Ira C. Allen Mansion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Fair Haven Green Historic District
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Area | 24 acres (9.7 ha) |
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| Architect | multiple |
| Architectural style | French Second Empire & Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 80000339 |
| Added to NRHP | November 24, 1980 |
The Ira C. Allen Mansion is a very old and important house located on the Green in Fair Haven, Vermont, United States. It is a special part of the Fair Haven Green Historic District, which is a group of historic buildings. This mansion was once the home of a successful businessman named Ira C. Allen. Today, it operates as the Marble Mansion Inn.
Contents
History of the Mansion
Who Was Ira C. Allen?
In 1866, a well-known businessman named Ira C. Allen bought the land where the mansion now stands. He was a very important person in Fair Haven. Mr. Allen had been a state senator and a state representative for Rutland County. This means he helped make laws for Vermont.
He was also involved in many businesses, like real estate, banking, and railroads. He also worked with marble and slate, which are types of stone. Ira C. Allen was even a distant relative of Ethan Allen, a famous hero from the American Revolutionary War. Ira C. Allen was married to Mary E. Richardson.
Building a Grand Home
By 1867, Ira C. Allen finished building his large mansion. It had twenty-two rooms and was about 6,400 square feet in size. The house was built in two popular styles from that time: French Second Empire and Italianate.
On January 1, 1868, Ira C. Allen and his family moved into their new home. This mansion was very modern for its time. It was the first house in Fair Haven to have electricity!
Changes Over Time
After Ira C. Allen passed away, he left the mansion to his four children. His son, Charles R. Allen, lived in the house with his wife for a while. Later, Charles and his brothers sold their parts of the house to their sister, Jessie, in 1889. She paid $15,000 for it.
In 1903, the house was sold to George Vail. His wife, Elizabeth, was a distant relative of the Allen family. The Vails then sold the property to Aaron Vail Allen, Sr., and his wife Rebecca. The last person from the Allen family to live in the mansion was Sherman Vail Allen, who died in 1975.
Since 1975, the house has had several different owners. It has been used as both a family home and an inn. Today, the Ira C. Allen Mansion is known as the Marble Mansion Inn.
Mansion Architecture
Unique Design and Materials
The Ira C. Allen Mansion is a great example of two architectural styles. These are the French Second Empire and Italianate styles. The outside of the house is very special. It is made from white marble blocks, and each block is numbered.
Key Features of the Mansion
The mansion has a beautiful porch and a porte cochere. A porte cochere is a covered entrance where carriages or cars can drive through. These features wrap around the main house and are built in the Italianate style. The wooden parts of the house are painted white.
The mansion also has a special roof called a mansard roof. This type of roof has slopes on all four sides. On top of the roof, there is a small tower-like structure called a belvedere. From here, you can get a great view. There is also a small building on the property called a pump house.
Because of its unique style and history, the mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 24, 1980. This means it is recognized as an important historic building.
