Hegeler Carus Mansion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hegeler Carus Mansion |
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| General information | |
| Status | Under Restoration |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| Completed | 1876 |
| Owner | Hegeler Carus Foundation |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | William W. Boyington, et al.; Fiedler, A. |
| Main contractor | Edward C. Hegeler |
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Hegeler-Carus Mansion
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | LaSalle, Illinois |
| Built | 1874 |
| NRHP reference No. | 95000989 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | August 9, 1995 |
| Designated NHL | March 29, 2007 |
The Hegeler Carus Mansion is a large, historic house in La Salle, Illinois. It was finished in 1876 for Edward C. Hegeler, who owned a zinc company nearby. This mansion is a great example of Second Empire style architecture. It was designed in 1874 by a famous architect named William W. Boyington. Today, the Hegeler Carus Foundation owns and runs the mansion. You can even visit it! In 2007, it was named a National Historic Landmark, which means it's a very important historical place.
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Mansion History
The architect, William W. Boyington, designed many famous buildings. These include the Chicago Water Tower and the Joliet State Penitentiary. The inside of the mansion was designed by August Fiedler. He created special wooden floors and painted ceilings for each main room. The mansion is huge, with seven levels and 57 rooms. It has about 16,000 square feet of space inside.
The Hegeler Family Home
The Hegeler Carus Mansion was first home to Edward C. Hegeler, his wife Camilla, and their many children. In 1887, Edward Hegeler started a company called the Open Court Publishing Company. This company published books and articles about philosophy, science, and religion. He hired a German scholar, Dr. Paul Carus, to be the main editor. The publishing company was located on the first floor of the mansion.
In 1888, Paul Carus married Edward Hegeler's daughter, Mary Hegeler. Mary was very smart and worked with her father from a young age. She was also the first woman to earn an engineering degree from the University of Michigan in 1882. Paul and Mary had seven children, and six of them grew up in the mansion.
A Center for Ideas
The mansion became a place where important ideas were shared. Paul Carus wrote over 70 books and many articles there. He also edited two important magazines, The Open Court and The Monist. Carus invited many famous thinkers to contribute to his magazines. These included Leo Tolstoy and Bertrand Russell.
In 1893, after the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Carus hosted a special meeting. He brought together important scholars from the East and West to discuss religion. This led to Open Court publishing many classic books on Eastern religious thought. A famous Zen scholar named D. T. Suzuki even lived in La Salle for 11 years. He worked with Carus on these publishing projects.
Mary Hegeler Carus later took over running the Matthiessen and Hegeler Zinc Company from her father. She also helped manage Open Court and eventually became its editor after Paul Carus passed away.
Paul Carus died in 1919. Mary continued to live in the house until she died in 1936. Their children then lived in the mansion. In 2001, the only person living there was Alwin Carus, one of Paul and Mary's children. He was 99 years old and passed away in 2004.
Recent Updates
In 1995, the Hegeler Carus Foundation was created to help preserve the mansion. That same year, the mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In recent years, members of the Carus family and others have worked hard to restore the mansion. On March 29, 2007, the Hegeler Carus Mansion was officially named a National Historic Landmark.
In 2008, the foundation started a project to rebuild the mansion's old gymnasium. This gym is special because it's a rare example of a late 1800s turnverein-style gym. The foundation also owns the Julius W. Hegeler I House across the street. That house is also being restored.
In 2018, the Hegeler Carus Mansion was chosen as one of the "Illinois 200 Great Places." This was part of the Illinois Bicentennial celebration.
Visiting the Mansion
The Hegeler Carus Mansion offers many public programs and tours. It's known for its beautiful Victorian designs, including stencils and paintings on the walls and ceilings. The mansion also has amazing woodwork and a rich history.
