When plutocrat John Quincy Adams, who was distantly related to the JQA, settled into a fine Tudor pile in Winnetka in 1927, it wasn’t exactly an aspirational move. His father owned the largest farm in Iowa (which he monitored from the seat of a chauffeur-driven Pierce-Arrow), operated the local bank, and kept a place in Miami Beach. So living well was in John Quincy’s blood, but farming, no matter how gentlemanly, wasn’t for him. He made his life in Chicago, where he served on the board of the CTA and was a director of the Continental Illinois National Bank. His home — a 6,639-square-foot, six-bedroom manor situated on 1.7 acres at 22 Indian Hill Road — is now on the market for $4.6 million.

The staircase inside the Winnetka home

The residence was designed by Chicago-born architect Edwin Clark, who attended Yale before enrolling at what is now the Illinois Institute of Technology. Well born himself, he designed a number of North Shore homes, as well as Brookfield Zoo and the recently renovated Plaza del Lago in Wilmette, recognized as one of the first shopping centers.

The formal flower garden outside the Winnetka home

The English-inspired home Clark created features a sweeping central staircase, ornamented plaster ceilings, six fireplaces, and loads of wood paneling. The ample common spaces include a family room, dining room, living room, den, and library. There is a full-size laundry room, and the large kitchen and pantry can easily handle a crew of caterers. A raised wooden deck adjacent to the sunroom, an expansive terrace off a large screened porch, and a balcony outside the primary bedroom suite all overlook the broad lawn and a formal flower garden. In addition to a greenhouse and Har-Tru tennis court, the property comes with a three-car coach house outfitted with guest accommodations. What can you say? Grandeur runs in the family.