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.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Get the Best Deal in History
Unlock incredible value for historic year-round fun!
All Wisconsin Historical Society members enjoy unlimited free admission to our 11 historic sites and museums, exclusive merchandise and special event discounts, a complimentary annual subscription to the Wisconsin Magazine of History and more. Join at the Family level and above for added benefits and discounts at over 1,200 organizations nationwide!
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 is the Norman B. Barr Camp.
The six acres of land on which the Norman B. Barr Camp sits today, was originally home to the Native Potawatomi tribe. In 1897, Alice B. Stockham, M.D. was the first documented owner of the land.
In 1908, Norman B. Barr, the pastor of the Olivet Presbyterian Church and Superintendent of the Olivet Social Institute in Chicago purchased the land to create the Olivet Institute Camp.
It became his mission to provide a no-cost, Christian-based camp experience for under-resourced children.
It is one of the oldest and continuously operating not-for-profit summer camps in the United States. The only building standing on the Olivet Institute Camp property in 1908, was the large white building located at the lakefront.
Rent from tents, then cottages, provided the campers’ fees. A bath house was available although many campers preferred bathing in the lake.
Prior to his passing in 1943, Rev. Barr stated, “All the Heaven and Earth is right here. This camp should go on forever.” And it continues to this day.
Walworth@250 #100
Feel free to share. ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
So interesting, we lived down the little road from there and as kids would walk over to their candy store with our pile of Pennie’s. They also showed movies once in awhile, big treat even though it was often the same movie from year to year!
From Norman B Barr website
Never knew about that being a native village.
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 Buena Vista Hotel, East Troy..
Cobblestone is not an architectural style (any more than “brick” is one) but it is a masonry technique marked by carefully selected and arranged stones of uniform size and color.
Among the remaining cobblestone buildings in Walworth County, at least two are on the National Register of Historic Places.
The elegant design style came to Wisconsin from western New York, and is associated with areas of glacial drift…Rock, Racine and Walworth Counties…Beloit, Burlington and East Troy have examples.
The largest cobblestone example in Walworth County (and in Wisconsin) was the 3 story Buena Vista House on the Square in East Troy…completed in 1849 after three years of construction by Samuel Bradley, a mason, with stones collected in the nearby lake beds of Lake Beulah and Booth Lake. The hotel was named after a Mexican-American War battle in 1847. In disrepair, the building was razed in 2023.
Walworth@250 #99.
Feel free to share. ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
It’s a shame that it was beyond economic repair. It was a beautiful building.
The Buena Vista Hotel's history is a compelling aspect of Walworth County's heritage.
That first paragraph is a bit harsh for those of us that are Cobblestone fans and deeply miss seeing the old building on the corner of the ET square. Year of demolition is incorrect as well.
Old houses… Woopie-day!
We welcomed our seasonal staff today.
We open for tours in less than three weeks. ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
Awww I miss that
Looks like more people than actually ever lived there…! Thanks guys and gals all !