Adlai Stevenson II bought the seventy-acre property along the Des Plaines River in 1935. He wanted an escape. He got one. Instead of some grand, sprawling estate, he chose a modest, flat stretch of land in what is now Mettawa, Illinois. After a fire gutted the original structure, he rebuilt in 1938. The new modernist house featured yellow cedar siding, flat roofs, and steel-frame windows. He loved it. This quiet spot became his intellectual anchor while his political career exploded on the world stage.
Don't let the quiet gravel driveway fool you. This place saw heavy politics. During his 1952 and 1956 presidential bids, the farm turned into the unofficial headquarters of the national Democratic Party. Stevenson drafted his acceptance speeches in the study. He paced the lawn, agonizing over his foreign policy stances. Eleanor Roosevelt came to visit. John F. Kennedy dropped by during his 1960 campaign run to court the liberal base. Even Soviet diplomats sat on the screened porch to debate global affairs. It was a crucible for mid-century American liberalism, where a twice-defeated presidential candidate and future UN ambassador shaped the nation's postwar identity.
Stevenson died in 1965. He collapsed on a London street. Eventually, the Lake County Forest Preserve District acquired the property to protect his legacy. They restored the home to its 1950s state. You can walk in today and see his desk exactly how he left it. His green leather chair sits empty, facing his original Remington typewriter. His books line the walls. But the home doesn't feel dead. Instead, it feels like he just stepped outside to clear his head by the river.
