The Fourth of July, 2024

Fred B. Jones, an American industrialist, amassed his fortune in railroad supply and became part of a growing segment of Chicagoans known as the leisure class. In 1902, Jones commissioned the renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright to design a summer estate on Delavan Lake in Wisconsin. As an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed fishing, hiking, gardening, and sailing, Jones requested a large, comfortable estate suitable for gatherings of friends and family. Wright delivered a four-structure masterpiece, which he named Penwern, a Welsh word meaning “top of the hill.”

Jones celebrated Independence Day each July with a spectacular party that included sail racing, a fishing derby, and evening fireworks. Remarkably, 122 years later, this tradition continues, thanks to the efforts of the Major family, who have included many in the celebrations and preserved this piece of history.