An English accent: The new White Hart Pub at Lake Forest`s Deer Path Inn is authentically English, right down-or rather up-to the handpainted sign that proclaims the pub`s new name.
Interior designer Gary Lawrence of Lawrence Interiors in Lake Bluff was commissioned to redecorate the inn`s bar, reception area, some meeting rooms and bridal suite. He imported British sign painter Mike Hawkes to create the White Hart sign. ”There`s no one here who does that work. It really is a specialty. If you are used to working in oils, you can`t just paint on a sign board. It has to be something that stands out, that actually looks better the further you get away from it, and that lasts 10 years or so,” Lawrence explained.
The sign, which shows a white hart, or stag, is a familiar image in merry old England. The white hart was a heraldic symbol of King Richard II and was displayed at inns and pubs to show allegiance to the king. Pubs bearing the name ”White Hart” are still found throughout the country.
Built in 1928, the Deer Path Inn is something of a landmark in Lake Forest. It has been nominated for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.