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 It is
incredibly easy to drive either in to or out of Geneva along Route 31
without ever really noticing the stately but aging and decaying flagstone
wall that runs for several hundred yards along the east side of the road
just south of town, let alone take a moment or two to ponder what lies just
beyond the wall. Along with much of the other rich history that resides
within and just beyond the borders of Geneva, Illinois, is the story of
Colonel George Fabyan. Interestingly, there is a great deal written about
him, but my guess is that much of it – other than the name of the
heavily-traveled thoroughfare that runs along the southern flank of Geneva –
is not well known. Even having grown up in Geneva, I must admit that I have
spent the majority of my life ignorant of the man’s story and contributions
to history. I would like to share with you a bit of what I have learned,
but more importantly I would very much like to encourage you to discover for
yourselves the legacy which Fabyan left us... (continued below)
Location
Construction & Unique Features
Tours
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Wednesday 1-4 PM, guided architecture tours every
˝ hour.
Saturday & Sunday, 1-4:30 PM guided history tours every ˝ hour.
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Admission: Suggested donation: $2.00 adults,
$1.00 children
As a young lad, George apparently ran
away from home and was disinherited by his father. Some years later, he
actually went to work in Chicago (using an assumed name) at a warehouse
owned by the Bliss Fabyan Corporation – the largest cotton goods
organization in the world. The quality of his efforts did not go unnoticed
by his supervisor, who eventually introduced him to the head of the company…
his father, who accepted him back into the family and promptly put George in
charge of the warehouse. He ultimately amassed quite a fortune and began to
purchase land in Geneva.
George would then meet and marry the
Marinette, Wisconsin-born Nelle Wright and the two would move to a 10-acre
parcel of land purchased from part of the Joel Harvey farm south of Geneva
and begin what was then known as the Riverbank Estate. It would grow to
encompass some 600-plus acres of land on both sides of what is now Route 31
(including the Riverbank Laboratories facility – an amazing story in and of
itself!) and on both sides of the Fox River as well; it would be comprised
of an incredible menagerie that included a lighthouse, a Dutch windmill,
greenhouses, stone sculptures, farm animals, a boathouse, formal gardens and
a farmhouse (redesigned by Frank Lloyd Wright) in 1907. Dubbed The Villa,
it is now a museum that houses some of what Fabyan collected. Various
guests to the estate supposedly included Albert Einstein, P.T. Barnum and
Wallace Clement Sabine (American physicist and pioneer founder of the field
of architectural acoustics).
There are volumes more to tell about
this incredible man, but I will leave you with an interest that I hope has
been piqued, and a desire to check out at least two very important and
lasting contributions bequeathed for us to explore. Only two years after
the death of Colonel Fabyan – the title by the way, was an honorary one,
given him by Illinois Governor Richard Yates for service in a number of
capacities – Nelle Wright Fabyan also passed on. But her Will did make
available about 230 acres of the vast Fabyan Estate for purchase by the Kane
County Forest Preserve at a cost of about $70,000. And boy, what a great
deal they got! The two contributions – among an incredible list and along
with a tremendous legacy – to which I refer are the old Dutch Windmill in
Batavia and the Japanese Gardens on the other side of the River and in
Geneva, along with Fabyan’s Villa.
Both are a must see, whether one is a
local resident or just visiting the area and wanting to indulge oneself in a
bit of culture and history. The mill was built – depending on the account
one reads – somewhere around 1875 in York Township at a cost of about $900.
Fabyan bought it in October of 1914 for $8,000 and then spent another year
and a half and $75,000 to have it dismantled, brought to his estate and
reassembled. Time ravished the mill and it was almost demolished in 1990
because it had become unsafe. However, due to Herculean efforts on the part
of many, the mill was completely refurbished and ultimately rededicated in
June of 2005… at a cost of almost a million dollars. The humble mill that
once provided the flour for fresh bread on the Fabyan’s table is once again
a proud part of local history; it also resides on the National Register of
Historic Places. The mill sits quietly on the hill overlooking the portion
of the Fox River that flowed through Colonel Fabyan’s Estate, is the subject
of countless photographs, and stands guard through the winters when children
of all ages plummet down the hill on sleds, saucers and toboggans. The Old
Dutch Mill should be a definite stop on your tour of the area.
 The Fabyan Japanese Gardens is another
place that is definitely worth some of your time. Designed originally by
Japanese landscape architect Taro Otsuka as a private garden for George and
Nelle Fabyan, the Gardens have been masterfully restored in 1976 and
replanted in 1992; they are a favorite spot of photographers, hikers, those
who appreciate beauty and solitude and even those who wish to plan
ceremonies such as weddings.
Most of the references to George Fabyan
will include his Riverbank facility and the work in cryptology done there by
William Friedman, work in acoustical research done by Wallace Clement and
Paul (a distant cousin) Sabine, and Fabyan’s strange desire to prove that
the works of Shakespeare were in fact not written by
Shakespeare. Whatever your reason for getting interested, there are lots of
reasons to get interested. Listed below are several sources that I
consulted while researching for this article. You can start there, but make
certain to visit the legacy left to us all by Colonel George Fabyan!
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