Retired astronaut and test pilot Jim Lovell, who was one of the first three astronauts to orbit the moon in 1968 as part of the Apollo 8 mission, and his wife, Marilyn, on Sept. 29 sold their five-bedroom brick and stone English manor-style house in Lake Forest for their $2.99 million asking price.
Lovell, 94, also commanded the Apollo 13 spaceflight in 1970, which was headed for the moon until an oxygen tank failure scuttled the mission mid-flight and turned it into an ultimately successful effort to bring its three astronauts safely back to Earth. Lovell left the Navy as a captain and later worked in the corporate world — including at Centel Corp., which brought Lovell and his wife to the Chicago area.
Lovell and his wife relocated to Lake Forest in the early 1980s, and they paid $2.79 million in 1999 for the home on Lake Road in Lake Forest that they just sold. Built in 1995 by architect and homebuilder Gene Martin, the house has five full bathrooms, two half-bathrooms, three fireplaces, custom millwork throughout, floor-to-ceiling windows, a formal living room with 10-foot ceilings, and an eat-in kitchen with granite countertops and a brick fireplace.
Other features include a paneled library, a finished lower level with a recreation room and office and a synthetic slate roof. The 0.92-acre property is a short distance from Lake Michigan.
The couple unloaded the 4,613-square-foot home fairly quickly. They first listed it in July in the real estate agents’ private listing network. They then publicly listed it on Sept. 17, struck a deal just three days later to sell it and closed on the sale on Sept. 29.
Listing agent Lisa Dooley Trace of @properties Christie’s International Real Estate previously told Elite Street that the Lovells are “just downsizing” and plan to remain in the Lake Forest area. She touted the location of the home that they just sold, noting that it is just across the street from Lake Michigan, and has water views from the second-floor bedrooms. She called the house’s interior “very homey and warm and wonderful.”
“It’s got a library that Capt. Lovell loved,” she added.
The mansion had a $37,199 property tax bill in the 2020 tax year.
Bob Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.
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