folk lore

In the early 1900s, artists and socialites traveled to an Illinois estate to unwind and create. Now you can, too, at the state's first folk school.

THE HISTORIC Allerton Park and Retreat Center unfolds like a set from Bridgerton. Tranquil prairie and farmland give way to an imposing Georgian Revival mansion set beside a reflecting pool. Gracious alleys cut through formal gardens, fountains and flowering parterres intermingle, and a charming barn rises from well-tended pastures.

It all forms the backdrop for Illinois' first folk school-a place where people come to learn hands-on skills in a natural setting-which builds on the legacy of Robert Allerton. Heir to one of the Gilded Age's largest fortunes, Allerton honed his artistic sensibilities via studies in Munich and Paris. When the 24-year-old returned to Chicago in 1897, he decided to manage his family's vast rural landholdings instead of their stockyards and banks.