Joseph Smith Mansion House facts for kids
The Joseph Smith Mansion House is a historic home in Nauvoo, Illinois. It was the residence of Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. The house served many purposes. It was a family home, a place for visitors to stay, and a hotel. It was also where some important religious ceremonies took place.
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Building the Mansion House
In January 1841, Joseph Smith shared what he described as a divine message, or revelation. This message said that a church member named Robert D. Foster should build a house for Smith to live in.
Foster built the house, and the Smith family moved into the Mansion House on August 31, 1843. The house was a two-story building made from white pine wood. It was designed in the popular Greek Revival style of that time.
A Home and a Hotel
At first, Joseph Smith welcomed many guests and visitors to Nauvoo into his home. He gave them a place to stay and food for free. However, so many people came that it became too expensive to support everyone.
In September 1843, Smith decided to run the Mansion House as a hotel. He began charging for rooms and meals to cover the costs. He put up a sign explaining the change. He wrote that he wanted to provide the best service for travelers on the Upper Mississippi River. He also built a large stable that could hold up to 75 horses. In January 1844, he leased the hotel to another person, Ebenezer Robinson, who continued to run it.
A Place of Historical Events
The Mansion House was the site of several important events in Nauvoo's history.
Ancient Artifacts on Display
The Mansion House was also like a small museum. For 25 cents, visitors could see ancient Egyptian mummies and papyri. These were ancient scrolls that Joseph Smith said he used to translate the Book of Abraham, an important religious text for his church.
Important Ceremonies
Before the Nauvoo Temple was finished, some special religious ceremonies, called ordinances, were held inside the Mansion House.
A Sad Farewell
In June 1844, Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith passed away. Their bodies were brought back to the Mansion House. On June 29, about ten thousand people came to the house to pay their respects. While there, an artist named George Q. Cannon made special masks of their faces, called death masks, to help preserve their memory.
Life After Joseph Smith
After Joseph's death, his wife Emma Smith and their children continued to live in the Mansion House. In 1847, Emma married a man named Lewis C. Bidamon. They lived in the house together until 1869, when they moved to the nearby Nauvoo House. In the 1890s, the wing of the house that had been used for the hotel was removed.
The Mansion House Today
In 1918, Joseph Smith's grandson, Frederick A. Smith, gave the Mansion House to the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church). This church is now known as the Community of Christ. For many years, they took care of the house and ran it as a museum for tourists.
The Mansion House is part of the Nauvoo Historic District, which is a National Historic Landmark. On March 5, 2024, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased the Mansion House and other historic sites from the Community of Christ. It continues to be an important historical site that people can visit.
