as a place to eat for male students who lived off campus before becoming a co-ed cafeteria. Now, the room offers students a place to study in an environment that evokes the collegiate environment. Students like Taylor Tuscherer '10 like studying in the room because "it has lots of windows and it is always really quiet.¨
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Harlan-Blackstone Gates
Perhaps the most iconic spot at Lake Forest College are the iron gates that connect Blackstone and Harlan dormitories and also serve as an entrance to Middle Campus from Sheridan Road. Built in the early 20th century, the gates originally led south to the Lake Forest Academy campus (now South Campus) and east toward Ferry Hall, a preparatory school for women. The gates now represent a favorite photo opportunity for visitors and alumni who return to campus.
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Lily Reid Holt Memorial Chapel Cloisters
A gray stone cloister marked by its arched open windows links the Chapel and Reid Hall, the Collegeˇ¦s former library and now home of the music department. Natalie Elsasser '10 says her favorite time to walk by the corridor is sundown. "I love it because it is a relaxing place to go and be still for a few moments,¨ she says. "When I look at it, the sun rays seem to be moving through all the proud passages of Lake Forest's history, and I feel as though I'm in the essence of everything our college is and hopes for.¨
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Pathway between North and Middle Campus
Deep ravines are a distinct natural feature of Lake Forest College, and various paths allow the College community and visitors to crisscross over them and access different areas of campus. Some even find walking over these ravines therapeutic. One student has a moment of peace and stress relief when she walks from Middle to North Campus, where the path cuts through some trees and opens to sprawling views of Lois Durand Hall, Cleveland-Young International Center, Deerpath Hall, and the back of Durand Art Institute.
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Lake Forest Beach
According to legend, the founders of Lake Forest College took a train from Chicago in 1855 and got off after about 30 miles, walking east through the trees until they hit a 90-foot bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. After dubbing the place "Lake Forest," these men founded the school within walking distance of the lake. Today the picturesque beach is frequented by members of the College community, who go to play volleyball, to socialize, and to take a stroll or a nap in the sun.
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Mohr Student Center
Open since April 2006, the new Mohr Student Center offers many comfortable seating areas for students to hang out, study, eat, and catch up on sleep. On a nice day, Iliana Nikova '09 takes to the tables on the outdoor terrace, where she studies, drinks coffee, or listens to music, while others relish the privacy of the skybox -- the glassed-in room that includes a flat screen television. Inside, there are two nooks with overstuffed chairs and couches that aren't visible to people walking by, providing the perfect spot to nap or read before class.
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The Lantern of Lake Forest
A favorite watering hole for students, faculty, and alumni (when they come back for a visit), this downtown Lake Forest tavern has served as a great escape from campus for decades. Established in 1934 on Western Avenue, The Lantern is decorated with old railroad memorabilia that honors its original patrons who came from the North Shore Line Railroad and the Chicago-Northwestern Railroad Line. The Lantern, which has outlasted several other bars in Lake Forest, is known for its burgers and laid-back atmosphere.
Honorable Mentions: We couldn't publish this list without including some other faculty favorites in and around Lake Forest: Donnelley and Lee Library, Middlefork Savanna, The Wooden Nickel in Highwood, and the Lake Forest Public Library.
Did we leave out your favorite place? Tell us about it! Send an e-mail to spectrum@lakeforest.edu.