History of Four Lakes

            In the early 1900’s all of the land throughout Four Lakes as well as the surrounding area were part of the “Rott Farm”, which was located on the south side of Snake Hill.  “Snake Hill” was the long winding road which passes the entrance to Four Lakes and today is known as Maple Avenue.  The area was most well known for the eventful sled riding down Snake Hill detouring cars along the way.

            During the early 1930’s the Rott sisters set up a stand during the Depression along Snake Hill, where they sold hot dogs, hamburgers, chili, coffee, soft drinks, ice cream and candy.  This began a tradition of hospitality which is present at our community today.  At this time the Rott Family also opened up gravel pits on the property to provide gravel for the many roads which were being built in the area.  As the gravel pits deepened they filled with water from underground springs thus Four Lakes came to be.

            In 1952, these spring fed lakes were opened up to the public as a fishing and picnic area for a small fee.  In 1957, the land was sold to two investors ahead of their time who saw great potential for the area.  These two creative gentlemen were Aubrey Greenberg, Architect and Ray Fisher, Engineer.  Both men felt that a market for rural apartments was untapped here in Lisle so negotiations began.

            The two thought in terms of complete, year round recreation development.  An aggressive program of promotion for the recreation area launched.  Picnic tables were placed throughout the grounds, a swimming pool was built and roads were added for hayrides.  A train ride and animal farm were even built on the land for the small children.  All of these activities provided exceptional entertainment for Lisle residents, but there was still something missing…A SKI AREA!  Greenberg, a skier, thought Chicago was in need for a nearby ski area.  Sure enough, plans began for a ski area targeting beginner skiers.  Today, the Four Lakes skiing facilities are among the finest in the Midwest offering skiing and snowboarding for all ages.

            As the number of people from the city increased, Mr. Greenberg and Mr. Fisher continued negotiations for an apartment community and were finally successful.  The whole idea of Four Lakes was for the apartments to be built and maneuvered around the trees and the natural setting.  Four Lakes initially started with 100 apartments with ultimate plans for 2,000 and opened late July 1964.  The only additions for Four Lakes since the time of Mr. Greenberg and Mr. Fisher are the two tower buildings located at 5800 East Lake Drive and 5885 Forest View Road.

            The year was 1979, a very significant year in the history of Four Lakes, which saw Mr. Fisher and Mr. Greenberg sell the property to Regis/Daon Corporation, a condominium conversion company, who set about the task of converting this community to condominiums.  It is no secret in the early 80’s all such businesses suffered tremendous losses as the economic environment for the market took a turn for the worse.  Luckily, good fortune smiled on Four Lakes as Equity Residential Properties came to the rescue.  This was a company whose forte was apartment rental homes and who believed in long term investment in a rental community. EQR is a national company with over 70,000 apartments in its profile.  Equity Residential successfully converted the Apartment Community into residential condominiums, and today a majority of the homes within Four Lakes are privately owned condominiums.

            Abbey Apartments at Four Lakes remains one of the only rental propery serving the community. Abbey Apartments is professionally managed by Eagle Management R.E., and has just undergone major renovation where all of the hallways, lobbies and entry way areas have been upgraded with new carpeting, new painting and new tile flooring. We look forward to seeing you at Abbey Apartments at Four Lakes!