by Maureen Holtz (Author)
Robert Allerton referred to his Piatt County, Illinois, home as the Farms--a simple name that was hardly descriptive of his huge mansion and many acres of beautifully landscaped gardens and trails dotted with sculpture. By the time he donated his mansion, gardens, and part of his farm acreage to the University of Illinois in 1946, the Farms had attracted Allerton's friends and acquaintances from all over the world, including artists, writers, and celebrities such as William Jennings Bryan and Marilyn Monroe. In 1938, Allerton built a modest home on the Hawaiian island of Kauai utilizing his landscaping and artistic visions. His philanthropies are little known outside of Central Illinois and Kauai, but the Art Institute of Chicago and the Honolulu Academy of Arts benefited from his magnanimous assistance with funding and artwork. Allerton was a quiet man who left his mark in both Illinois and Hawaii. Robert Allerton: His Parks and Legacies includes photographs taken over the last 100 years that document his life and properties.