A nearly 21-acre waterfront estate on the south shore of Geneva Lake hit the market Thursday with a $24 million asking price, instantly claiming the title of priciest active residential listing in southern Wisconsin. The spread, known as Allegheny, centers on a century-old Colonial-style mansion and includes roughly 560 feet of private shoreline along South Lake Shore Drive. For local buyers and the Chicago second-home crowd, the price tag effectively resets what a legacy lakefront estate is expected to cost.
David Curry of Geneva Lakefront Realty holds the Allegheny listing. Curry declined to comment for this story but has previously highlighted how little ultra-luxury inventory is out there. As reported by The Real Deal, Allegheny’s $24 million ask more than doubles last week’s top local listing, a 9.2-acre property on W2908 Walcowis Drive that came to market near $11 million. Realtor.com puts that Walcowis Drive offering at about $10.995 million, with roughly 160 feet of shoreline and a five-bedroom main house.
The House And Its Pedigree
Allegheny was completed in 1925 and is widely known as the final Geneva Lake commission by Chicago architect Howard Van Doren Shaw, a detail that gives the estate serious architectural pedigree. The Wisconsin Historical Society’s property record traces the estate to original owner Lewis E. Myers and notes that the Styberg family purchased it in 1945. Inside, the main residence still carries original hardwood floors, five masonry fireplaces and century-old Zuber wallpaper. Local reporting and long-running lakefront guides note that, unlike many neighboring parcels that have been redeveloped over time, Allegheny has remained largely intact.
Conservation Easement And Market Context
The 21 acres sit under a conservation easement that blocks subdivision and new-home development, preserving the estate’s historic footprint while narrowing the buyer pool. According to The Real Deal, that restriction is expected to steer marketing toward buyers who care more about preservation than teardown potential. A sale anywhere near the $24 million ask would join a recent streak of headline lake deals on Geneva Lake: BizTimes reported that Aloha Lodge closed at about $21.85 million in 2024, and Villa Hortensia sold for $17 million in 2022 before the property was later cleared for new construction.
With Shaw’s name on the blueprints, unusually expansive frontage and an easement that ensures the setting stays what it has been for generations, Allegheny lands on the market as a high-profile test of appetite among deep-pocketed buyers from Chicago and beyond. Curry is the listing agent, and Geneva Lakefront Realty’s marketing materials back the public listing. Whether someone steps up at the full $24 million asking price is poised to become one of the summer’s defining real estate storylines around the lake.
