May 15, 2025
Iowa NewsWhiteside News SentinelWheelsBridalFamilyHoliday and SeasonalThank You First RespondersAgriculturehttps://www.shawlocal.com/news/Lake LifestyleTravelHome and GardenFashion and BeautyDaily JournalOutdoorsHealth and WellnessFood and DrinkHistorical FeaturesKC MagazineIllinois ValleyThank You VeteransThe SceneShaw Local Breaking NewsIllinois NewsPrivacy PolicySubscribeReaders Choice / Best Of The FoxBureau County RepublicanDaily ChronicleFriday Night DriveLake County JournalShaw Local NewsletterKane County ChronicleKendall County NowMidweek NewsMy Suburban LifeMorris Herald-NewsThe TimesNeighborhood TouristNews TribuneNorthwest HeraldOgle County NewsPrairie AdvocatePutnam County RecordSauk ValleyThe Herald-NewsBearsCoronavirusE-commerce StoreIllinois High School SportsmainMarketingNewsOnline NewspaperOpinionSponsored | Shaw LocalThank YouThank You TeachersSports

‘Always Us’: A couple's love lives on in Savanna, where a man's home is a castle

Ensconced atop a bluff in the riverside town, Havencrest Castle truly is a labor of love, not only the love shared by Alan St. George (above) and his wife, Adrianne, who turned a mansion into a masterpiece, but for their love of a time of opulence and elegance. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)

Ensconced atop a bluff in the riverside town, Havencrest Castle truly is a labor of love, not only the love shared by Alan St. George (above) and his wife, Adrianne, who turned a mansion into a masterpiece, but for their love of a time of opulence and elegance. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)

Alan St. George shows his collection of canes inside his Eastern Dressing Room at Havencrest Castle. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)

Alan’s talent as an artist can be seen throughout Havencrest, including this recently completed painting of he and his late wife, Adrianne. Once it’s framed the painting will be hung in the ballroom, which is still under construction. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)

The Medieval Hall at Havencrest is an 80-foot hallway that provides access to the ballroom, East Wing and the Gentleman's Tower. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)

A custom dinner set set at Havencrest features the St. Georges’ crest and motto “Semper Nos,” which translates to Always Us. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)

Don’t worry, he doesn’t bite, and he never did. This lion, in Alan St. George's Eastern Dressing Room, was made by his company Facemakers. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)

St. George's Eastern Dressing Room features an oil painting of his wife, Adrianne, as Cleopatra hanging above the fireplace. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)

The ceiling of the Kali-Ma Room is tented with vintage saris. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)

The Kali-Ma Room at Havencrest Castle. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)

The Kali-Ma Room features a life-sized statue of the Kali-Ma, holding many earthly delights in her hands, sculpted by Alan St. George. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)

The Ivory Tower Chapel, located in the "floating" tower at Havencrest Castle, contains an urn with Adrianne St. George's ashes. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)

Alan’s painting of he and his wife hangs in the Flemish Renaissance Dining Room. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)

No detail is too small an expression of love at Havecrest, such as this door knocker depicting two lovers kissing, which can be found on the door to the La Chambre Royale. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)

The stained glass window in the Venetian Dressing Room features an image of Adrianne St. George. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)

A replica of the Titanic's Grand Staircase clock hangs over the head of the table inside the Flemish Renaissance Dining Room at Havencrest. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)

The Flemish Renaissance Dinning Room at Havencrest Castle is clad in quarter-sawn oak and features a marble table that weighs 1,600 pounds. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)

A plaster sculpture that shares the likeness of Alan St. George can be seen in one of the libraries at Havencrest Castle. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)

A plaster sculpture that shares the likeness of Adrianne St. George can be seen in one of the libraries at Havencrest Castle. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)

Alan St. George shows the ceiling painting, "Eternal Love" in the Salle d'Amour room at Havencrest Castle. "Eternal Love" was the first painting Alan did for the home and it depicts himself and his late wife, Adrianne. It's one of many paintings and sculptures throughout the Havencrest that depict the St. Georges. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)

Alan St. George talks about some the many details of the Salle d'Amour room at Havencrest. The room is done in a romantic motif; among its features are wall sculptures depicting the stages of courtship. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)

This Dragon Trophy at Havencrest was presented to legendary magician Harry Houdini in 1908. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)

The main entrance to Havecrest Castle in Savanna. From this view, the original 22-room Victorian home can be seen. All of the additions to the home were made to the rear, to preserve the aesthetics of the historic home. The house has been transformed into a 63-room estate that includes a ballroom and many other themed rooms. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)

Alan St. George shows a display that features information on Havencrest property's original owners, Simon and Frances Jane Greenleaf. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)

A statue of Neptune, Roman god of the sea, riding a lion stands in the front lawn of Havencrest Castle in Savanna. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)

The Medieval Hall at Havencrest connects the main section of the house to the ballroom. (Michael Krabbenhoeft)