Lake Forest Tutors

About Lake Forest

If you’re any kind of literature or theater fan, or even if you’re not, you’ve undoubtedly heard of Shakespeare. His works will no doubt come up when you talk with your Lake Forest tutor. This well-known man wrote many master pieces, such as Hamlet, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet. His plays are still shown today in both movie renditions as well as good old fashioned theater shows. Actors and actresses have made names for themselves by becoming Shakespearean characters as a living, and traveling the world performing his plays. Lake Forest California was actually home to a very well-known Shakespearean actress Helena Modjeska, who traveled here from Poland with her husband in the 1870’s. Their original intent was to start a colony in Anaheim focused on agriculture. Unfortunately, their colony failed pretty quickly, but Helena would not be deterred. She learned the English language with the help of Lake Forest tutors, and began her life as a on stage performer. Her and her husband traveled all over for Helena’s career over the span of the next two decades, but always came home in the off season to their cabin in a secluded retreat in the forest, which they lovingly called “Arden” after the forest in Shakespeare’s play “As You Like It”.

A famous New York architect by the name of Stanford White designed their home, an expansive white cottage complete with multiple porches perfect for a view in any direction. Eventually the property was sold in the early 1900’s, and the romantic aura of the property attracted vacationers from all around. The party was broken up into parcels where families could build their own romantic retreats. In 1923 a family purchased the property that included the Arden house, and it was used by them for over sixty years as a vacation home. During that time, it was lovingly cared for and maintained. This consideration meant the house the was very well kept up even after that long a time, and they had maintained the historic charm and décor.

In the 1980’s the family sold the property to the County of Orange so it could be established as a historic park for all to enjoy. That is now its purpose, and visitors from all around are welcome to see this authentic building. Along with native species some of the plants planted by the Modjeska’s are actually still alive and growing, along with some trees planted in the 1930’s.