Broadview VanLeer Mansion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Margaret and Bird Van Leer
Vanleer Mansion |
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Broadview Mansion in 2011
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1301 S. Fell Avenue Normal, Illinois |
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| Built | 1906 |
| Architectural style | Edwardian |
| NRHP reference No. | 16000327 |
| Added to NRHP | June 7, 2016 |
Broadview Mansion (also known as VanLeer Mansion) is a large, historic house in Normal, Illinois. It's close to Illinois Wesleyan University. This three-story mansion has twenty-two rooms. It was built in 1906 for Bird Calladay and Margaret VanLeer. The house is designed in the Edwardian style. Today, the Immanuel Bible Foundation owns and takes care of it.
The VanLeer Family
Bird Calladay VanLeer was born in 1867 in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. His family were farmers who moved to Maroa, Illinois. Bird went to Maroa High School. He also attended Illinois Wesleyan University. However, he left college early to help his family.
Margaret Diadem Langstaff VanLeer was born in 1870 in Lexington, Illinois. After finishing Lexington High School, she studied oration at Northwestern University. Later, she taught at Illinois Wesleyan University. This is where she met Bird through a friend. Bird and Margaret got married in July 1894. Bird passed away in 1933, and Margaret in 1949. They did not have children.
The Mansion and Its Bell Tower
Building the VanLeer mansion started in 1904 and finished in 1906. It was named “Broadview” because it sat on top of a hill. From there, you could see a "broad view" of the countryside.
The most amazing part of the mansion is its carillon. This is a tall bell tower located in the gardens. It stands 110 feet (about 33.5 meters) tall! Margaret Van Leer had it built in 1940. She wanted it to honor her husband, Bird. The tower is built in the North Italian Romanesque style.
The bell tower used to hold ten bells. These bells were made and put in place by the Meenly Bell Company. They came from Troy, New York. The largest bell weighed over 2000 pounds (about 907 kg). It had a special message on it. It said it was "Dedicated to the Glory of God and in loving memory of Bird Colladay VanLeer." People played the bells by pushing wooden rods. A special book of music was made just for these ten bells. The bells played music twice a day from 1941 until 1983. Over time, some of the bells have been sold or traded.
The Immanuel Bible Foundation
The VanLeers were very religious Christians. They first thought of creating the Immanuel Bible Foundation in 1921. Since they didn't have children, they decided to leave their entire property to this Foundation. Margaret VanLeer officially started the Foundation in 1944.
The Immanuel Bible Foundation is a non-profit group. It is also non-denominational, meaning it doesn't belong to one specific church. It helps local churches and groups. It does this by offering Bible classes. It also helps Christians work together. And it encourages sacred music. The Foundation has a music lending library for small churches. It has over 100,000 copies of music!
Today, the Immanuel Bible Foundation still serves the Bloomington-Normal area. It offers space for retreats, meetings, and music lessons. You can also rent the mansion and its grounds for special events like weddings.
