Beiger Mansion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Beiger House
|
|
The Beiger Mansion
|
|
 Location in Indiana
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 317 Lincolnway E., Mishawaka, Indiana |
|---|---|
| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1903 |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival, Neo-Classical |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000042 |
| Added to NRHP | August 28, 1973 |
The Beiger Mansion is a historic and beautiful house located in Mishawaka, Indiana. People often say its name as By-gur, but some also say Bee-gur. This grand home was once owned by Martin Valentine and Susie Higgins Beiger. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The mansion was built in 1903. Sadly, it was badly damaged by a fire in 1975. However, it has been carefully restored and is still being worked on today. Now, it serves as a bed and breakfast and a place for special events.
Contents
The Beiger Mansion Story
Who Was Martin Beiger?
Martin V. Beiger was born in 1847. He became Mishawaka's first millionaire. Martin earned his wealth from the Mishawaka Woolen and Rubber Manufacturing Company. This company later became known as Ball Band, and then Uniroyal. In 1867, Martin and his father, Jacob Beiger, bought a small textiles mill. The mill started with only three workers. They mostly made flannel fabrics.
Martin married Susie Higgins in December 1875. Susie was the daughter of a local jeweler. In 1886, Martin Beiger and Adolphus Eberhart created something new. They patented the first all-knit wool boot. This special boot would not lose its shape or size. People quickly wanted these boots. The company grew very fast because of this demand.
The boots had a black band at the top. Later, a red ball was added. This red ball became the company's famous trademark. By 1923, Ball Band employed 5,000 workers. In the 1940s, it employed as many as 10,000 people. By 1903, the company had about 2,000 employees. Martin Beiger had become very wealthy. He and Susie started thinking about building a grander home. They wanted a mansion like the large homes in Newport, Rhode Island, especially The Breakers.
Building a Dream Home
Planning for their new home began in 1900. Construction on the huge 4½-story neoclassical mansion started in 1903. The architectural plans were drawn by Durham and Snyder. This company was located in South Bend, Indiana. Famous landscape architect Jens Jensen designed the gardens.
Sadly, Martin Beiger passed away on September 26, 1903. He was 56 years old. Construction on the mansion stopped for a while. However, Susie decided to continue building the home. The mansion was finished in 1908. It cost $100,000 to build at that time.
A Grand Mansion's Features
The Beiger Mansion is very large, covering 21,790 square feet. It originally had about 40 rooms. There were 11 unique fireplaces. The original rooms included 11 bedrooms and 2 dining rooms. It also had 2 kitchens, 2 sitting rooms, and a billiards room. There was a library, a breakfast room, and a solarium. Other rooms included a reception room, a ballroom, and even a one-lane bowling alley. The mansion also had a museum and a music room. The music room featured a special Aeolian organ. This organ cost $25,000 back then. The fifth floor was a 2,000-square-foot area. It was originally where the gardeners lived. The mansion sat on almost an entire city block. It had beautiful gardens and a full tennis court. The tennis court was built for Susie's nephew.
The home was very modern for its time. It had electric lights throughout the house. There was an internal bell system to call the staff. It also had a central vacuum system. The mansion was heated with radiators and forced air. The original design included an elevator. However, during construction, they decided to use the elevator shaft for larger safes instead. This turned out to be a good choice. The main safe on the second floor was very big. All the safes were made by the Mosler Safe Company. The mansion featured beautiful and expensive woods. These included African mahogany, bird's eye maple, and teak. Several rooms had large murals painted by hand on silk. The first-floor dining room had an Italian scene. The library showed a picture of the birth of Christ from Ben Hur. The breakfast room had a sunrise design.
Susie Beiger moved into the mansion in 1908. She lived there with two nieces and a nephew. She lived a grand life with six servants. She also hosted many fancy parties. Susie is said to have owned the first car in Mishawaka. She lived in the home until her death in 1927.
Life After Susie Beiger
Susie Beiger did not have any children. So, she left the mansion in a trust. It was meant to be a home for elderly women. Susie left $210,000 from her large estate. This money was for caring for and maintaining the home and its furnishings. The home for elderly women opened on February 1, 1930.
The mansion remained a care facility for many years. But by 1967, it was no longer financially possible to operate it. During this time, the surrounding land was sold off. This land was originally an entire city block. The Dodge House for the Elderly was built south of the mansion in 1933. It was built on the original site of the tennis courts. By the late 1960s, the mansion's future was uncertain. In 1972, it was planned to be torn down. A used car lot was going to be built there. However, the local community and the Mishawaka Historical Society worked together. They wanted to save and restore the mansion. On September 7, 1973, the home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Fire and Restoration
In the early morning of January 20, 1975, a fire destroyed the mansion. The terracotta roof collapsed into the basement. Almost the entire home was ruined. Only the limestone walls, chimneys, and safes were left standing. Most of the valuable furniture and art inside were also lost. There was only a $75,000 insurance policy on the mansion. This made its future unclear again. But once more, the community stepped in to save the mansion.
The recovery was slow. It took four years before a new roof was put over the building. By the mid-to-late 1980s, the Historical Society lost support and money for the restoration.
On August 1, 1989, Ron Montandon bought the mansion from the Historical Society. Since then, he has worked hard to restore the mansion. The current layout of the rooms matches the original. Most of the landscaping is based on the original plans. Much of the current interior has been recreated. This was done using old pictures and stories about the original home. To help pay for the restoration, the mansion now operates as a six-bedroom bed and breakfast. It is also an event facility called the Beiger Mansion Inn. In February 2014, the Beiger Mansion Inn won the Mishawaka Business Association award for business of the year for 2013.
