Take a Cruise to the Victorian Summer Retreat of a Chicago Beer Baron
Black Point Estate was built for Chicago Beer Baron, Conrad Seipp, in 1888 as a retreat, and in that spirit the home remains a place to relax, refresh, and explore. Just like the Victorian VIPs who established the estate, you’ll arrive in style and enjoy stunning Geneva Lake views on your cruise to this magnificent summer home, considered one of the finest examples of period architecture and furniture in the Midwest, and one of the oldest homes in Lake Geneva.
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Black Point Estate and Gardens
Step into Gilded Age elegance at the 1888 Summer home of Chicago beer baron, Conrad Seipp. Guests enjoy a narrated boat ride to the property via the Lake Geneva Cruise Line, a guided tour of the mansion, & time to relax and sip Seipp beer on the veranda.
2026 is the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. Over the next 250 days we will be highlighting historic people, places or things from around Walworth County.
Up next are the Lake Geneva Marble Tournaments.
Marble shooting competitions in the 1930s were a nationwide youth pastime with structured contests that often culminated in finals at locales chosen by newspaper sponsors or community groups.
Lake Geneva, being a popular resort and community hub hosted local and regional marble championships in conjunction with the National Tournament during that period.
These were big community affairs, with competitors coming from twelve Midwest states and many of them receiving complimentary accommodations at the Hotel Geneva. Winners and a chaperone were flown on a chartered plane to Ocean City, New Jersey to represent the Midwest in the National Tournament.
But according to the Regional News before the champions were flown off to New Jersey, “they will take boat rides, swim in the lake, hike, have campfire songs, see various races and contests on the lake, go sight-seeing, take speed boat rides and be the guests at an elaborate banquet. The city is going to show the champs a "swell" time.”
The tournaments were put on hold at the start of World War Two and never resumed.
Walworth@250 #65
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My mom often talked about how good she was at marbles, being born in 1930 and growing up in LG.
Cats Eye boulders made the best shooters!
What? No social media? Only the outdoors and face- to- face interaction? Sad to see these activities have taken a back seat.. Let's bring them back! 👍🏻
2026 is the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. Over the next 250 days we will be highlighting historic people, places or things from around Walworth County.
Up next is Conrad Seipp.
(1825-1890)
Conrad was born in Langen, Hessen Germany. He came to the United States in 1849 where he married Maria Teutsch. Conrad and Maria had three children.
After driving a beer wagon in New York and then becoming the proprietor of a small hotel in Chicago, he purchased a small brewery in Chicago which grew rapidly.
By the early 1870s, The Seipp Brewery was the largest producer of beer in the United States. The Seipp Brewery would soon be outproduced by The Pabst Brewery but continued to be highly profitable for the remainder of Conrad’s life.
After Maria Seipp died in 1866, Conrad married Catherina Orb. Together Conrad and Catherina had five children.
Conrad Seipp died at the age of 65 from complications of diabetes and pneumonia.
Catherina maintained Black Point, their summer home on Geneva Lake built in 1888, for the next thirty years. Catherina expanded the property and set into place many of the Seipp family traditions that would be followed at Black Point for the next 117 years.
Walworth@250 #64
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Prior to building estate location failed as small hotel ,Warwick Park, it was thought the steep shores precluded water sports where other hotels were on level lakefront sites.
I highly recommend the Black Point Estate Tour for more of the Seipp family history, the details of developing the propery and the beautiful gardens, and the lifestyle of that time. The stories are fascinating and the estate still beautiful.
2026 is the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. Over the next 250 days we will be highlighting historic people, places or things from around Walworth County.
Up next is John Bullock
John Bullock was a successful photographer and painter known for his art capturing the beauty of the Lake Geneva area.
Originally from England, Bullock got his start as a potter’s apprentice. In 1858, he immigrated to America and began doing portraits and daguerreotypes in Philadelphia.
Eventually, he moved to Chicago, but he wasn’t there long before the Great Fire of October, 1871. In 1872 he moved to Lake Geneva where he did sketches, paintings, and photographs of the local area. His art became very popular and by 1875 he opened up his own studio.
John Bullock returned to Chicago in 1907, but when he died in 1912, he was returned to Lake Geneva and buried in Oak Hill Cemetery.
Walworth@250 #63
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So many interesting posts of people and places that have contributed to our Walworth County history....thanks for honoring those who came before.