Thomas H. Hoatson House facts for kids
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Thomas H. Hoatson House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Thomas H Hoatson House in 2009
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | 320 Tamarack Street, Laurium, Michigan |
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| Built | 1906 |
| Architect | Charles Maass |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Part of | Laurium Historic District (ID04001578) |
| NRHP reference No. | 94001426 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 09, 1994 |
| Designated CP | January 31, 2005 |
The Thomas H. Hoatson House, also known as the Laurium Manor Inn, is a very special house. You can find it at 320 Tamarack Street in Laurium, Michigan. This amazing building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. It's huge, covering about 1,200 square meters (13,000 square feet)! This makes it the biggest mansion in the western part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Contents
The Amazing Hoatson House
Who Was Thomas Hoatson?
From Scotland to Michigan
The Hoatson House was designed by Charles W. Maass and his brother, Frederick A. Maass. It was built in 1908 for Thomas Hoatson Jr. Thomas's dad, Thomas Sr., came from Scotland to Canada in 1852.
Thomas Jr. was born in Bruce Mines, Ontario, on October 20, 1861. In 1865, his family moved to the United States. They first lived in Houghton, Michigan, where Thomas Sr. worked at the Quincy Mine. Then they moved to Greenland, Michigan, and the Ridge Mine. Finally, in 1870, the family settled in Calumet, Michigan. There, Thomas Sr. became a superintendent at the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company. He held this important job until he passed away in 1897.
A Successful Mining Career
Thomas Hoatson Jr. went to school in Calumet until he was seventeen. After that, he followed in his father's footsteps. He started working for the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company too.
In 1901, Thomas Hoatson helped start the Bisbee Mine in Bisbee, Arizona. He worked with his older brother James and other investors. Thomas Hoatson became the second vice-president of this new company. The mine later changed its name to the Calumet and Arizona Mining Company. It became very successful, making a lot of money for the investors, including Hoatson.
Even though the Bisbee mine was in Arizona, Hoatson chose to live in the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan. He was also a vice-president for several other mines. He was the president of the Calumet State Bank and a director at the First National Bank of Calumet.
On November 24, 1886, Hoatson married Cornelia Chenowyth. She was from Rockland. They had six children: Gussie, Calvin Dean, Chester, James Ramsey, Gertrude, and Grace Lorimer. Thomas Hoatson Jr. died on February 1, 1929.
The House's Story
Building a Dream Home
Thomas Hoatson Jr. built his grand house as a surprise for his wife and children. He hired architect Charles Maass to design it. The house cost $50,000 to build, which was a huge amount of money back then! It was finished in 1907. The house was special because it had many new technologies for its time.
From Home to Historic Inn
After Thomas Hoatson passed away, the house had several different owners. Some of them removed the original stained glass and light fixtures before 1984. From 1949 to 1979, it was used as the Thomas Funeral Home. Maynard R. Hurlburt, an undertaker, owned it then.
Around 1984, Gerard and Marcella Brohman bought the house. They used it as their private home. Marcella loved to decorate the mansion with many old, beautiful pieces of furniture. In 1989, Dave and Julie Sprenger bought the Hoatson House. They turned it into a bed-and-breakfast called the "Laurium Manor Inn." Today, you can stay there or take a tour. It is also a Heritage Site connected to the Keweenaw National Historical Park.
What Does the House Look Like?
Outside the Mansion
The Hoatson House is a two-and-a-half-story building made of wood. It is designed in the Neoclassical style. The house is shaped like a rectangle. It has a red sandstone foundation and wooden siding on the outside.
The front of the house looks balanced and even. There's a main entrance in the middle with a porch supported by Corinthian columns. On each side of the main entrance, there is a one-story porch. The house has a sloped roof with windows that stick out, called gabled dormers.
Inside the Grand Rooms
Inside, the house has 45 rooms! It covers about 1,200 square meters (13,000 square feet). The inside has many beautiful details. On the first floor, there is a library that is about 7 meters (23 feet) by 7 meters (23 feet). There's also a dining room, about 5 meters (17 feet) by 7 meters (23 feet).
The reception hall is very long, about 4 meters (12 feet) by 12 meters (40 feet), and has a triple staircase. Also on the first floor, you'll find a den with a colorful tile fireplace and painted pictures on the walls. There's also a kitchen and pantry space. The second floor used to have six bedrooms and three bathrooms. The third floor had three more bedrooms, a bathroom, a special cedar room, and a billiard room. This billiard room was very large, about 15 meters (50 feet) by 15 meters (50 feet)!
