Can you imagine living in the same house for more than 100 years? Hi everyone,
Ken here, welcome to "ThisHouse"
In the mid 1800s, when Edward Hegeler was 22 years old,
he emigrated from Germany to the United States in pursuit of the American Dream.
He purchased a defunct zinc factory in Pennsylvania where he successfully started producing spelter. This
earned him enough money to head out west and scout for the perfect location to begin a new mine.
He found a seemingly never ending supply of coal in LaSalle, Illinois and he,
along with his business partner, set up shop as the Matthiessen and Hegeler Zinc Works Company.
They had both come straight from the mines and weren’t afraid of hard, dirty work.
Leading by example with hands on management, their operation quickly grew to employ over 1000 men,
making them one of the largest Zinc refineries in the world.
This, of course, made the pair very rich and Edward set out to build his dream house.
But not just any designer would do for his dream home, he wanted the very best talent in
the state of Illinois. He hired architect William Boyington, famous for designing buildings such as
the Chicago Water Tower and the Illinois State Capitol Building. He designed Edward’s 16,000
square foot mansion in the second Empire style, with 57 rooms spread out over 7 distinct levels.
Entering the home, we pass through glass pained double doors to arrive in the entrance hall.
Edward hired August Fiedler to design the interior spaces which
include unique parquet patterns for each of the rooms wood floors.
To the side of the entrance hall, the grand stair case gracefully ascends to the second floor,
but before we head upstairs, let’s continue exploring the main level.
The library is finished out with floor to ceiling book shelves and accompanied by
elaborate window surrounds. In the center of the room, a crystal chandelier is suspended
from an ornate ceiling medallion and centered on a rounded mirror. Skirting the bookshelves,
on the floor, a geometric border of stained wood frames the dotted parquet floors.
The salon, in all of its gilded glamour, embraces the Eastlake style on the fireplace’s upper and
lower mantels. In the mirror’s reflection, we can see a bay window on the opposite side of
the room with egg and dart molding trimming out the coffered ceiling. Before continuing
to the next room, lets look down to see the intricate parquet floors designed by Fiedler.
The family room, with its high ceilings, contains an elaborate
plaster frieze above a picture rail with the main focal point being the hearth.
Continuing with the theme of Eastlake Styling, we can travel through the pocket
doors to arrive in the dining room. From elaborate door surrounds, to wainscotting,
to coffered ceilings, no surface was left unadorned. To the far end of the room,
the walls round out with curving millwork, seamlessly tying the room together.
Let’s take a quick detour to see behind the scenes navigating through the pantry to find the kitchen.
This photo was taken long after the house was completed as we can
notice some familiar appliances, but nonetheless,
the cabinets and sinks give us a good idea of what this room once looked like.
Continuing along, we will make our way back out into the stair hall and head upstairs.
As we round the landing, we can turn back to appreciate the fine craftsmanship of
the banister and balustrade along with the continuous wainscotting framing the staircase.
Turning around, we will find pivot doors blocking off the hallway from guests,
adding an extra layer of privacy for the family.
First we will find Edward’s bedroom with layers of crown molding above wallpaper,
though, this furniture would have come long after he was gone.
Down the hall, and better preserved, is Mary’s bedroom with stenciled ceilings
and elaborate millwork. Her room is flooded with natural light through the bay window.
Lets go back down stairs and begin making our way to the basement to see some of
the more unique rooms in the house. Down here we will find a full gymnasium which
is often touted to be the first in-home gym ever built in the state of Illinois.
From here we can wind our way through the maze of brick arches and pipes to find the next room.
Eventually, we will stumble upon the laundry room, where the families staff would have
constantly been washing and pressing clothes. It is highly unlikely that the owners would have
ever set foot in this room, but its mechanics are interesting nonetheless. We can continue
further down to find the wine cellar, no doubt serving the family during the days of prohibition.
In 1887, Edward started a publishing company and converted the first floor of the house into
a work space. The mansion was then passed down to Edward’s daughter and her husband,
an author, who wrote dozens of books while living in the mansion.
By 1936, they had both passed and the house was inherited by their children.
Their oldest surviving child, Alwin, lived in the house for 103 years, passing away in 2004.
But before Alwin’s death, a foundation was created to preserve the mansion. Today, The
Hegeler Carus Mansion is open as a house museum and has undergone significant restoration work.
Did you have a favorite room? Let me know down below in the comments section and while you’re
there, make sure to hit that subscribe button so you never miss an exciting episode of "ThisHouse"