Vaile Mansion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Harvey M. Vaile Mansion
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| Location | 1500 N. Liberty St., Independence, Missouri |
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| Area | 5.6 acres (2.3 ha) |
| Built | c. 1871–1881 |
| Architect | Asa B. Cross |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| NRHP reference No. | 69000108 |
| Added to NRHP | October 1, 1969 |
The Harvey M. Vaile Mansion is a beautiful historic house located at 1500 North Liberty Street in Independence, Missouri. It was built in 1881 for a successful businessman named Harvey M. Vaile. This mansion is a great example of Second Empire style. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. Today, you can visit the Vaile Mansion as a museum!
The Mansion's Story
The Vaile Mansion was built for Colonel Harvey Merrick Vaile and his wife, Sophia. Harvey was born in Vermont in 1831. He studied law and later moved to Kansas City, Missouri, before settling in Independence in 1870.
Harvey Vaile was a strong supporter of the movement to end slavery. He also helped start the Republican Party in his area. He became very wealthy by investing in big projects, like the Erie Canal. He also owned and ran parts of the mail delivery system, including the important Santa Fe Trail route.
Because he was so successful, Vaile wanted a grand home to show his wealth. Construction on the mansion began around 1871 and finished in 1881. It cost about $150,000 back then, which would be like $3–4 million today! The Vaile Mansion quickly became the most impressive house in Jackson County. Many important people, like U.S. Senators, visited and enjoyed its hospitality.
In the early 1880s, Vaile faced some challenges with his mail delivery business. He went through two trials in 1882 and 1883. Even though he was found not guilty both times, he spent over $100,000 on legal costs. In February 1883, while he was away, his wife Sophia, who had been ill, passed away at home.
Harvey Vaile lived in the mansion until he died in 1894. After his death, his family had a long legal fight over who would own the estate.
Over the years, the house had many different owners. In 1908, it became a special hospital called a sanatorium. Later, it was used as a nursing home. A company also bottled spring water from the property, calling it "Vaile Pure Water."
Eventually, the mansion was in danger of being torn down. But Roger and Mary Mildred DeWitt bought it and started making repairs. In 1983, Mrs. DeWitt donated the mansion to the City of Independence. Since then, it has been carefully restored. Today, the Harvey M. Vaile Mansion is a historic house museum. It is run by the Vaile Victorian Society, a group of local people who work to preserve it.
What Makes the Mansion Special?
The Harvey M. Vaile Mansion was designed by architect Asa Beebe Cross. It is built in the Second Empire style. People say its design was inspired by a large house Vaile and his wife saw in France.
The mansion is made of hand-pressed red bricks, which cost $50,000! It has a central tower that is three stories tall. You can see fancy details like a large porch, stone carvings, and decorative roofs. The roofs are made of colorful slate shingles. All these decorations show the Victorian love for adding lots of detail to buildings. The tall windows and the tower make the house look very grand and tall.
When it was finished, a newspaper reporter in 1882 called the Vaile Mansion "the most princely house and the most comfortable home in the entire west."
Inside, the mansion has thirty-one rooms! The ceilings are very high, about fourteen feet tall. Artists from France, Germany, and Italy decorated the ceilings. The original furniture was sold a long time ago. But the Vaile Victorian Society has refurnished the house since 1983.
The mansion still has its original paint colors. It also has nine beautiful marble fireplaces. One of them cost $1500! Two of the three original chandeliers are still there too. These chandeliers were actually meant for the White House! Harvey Vaile bought them for $800 when he was in Washington, D.C., because they had a small flaw.
The house also had amazing features for its time. It had speaking tubes (like an old-fashioned intercom system), gas lights, and indoor hot and cold running water. It even had flush toilets! The Vaile Mansion was the first house in Jackson County to have indoor plumbing, thanks to a large 6,000-gallon water tank built into the house.
Originally, the mansion was surrounded by a huge 630-acre estate. This land included a grape vineyard and an apple orchard. Vaile even had a wine-making building and a wine cellar that could hold 48,000 gallons of wine! Today, the estate is smaller, about 5.6 acres.
Gallery
- Images from the Historic American Buildings Survey (Jack Boucher, April/May 1986)
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South elevation
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Tower
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Interior photo, showing one of the mansion's nine marble fireplaces (east parlor, first floor)
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Detail of staircase, entrance hall
