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 grand old house in La Salle, Illinois. It's a famous example of Second Empire style, which was popular a long time ago. The mansion was finished in 1876 for Edward C. Hegeler. He was a business partner in the nearby Matthiessen Hegeler Zinc Company. A well-known architect from Chicago, William W. Boyington, designed the house in 1874. Today, the Hegeler Carus Foundation owns and runs the mansion. It is open for people to visit. In 2007, it was named a National Historic Landmark, which means it's a very important historical place.
Contents
History of the Mansion
Who Designed the Hegeler Carus Mansion?
William W. Boyington was the architect who designed this amazing mansion. He also designed other famous buildings like the Chicago Water Tower and the Joliet State Penitentiary. He even helped finish the Illinois State Capitol building.
The inside of the mansion was designed by August Fiedler. He created special wooden floors, called parquet floors, for each public room. He also hand-painted the ceilings. 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 was a place to share ideas about philosophy, science, and religion. He hired a German scholar named Dr. Paul Carus to be the main editor. The company's office was right on the first floor of the mansion.
In 1888, Paul Carus married Edward Hegeler's daughter, Mary Hegeler. Mary had worked with her father when she was young. She was also the first woman to get 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 and Learning
Paul Carus wrote over 70 books and many articles while living in the mansion. He was also the editor for two important magazines, The Open Court and The Monist. He invited famous thinkers like Leo Tolstoy and Bertrand Russell to write for his magazines.
In 1893, after the Chicago Columbian Exposition, Carus hosted a special meeting at the mansion. He brought together important religious scholars from the East and West. This meeting led to Open Court publishing many classic books about Eastern religions. A famous Zen scholar, D. T. Suzuki, even lived in La Salle for 11 years to work with Carus on these books.
Mary Hegeler Carus later took over running the Matthiessen 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 passed away in 1936. After that, their children mostly lived in the mansion. In 2001, only one of their children, Alwin Carus, who was 99 years old, lived there. He passed away in 2004.
Recent Updates and Restoration
Protecting a Historic Treasure
In 1995, the Hegeler Carus Foundation was created to help take care of the mansion. That same year, the mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes important buildings across the country. 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 put back together the mansion's gymnasium. This gym is special because it's a rare example of a late 1800s turnverein-style physical culture facility. The foundation also owns the Julius W. Hegeler I House, which is right across the street. That house is also being restored.
In 2018, Illinois celebrated its 200th birthday. The Hegeler Carus Mansion was chosen as one of the "Illinois 200 Great Places" by the American Institute of Architects Illinois.
Visiting the Mansion Today
The Hegeler Carus Mansion hosts many public events and offers tours for visitors. It is especially known for its beautiful Victorian stencils, amazing wall and ceiling paintings, and detailed woodwork. It's a great place to learn about history!
