Sanford House (Sioux City, Iowa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Sanford House
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View of front from northeast corner
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1925 Summit Street Sioux City, Iowa |
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| Area | .50 acres |
| Built | 1914 |
| Built by | Andrew Ostling |
| Architectural style | Neocolonial |
| NRHP reference No. | 03000359 |
| Added to NRHP | March 21, 2003 |
The Sanford House, also known as the Stone House and Summit Mansion, is a historic home located in Sioux City, Iowa. In the 1990s, many people called it the "Home Alone house." This was because it looked a lot like the house in the popular movie Home Alone.
The house was built in 1914 by Lucia Stone. She built it to honor her husband, Edgar Stone, who had passed away. It cost about $34,500 back then, which would be like $880,000 today. Later, Dr. John and Rebecca Marriott carefully restored the house between 1994 and 1999. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 21, 2003. This is a special list of places important to history. The house was recognized because its owners had a big impact on Sioux City. One important owner was Arthur Sanford. He was a businessman called "Sioux City’s Greatest Builder" in 1954. He helped develop many buildings and projects in the city.
Arthur Sanford and his wife, Stella, were also very generous. They gave away about $5,000,000 (in today's money) to help different causes. Their goal was to create opportunities for young people in Sioux City. Arthur was also active in politics. He attended six Democratic national meetings. He even hosted John F. Kennedy at the Sanford House during Kennedy's run for president in 1960.
Contents
What the House Looks Like
The Sanford House was built in 1914 by Andrew Ostling, who was from Sweden. It is mostly built in the neocolonial style. This style brings back ideas from old American colonial homes. It also has some Prairie style influences. We don't know who the architect was for sure.
The house has two main floors. The first floor is about 2,170 square feet, and the second floor is 1,908 square feet. It also has a finished basement (2,138 sq. ft) and a partly finished attic (600 sq. ft). In total, the house is about 6,816 square feet. It has 4 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, and 2 fireplaces. A sunroom was added in the 1980s.
The north part of the house was for servants. It has a bedroom and bathroom on the second floor, a kitchen on the first floor, and a special room for washing dishes (called a scullery) in the basement. There was also a place to store coal. A small elevator (called a dumbwaiter) and a private staircase connected the servant floors. Every room in the house also had a bell pull system to call the servants. Later, the coal storage area was turned into an office. During the time Arthur Sanford lived there, a beautiful painting was added to the main entrance and grand staircase.
Who Lived Here
Here is a list of the main owners of the Sanford House:
- 1914-1920: Lucia Stone (a generous person who gave to charity)
- 1920-1922: Dr. J. E. Moore (a surgeon)
- 1922-1934: George and Mary Avery (a business owner from Avery Lumber Company)
- 1936-1982: Arthur and Stella Sanford (a business owner from Arthur Sanford & Company)
- 1982-1987: Dr. Alexander and June Kleider (brain surgeon)
- 1987-1990: Dr. Quentin and Barbara Durward (brain surgeon)
- 1990-1994: Dr. Leonel and Yolanda Herrera (brain doctor)
- 1994-1999: Dr. John and Rebecca Marriott (a doctor who uses images to diagnose illnesses)
- 2000-2014: John and Kathy Pritchard (a technology expert)
- 2014–Present: Unknown
The Stone Family's Time
Lucia Wright married Edgar Heathcote Stone in 1884. Edgar went to Yale University and was friends with William Howard Taft, who later became a U.S. President.
Edgar's father, Thomas Jefferson Stone, was one of the first people to settle in Sioux City in 1856. He helped plan and buy much of the early land. Thomas also started the First National Bank of Sioux City. He helped create the Sergeant Floyd Monument and Stone State Park. When he passed away in 1904, Edgar and Lucia inherited a large amount of money.
Edgar had been sick for years and died suddenly in 1911. Lucia was left a widow with no children. To honor him, Lucia gave away a lot of land. She donated 800 acres for Stone State Park. She also gave land for what is now MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center. Then, she decided to build a grand house on top of the city's highest point. In 1914, she bought two lots of land for $4,500. The builder, Andrew Ostling, finished the house in 1915. It cost $30,000 to build, making the total cost $34,500.
Lucia sold the Stone House to Dr. J. E. Moore in 1920. She then married a lawyer named Thomas G. Henderson in 1921. Lucia died unexpectedly in 1922.
The Sanford Family's Time
Arthur and Stella Sanford bought the Sanford House in 1936. Arthur was born in Minneapolis. His parents were immigrants from Austria. He learned about business from his father's store. He left college early and worked at a big financial company. He also served in World War I in Paris.
In 1920, Arthur married Stella Wolff. She had just graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In the same year, Arthur started his own company, Arthur Sanford & Co. He sold mortgage bonds and later expanded into real estate. Over 60 years, Arthur helped develop or manage about $400,000,000 (in today's money) in real estate. Six of his properties are now on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1954, he was named "Sioux City’s Greatest Builder." People said he had "more influence on Sioux City’s landscape than any other individual."
In Sioux City, he was involved with many famous buildings. These include the Orpheum Electric Building, the Warrior Hotel, and the Davidson Building. He also helped build apartment buildings, theaters, and a bus terminal.
Arthur was also involved in many other businesses. In 1928, he helped start Mid-Continent Airlines. This airline was later bought by Braniff International Airways. In 1929, he gained control of a large part of the hog cholera vaccine market. In 1941, he helped start the Sioux Soya Mills Company. This was the first soybean processing plant in Iowa. It was later bought by Cargill.
In 1947, Arthur and Stella started the Stellart Charitable Foundation. They wanted to "make opportunities for the younger men and women of Sioux City." They gave about $5,000,000 (in today's money) to many different causes. This included money for the Booker T. Washington Center, which was renamed the Sanford Community Center. They also gave money for renovations at the Mary Treglia Community Center. They donated for the Sanford Organ at Morningside College and for the Stella Sanford Day Care Center.
Starting in 1940, Arthur was very active in politics. He was a delegate for Iowa at six Democratic national conventions. In 1950, he was a U.S. delegate to a conference in Geneva. He helped with presidential campaigns for Adlai Stevenson II in 1952 and 1956. In 1960, he hosted presidential candidate John F. Kennedy at the Sanford House. In 1966, he helped organize a reception for Senator Robert Kennedy at the Orpheum Theater. He also served on many other committees and teams.
After Arthur and Stella passed away in 1981, the Sanford House was sold to Dr. Alexander and June Kleider.
The Marriott Family's Time
Dr. John and Rebecca Marriott
Dr. John Thomas Marriott II and his wife, Rebecca, bought the Sanford House on June 20, 1994. John grew up in Sioux City. After serving in the military and finishing his medical training, he returned to Sioux City to work as a radiologist.
Over the years, the style of the house had changed. The beautiful hardwood floors and crystal chandeliers had been replaced with 1960s decor. The house had not been updated much since the 1980s. From 1994 to 1999, Rebecca Marriott and a contractor named Gary Bender worked to restore every room. They brought back the house's original neocolonial look. The entire basement was also redone. The contractors often called the house "Marriott Manor" because of their work.
In 1998, their son, Thomas Montgomery Marriott, started his first company in the basement of the Sanford House. In 1999, John and Rebecca sold the Sanford House to John and Kathy Pritchard. They then moved to The Woodlands, Texas.
Images for kids
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View of the front of the house in 1915, shortly after it was finished.
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John F. Kennedy with the Sanfords outside the Sanford House in 1960.
