Beverly Shores

History

Frederick Bartlett founded Beverly Shores in 1933, naming the town after his beloved daughter. Originally conceived as a grand beachfront resort, the town's plans included a casino, beach club, golf course and other leisure-based amenities. However, like many of the other communities along the lake, his plans were never fully realized.

With the arrival of the Great Depression, the town's building boomed ceased and growth came to a standstill. So, in an attempt to stem the effects of the depression years, another Bartlett, this time Robert, moved sixteen homes from the 1933-34 World's Fair in Chicago to Beverly Shores and reassembled them throughout the town. In fact, his idea for promoting Beverly Shores even included the reconstruction of the fair's Colonial Village.

As a result of those efforts, five of these homes -- the House of Tomorrow; the Florida House; the House of Steel; the Weiboldt- Rostone House; and the Cypress House - are now recognized as historic landmarks and occasionally opened to the public by the National Park Service.

Not until the end of World War II did growth begin again in Beverly Shores. During this period of time, the town's composition began to change from simple summer community to fully functioning municipality; and like its neighbors, Beverly Shores' population become a mix of full and part time residents.

By the end of the twentieth century, two-thirds of the town had become part of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, which maintains its beaches and marshlands as well as provides public parking and access to its beaches.

Today, Beverly Shores is a charming residential community with a wide variety of homes, from original “Bartlett Stucco” bungalows to newer ultra-modern residences. Due to the efforts of its residents' association, visitors and homeowners alike still enjoy many of the activities and landmarks originally envisioned by its founders.