Ten Chimneys
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Ten Chimneys
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Entrance to the Main House
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| Location | S42 W31610 Depot Rd., Genesee, Wisconsin |
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| Coordinates | 42°57′51″N 88°22′38″W / 42.96417°N 88.37722°WCoordinates: 42°57′51″N 88°22′38″W / 42.96417°N 88.37722°W |
| Area | 60 acres (24 ha) |
| Built | 1915 |
| Architect | Charles Dornbusch |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals |
| NRHP Reference # | 98000076 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | February 23, 1998 |
| Designated NHL | July 31, 2003 |
Ten Chimneys was the home of Broadway actors Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt. The property is located in Genesee Depot in the Town of Genesee, Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States.
Ten Chimneys was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2003.
During their careers, the Fontanne and Lunt retreated to Ten Chimneys every summer for personal and artistic rejuvenation. A host of stage and screen luminaries made pilgrimages to Genesee Depot as guests of the Lunts, including Noël Coward, Helen Hayes, Laurence Olivier, and Vivien Leigh. Carol Channing said, “If you get to go to Ten Chimneys, you must have done something right.”
Upon retirement, the Lunts returned to Ten Chimneys and spent the rest of their lives at their beloved home in Genesee Depot.
The estate takes its name from the number of chimneys on the grounds. Buildings include a large main house, a cottage, a Swedish log cabin studio, an L-shaped pool, pool house, creamery, greenhouse, barns, stables, and other outbuildings.
Arts advocate Joseph W. Garton, a restaurateur in Madison, Wisconsin, purchased Ten Chimneys. In 1996, Ten Chimneys Foundation was established to preserve and share the estate. The foundation then purchased the property from Garton in 1998.
As a historic property, the estate was exceptionally well preserved, since the Lunts' original furniture, decorations, and personal items were barely disturbed between Lynn Fontanne's death in 1983 and the beginning of preservation efforts by Ten Chimneys Foundation in 1998.
Ten Chimneys Foundation opened the estate to the public for the first time on May 26, 2003, which would have been the Lunts' 81st wedding anniversary. The estate remains open for public tours from May through November. Ten Chimneys Foundation also continues to fulfill the estate’s original role as a home for the arts by providing programming and resources for theater professionals.
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Wikipedia