IF THESE HALLS COULD TALK

When the Deer Path Inn opened its doors on Illinois Road in 1929, Lake Forest’s elite were delighted. Finally, those who didn’t want to open their summer estates for the season had a well-appointed place to weekend in the country, enjoy the new Onwentsia clubhouse, and all the glamour the evolving North Shore society scene had to offer.

The small inns and boarding houses that had sprung up since the burgeoning town was founded couldn’t hold a candle to this regal creation by the legendary architectural firm of Holabird & Root—an elegant, European-style hotel with half-timber and stucco details inspired by traditional manor houses in Chiddingstone, Kent, England.

“Being right down the road from Onwentsia, it really filled that role for people who were coming up for the weekend from Chicago who either didn’t have a summer residence in Lake Forest or didn’t want to open it and have the expense of bringing their staff in,” explains Laurie Stein, Deputy Director and Head of Curation of the History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff, adding that the Deer Path Inn had been in the planning stages throughout the 1920s during the height of the great estate era. “It also became a place to gather for the garden clubs and other groups forming in the 1920s.”

The years that follow the historic debut flutter by like pages from a society page’s “Who’s Who” column. Weddings were lavish. Birthdays were monumental. And the fashion shows and parties were the talk of the town.

“In the 1930s and 1940s, the Deer Path Inn was so much the social hub of Lake Forest that the Lake Forester newspaper included a column titled ‘News from the Deer Path Inn,’ which included all the personal details of friends and neighbors that we would find in social media posts today,” says Stein, who fondly refers to the hotel as one of the “crown jewels” of the community. “The history of the Inn mirrors the history of the town. It also played an essential role as the key host for events like the Lake Forest Horse Show and the 1933 East-West Polo matches.”

In 1938, a fire that ravaged part of the Deer Path Inn put Lake Forest on high alert and captured a national audience. It is estimated that 6,000 people gathered to watch the spectacle.

“It was filmed by a local movie theater owner and shown all over the country,” says Stein, noting that the story behind the fire was less about the destruction and more about how the community gathered to save valuable artifacts and ensure all 95 guests got out safely. “The Inn’s switchboard operator, Dorothy Baker, stayed inside to make sure all the guests were out before leaving the building.” The Inn was rebuilt and reopened later that year, ushering in the first of many new chapters that now span generations of family milestones, a major renovation in 2016, and nearly a century of stories.

James Barnett, who joined Deer Path Inn as General Manager earlier this year, continues to be awed at the number of families who return to the hotel to relive and recreate the special occasions their parents and grandparents also celebrated at the Inn.

“It’s one thing for a property to be physically standing and operating still very true to how it was, but the amount of people who come back to celebrate and share those memories is astonishing,” he says. “From anniversaries to holidays, it’s multigenerational and people are still using Deer Path Inn as part of their family traditions.”

Today, alongside its rightful place on the National Register of Historic Places, the Deer Path Inn continues to claim global honors. Earlier this year, it was named the #1 Resort Hotel in the Midwest by Travel + Leisure and the 66th best in the world.

“We’re so proud,” says Barnett, adding that the honor means even more because it is a reader’s choice award. “It’s been five times now that we’ve been the winner of the best Midwest resort, and I think it goes back to the high level of personalized service and the English innkeeping spirit we have been providing for nearly a century.”

As he’s been working with the team on special events to mark Deer Path Inn’s 95th anniversary—from themed summer soiree parties to an upcoming event that invites guests to “dine like it’s 1929”—Barnett is reflecting on the hotel’s past and present with a vision for the future.

“We’re always looking for ways to elevate the guest experience. The dress code has been relaxed over the years, and we’ve made things a little more accessible. I think people feel more welcome to come into the English Room or any space at any time, with or without a reservation,” he says. “But some things will never change—especially that feeling you get when you walk in and know this is a real social gathering place for the community. Deer Path Inn has been embedded in the history of Lake Forest since the very beginning and that will never change.”

For more information about the Deer Path Inn’s 95-year history and upcoming anniversary events, visit thedeerpathinn.com.