Lake Geneva Waterfront Mansion Hits Market for $8M

A nearly 6-acre waterfront estate on the south shore of Geneva Lake, bearing a connection to historic Chicago figures including the creator of the Andy Gump cartoon at one point, hit the market Friday for $7.9 million.

The property, known as Sidney Stables, shares boundaries with the 12-acre Aloha Lodge, a 20,000-square-foot mansion that sold for $21.85 million in 2024. The home is also landmarked by Allegheny, a 102-year-old Colonial-style mansion two doors down, that was listed for $24 million and earned the distinction of southern Wisconsin’s most expensive listing.

The five-bedroom, seven-bathroom luxury home is spread over 9,000 square feet, equating to roughly $878 per square foot. The manse features 25 feet of lake frontage, a private pier and canopied slip, four-car garage, 45-foot screened porch, wooded grounds, wildflower fields and walking trails, according to Compass marketing materials shared by agent Bob Webster.

Built by Hummel Construction and designed by Chicago architect Jerry Hamen, who led the renovation and expansion of the Aloha Lodge next door, the builder created the estate with the character of a stable, the marketing materials state.

Considering the price of neighboring listings and sales, Webster told The Real Deal that the demand for waterfront on Lake Geneva today is as strong as he’s ever seen in his career of over 40 years.

High-end estates along the Geneva Lake have long-served as popular second home destinations for well-heeled Chicago residents, owing to its proximity to the city and the availability of large historic estates.

Sidney Stables, once part of the larger Glen Arden estate that was later torn down, was built by its current owners in 2005. Webster declined to share details of the seller, only noting that they were looking to downsize. Public records point ownership to a trust known as 1807 Sidney Smith Lane. It is not immediately clear when or how much the current owner purchased the property for. A spokesperson for the owner also declined to comment.

Glen Arden was first passed on to Anna and Harold Ickes, who served as important political figures of their time before Sidney Smith — the creator of the syndicated newspaper cartoon character Andy Gump — purchased it, according to At The Lake magazine. Anna Ickes served as a member in the Illinois State Legislature, and Harold Ickes as the United States Secretary of the Interior under former president Franklin Roosevelt.

Webster expects broad interest ahead of the property’s showings next week.

“This is just the type of property that people drive by all the time and say, ‘Wow, look at how pretty that one is,’” Webster said.

The largest residential sale on the lake so far this year has been the $14.3 million off-market trade of Sprout Social founder Aaron Rankin’s Fontana mansion in March.