WILLIAM LE BARON JENNEY HAS BEEN CALLED THE FATHER OF THE
AMERICAN SKYSCRAPER. BUT BEFORE
THAT NOTORIETY, HE DESIGNED
COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL
BUILDINGS, INCLUDING THIS ONE
FINISHED IN 1872.
ALTHOUGH WITH ALL THE ADDITIONS
AND CHANGES, MR. JENNEY MIGHT
HAVE TROUBLE RECOGNIZING THE
HOUSE TODAY.
HOUSE TODAY. HI, I AM JIM WILHELM.
THAT HOME WHICH STANDS HERE IN
MOLINE WAS BUILT DURING THE
VICTORIAN ERA.
VICTORIAN ERA. BECAUSE OF TECHNOLOGICAL
ADVANCES AND LIFESTYLE CHANGES,
IT HAS BEEN GREATLY CHANGED OVER
THE YEARS.
THE YEARS. IT WAS BUILT FOR THE PROMINENT
INDUSTRIALIST CHARLES DEERE.
CHARLES DEERE WAS SON OF THE
FAMED PLOW DESIGNER AND
MANUFACTURER JOHN DEERE.
CHARLES HAS BEEN THRUST INTO THE
FOREFRONT OF THE COMPANY WHEN
HIS OLDER BROTHER SUDDENLY
PASSED AWAY.
PASSED AWAY. AT THE AGE OF 21, HE HELPED
STEER THE COMPANY THROUGH THE
DISASTROUS ECONOMIC PANIC OF
1857.
1857. THIS WAS CHARLES DEERE'S LIBRARY
AND STUDY.
AND STUDY. HE READ MOSTLY CLASSICS AND
BOOKS ON WORLD HISTORY.
JUST IN FRONT OF HIS FIREPLACE
WAS A LARGE DESK WHICH FACED A
ET IS OF WINDOWS WHICH PROVIDED
A GREAT VIEW.
BUILT ON A BLUFF ABOVE THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER, CHARLES AND
HIS WIFE NICKNAMED THE HOUSE
"OVERLOOK."
"OVERLOOK." BUT IT DIDN'T HAVE JUST A VIEW
OF THE VALLEY.
BY STANDING AT THE WINDOW OF HIS
DUD I, CHARLES COULD KEEP AN EYE
ON THE DEERE AND COMPANY PLANT
WHICH LINED THE RIVER BANK BELOW
THE HOUSE.
THE HOUSE. ORIGINALLY THE ROOM ENDED RIGHT
HERE.
HERE. THIS WAS AN OUTSIDE WALL.
THEN IN ABOUT 1890 WHEN THIS
HOUSE WAS 20 YEARS OLD, THIS
WING WAS ADDED.
IT SERVED A DUAL PURPOSE.
FIRST, IT PROVIDED A PRIVATE
ENTRANCE OFF THE MAIN HALLWAY
FOR DEERE'S BUSINESS ASSOCIATES.
AND, SECOND, IT WAS A MUSIC
ROOM.
ROOM. A KIMBALL PIPE ORGAN WAS
INSTALLED WHICH ALSO HAD A
PLAYER ATTACHMENT.
PLAYER ATTACHMENT. LATER ONE OF HIS DAUGHTERS WOULD
ALSO HAVE A PLAYER ORGAN IN HER
HOUSE.
HOUSE. ABOVE IT, TO LET IN MORE LIGHT,
IS THIS STAINED GLASS DOME THAT
CAME IN HANDY DURING THE
HOLIDAYS AS IT ALLOWED FOR
TALLER THAN THE CEILING TREE.
A NUMBER OF THE DECORATIVE
PIECES IN THIS ROOM DATE BACK TO
CHARLES DEERE, INCLUDING THIS
BUST OF HIS FATHER, JOHN.
IT WAS CARVED IN 1884 BY
RENOWNED ARTIST LEONARD WELLS
VOLK, JUST TWO YEARS BEFORE JOHN
DEERE DIED.
DEERE DIED. VOLK IS MOSTLY REMEMBERED TODAY
FOR HIS LIFE MASK AND HAND CASTS
OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
AT THE TIME OF THIS BUST, JOHN
DEERE LIVED JUST A COUPLE OF
BLOCKS AWAY.
BLOCKS AWAY. BUT IT WOULD BE IN H THIS HOUSE
THAT THREE GENERATIONS OF HIS
DESCENDANTS WOULD RESIDE.
CHARLES AND MARY HAD TWO
DAUGHTERS.
DAUGHTERS. THE ELDEST MARRIED WILLIAM
WIMAN, AND THEY HAD T SONS.
ONE BECAME A FAMOUS BROADWAY
PRODUCER WHOSE BIGGEST HILT WAS
THE "GAY DIVORCE E" THE OTHER,
NAMED AFTER HIS GRANDFATHER
BECAME THE PRESIDNT OF DEERE
AND COMPANY.
AND COMPANY. HIS PORTRAIT ALSO HANGS IN THE
LIBRARY.
LIBRARY. CHARLES WIMAN SERVED OVERSEAS
DURING WORLD WAR I.
ON TRIP HOME, HE MET HIS FUTURE
WIFE WHO HAD BEEN WITH THE RED
CROSS.
CROSS. IN 1920 THEY WERE MARRIED AND
MOVED INTO THIS HOUSE.
IT WAS BUILT IN 1872. JUST SEVEN YEARS AFTER THE CIVIL
WAR.
WAR. THEN ABOUT 20 YEARS LATER, IT
UNDERWENT A MAJOR REVISION, BUT
IT WASN'T JUST THIS ROOM THAT
WAS ENLARGED.
WAS ENLARGED. THIS GRAND LIVING ROOM DIDN'T
EVEN EXIST IN THE ORIGINAL
PLANS.
PLANS. BACK THEN, A WALL DIVIDED THE
SPACE INTO TWO SEPARATE ROOMS.
ONE WAS USE'S AS A LADIES'
PARLOR, AND THE OTHER WAS USED
BY THE FAMILY.
NOT ONLY WAS THE WALL REMOVED,
BUT THE AREA WAS PRETTY MUCH
GUTTED.
GUTTED. A NEW CEILING WAS ADDED, ALONG
WITH NEW WALL COVERINGS AND
FLOORING.
FLOORING. PLUS A FIRE PLACE WAS INSTALLED
ON AN EXTERIOR WALL.
BUT FOR THE WORKMEN, IT INVOLVED
FAR MORE THAN JUST THE REMOVAL
OF A WALL.
BECAUSE EMBEDDED IN THAT WALL
WERE TWO FIREPLACES, ONE FOR
EACH PARLOR WITH A SHARED
CHIMNEY THAT WENT UP THREE
FLOORS TO THE ROOF.
BUT AFTER ALL THOSE CHANGES, ONE
ELEMENT OF THE ORIGINAL DESIGN
STILL REMAINED.
STILL REMAINED. ABOVE THE DOORWAYS LEADING INTO
THIS NEW LIVING ROOM ARE THE
ORIGINAL ARCHED MOLDINGS.
NEXT TO THE REDECORATED LIVING ROOM IS THE MOST ORIGINAL IN
APPEARANCE ROOM IN THIS HOUSE.
IT IS THE DINING ROOM.
NOW, REMEMBER THAT THIS HOUSE
WAS BUILT DURING THE VICTORIAN
ERA, AND THE I SPUR RATION FOR
ITS DESIGN CAME FROM NATURE
WHOSE BOUNTY IS PRESENTED AT
THIS TABLE.
THIS TABLE. WALLS ARE COVERED IN CANVAS ON
WHICH THE DESIGNS WERE HAND STEN
CITY OF SPRINGFIELD AND PAINTED.
IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THE
FOOD GROUPINGS IN EACH PANEL ARE
DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT. CARVED INTO THE FURNITURE AND
THE FIREPLACE MAN TELL ARE
LEAVES AND VINES EXPANDING THE
MOTIF THROUGHOUT THE ROOM.
THE KITCHEN WAS LOCATED IN THE
BASEMENT KEEPING THE HEAT AND
NOISE AWAY FROM THE DINERS.
THE FOOD WAS BROUGHT UP FROM THE
BASEMENT BY A DUMB WAITER LOCATE
IN THE PANTRY NEXT TO THE DOOR.
IT IS ESTIMATED WITH THE
COOKING, HOUSE, GARDENING, THE
CARRIAGE TASKS THAT THE DOMESTIC
STAFF NUMBERED ABOUT 15.
JUST OFF THE BACK WAS A SMALL
PORCH THAT CHARLES DEERE HAD
CONVERTED INTO A CONSERVATORY
WITH A GLASS DOME AND EVEN A
SMALL FISH POND SET IN THE
FLOOR.
FLOOR. ITS PLANT LIFE CALLY
COMPLIMENTED THE NATURE MOTIF OF
THE DINING ROOM.
ACCESS WAS GAINED THROUGH A
CURTAIN OF BEADS.
SHORTLY AFTER CHARLES' DEATH,
HIS WIFE HAD THE CONSERVATORY
WHICH BY THAT TIME OUT OF
FASHION, CONVERTED INTO A
BREAKFAST ROOM.
BREAKFAST ROOM. IT WAS A MUCH MORE INTIMATE
SPACE THAN THE ORIGINAL DINING
ROOM.
ROOM. WHAT WAS IS MORE INTERESTING IS
THE AGREEMENT MRS. DEERE GOT THE
CONTRACTORS TO SIGN.
TV STATED ONCE THE PROJECT WAS
COMPLETE, SHE SHOULD NOT BE ABLE
TO DISTINGUISH WHERE THE OLD
DINING ROOM ENDED AND THE NEW
ADDITION BEGAN.
ADDITION BEGAN. SO NOT ONLY DID THE CONTRACTOR
HAVE TO MATCH THE CEILING AND
THE FLOOR, BUT ALSO THE HAND
PAINTED CANVAS WALLS.
THE AGREEMENT STIPULATED IF
MRS. DEERE COULD DISTINGUISH THE
DIFFERENCE, THE CONTRACTOR HAD
TO DO ALL THE WORK AT HIS OWN
EXPENSE.
EXPENSE. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE
CONTRACTORS HAD TO STACK THE
TOOLS AND VERY QUIETLY DISAPPEAR
WITHOUT DISTURBING ANYBODY.
HERE ON THE SECOND FLOOR WAS THE MASTER
BEDROOM, THREE GUEST ROOMS, A
SITTING ROOM AND SEVERAL
BATHROOMS.
BATHROOMS. AS ODD AS IT MAY SEEM, THE
CHILDREN'S BEDROOM AND SERVANTS
QUARTERS WERE ON THIRD FLOOR.
THIS WAS ONE OF THE GUEST ROOMED
AND NICKNAMED "THE ROSE ROOM."
HERE THE BED IS COVERED WITH
ITALIAN LACE, AND THE AUBUSSON
CARPET CURVES TO FIT THE BAY.
THE BAY WAS ADDED AT THE SAME
TIME THE DOWNSTAIRS WALL WAS
REMOVED.
REMOVED. WHAT CAUSED THIS FLURRY OF
REMODELING?
REMODELING? WELL, THE ANSWER MAY LIE RIGHT
HERE JUST OFF THE MAIN HALLWAY.
CHARLES DEERE LOVED NEW
TECHNOLOGY AND GADGETS.
SO HE INSTALLED AN ELEVATOR.
WELL, IN 1899, A WATER HEATER ON
THE THIRD FLOOR EXPLODED SETTING
THE HOUSE ON FIRE.
WILLIAM WIMAN WHO WAS MARRIED TO
CHARLES' DEERE DAUGHTER RAN UP
TO THE THIRD FLOOR TO ASSIST THE
FIREMEN.
FIREMEN. ACCORDING TO REPORTS IN THE
SMOKE AND CHAOS, HE FELL AGAINST
THE GLASS ELEVATOR DOOR WHICH
SHATTERED AND HE PLUMMETED THREE
FLOORS DOWN SHAFT.
WIMAN SUFFERED SEVERAL BROKEN
BONES AND HAD SOME INTERNAL
BLEEDING.
BLEEDING. BUT FOR AWHILE, THEY THOUGHT HE
MAY NOT SURVIVE.
BUT FORTUNATELY HE MADE A FULL
RECOVERY.
RECOVERY. IT WAS THOUGHT RATHER THAN
REPAIR THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE
FIRE.
FIRE. THEY DECIDED THEY WOULD REMODEL
AND UPDATE THE ENTIRE HOME WHICH
CAUSED THE HOUSE TO LOSE SOME OF
ITS VICTORIAN FEATURES.
ONE OF THE ROOMS THE VISITORS
COMMENT MOST ON IS THIS
BATHROOM.
BATHROOM. WHEN THE HOME WAS BUILT IN 1872,
IT HAD INDOOR PLUMBING.
THIS WAS ONE OF THE THREE
REMAINING ORIGINAL BATHROOMS.
APPEARS PRETTY STANDARD.
BUR THEN AFTER THE TURN OF THE
CENTURY, THIS APPARATUS WAS
ADDED.
ADDED. PRIOR TO THE 19 20'S, SHOWERS
WERE UNCOMMON IN PRIVATE HOMES
PARTLY BECAUSE THEY WERE
EXPENSIVE TO INSTALL, BUT ALSO
BECAUSE SINCE THEY WERE COMMONLY
FOUND IN GYMNASIUMS AND ATHLETIC
CLUBS, THEY WERE CONSIDERED FOR
MEN ONLY AND NOT THE DELICATE
FAIRER SEX.
FAIRER SEX. THIS UNIT, WITH ITS SURROUNDING
RIB CAGE, WAS KNOWN AS A NEEDLE
SHOWER.
SHOWER. AT THE CENTER ARE THE VALVES FOR
MIXING THE WATER, AND
THERMOMETER TO GAUGE THE
TEMPERATURES.
TEMPERATURES. INSIDE THE CAGE, AT STRATEGIC
POSITIONS ARE SHOWER HEADS
DESIGNED TO HIT THE KIDNEY AND
LIVER AREAS.
LIVER AREAS. PLUS THERE ARE SMALL HOLES IN
THE TUBE TO EMIT A FINE SPRAY.
IT IS SORT OF LIKE A MINI SPA.
THE SPRAY IS THOUGHT TO BE GOOD
FOR THE SKIN AND CIRCULATORY
SYSTEM.
SYSTEM. SHOWER HEADS MASSAGE THE
INTERNAL ORGANS.
INTERNAL ORGANS. AND OVERHEAD IS AN OLD IDEA THAT
HAS COME BACK INTO VOGUE, IT IS
CALLED A RAIN SHOWER HEAD.
ACROSS THE GARDEN IS THE CARRIAGE HOUSE WHICH WAS
CONVERTED TO A GARAGE WHEN THE
HORSE LESS CARRIAGE CAME ALONG.
THE FIRST PICTURE OF A CAR ON
THIS PROPERTY WAS DATED IN 1906,
AND IT WAS A DEERE CLARK MODEL.
CHARLES WAS A PARTNER IN THE
CLARK AUTOMOTIVE COMPANY IN EAST
MOLINE.
MOLINE. THE UPSTAIRS QUARTERS WERE USED
TO HOUSE SOME OF THE STAFF.
IN FACT, DURING THE WIMAN TIME,
IT WAS THE APARTMENT FOR THEIR
BUTLER AND HIS WIFE WHO WAS THE
HEAD CHEF.
HEAD CHEF. RUNNING UNDER THE GROUND IS A
TUNNEL CONNECTING THE CARRIAGE
HOUSE TO THE MAIN HOUSE.
THAT TUN TELL PROTECTED THE
STAFF FROM THE ELEMENTS.
THEM IN 1917 A SECOND TUNNEL WAS
ADDED.
ADDED. IT RAN 238 FEET FROM THE WEST
SIDE OF THE HOUSE DOWN OVER THE
BLUFFS WHERE IT CONNECTED TO AN
INDOOR POOL.
INDOOR POOL. IT WAS A MAGNIFICENT STRUCTURE
AND IT HAD JUST BEEN PLACED OVER
THE BLUFF SO IT WOULDN'T
INTERFERE WITH THE VIEW OF THE
RIVER VALLEY.
RIVER VALLEY. UNFORTUNATELY, BY THE 1980'S,
THE POOL BUILDING HAD TO BE
RAZED DUE TO DETERIORATION AND
VANDALISM.
VANDALISM. BUT THIS HOUSE REMAINS, THANKS
TO CHARLES DEERE'S YOUNGEST
DAUGHTER, WHO LIVED ABOUT A
BLOCK AWAY.
BLOCK AWAY. SHE EVENTUALLY ESTABLISHED A
TRUST SO HER HOME AND THIS ONE
OF HER FATHER WOULD REMAIN
OPENED TO THE COMMUNITY AS
CULTURAL ART CENTERS.
SO THE DEERE-WIMAN HOME IS NOT
JUST STATIC DISPLAY OF HOW LIFE
WAS IN ANOTHER TIME, BUT HAS
BECOME A SOCIAL FABRIC OF
MOLINE.
MOLINE. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, IN THE HOME
IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE
BUGGERWORTH ESTATE HOST MEETINGS
LECTURES AND CONCERTS. FOR M
MORE INFORMATION, OR SCHEDULE A
TOUR, GO TO WWW.BULLETTERWORTH
CENTER OR CALL (309)743-2701.