William G. LeDuc House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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William G. LeDuc House
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The William G. LeDuc House from the west
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | Hastings, Minnesota |
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| Built | 1865 |
| Architect | based on plans by Andrew Jackson Downing |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000292 |
| Added to NRHP | June 22, 1970 |
The William G. LeDuc House, also known as the LeDuc Historic Estate, is a special old house in Hastings, Minnesota. It's so important that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This beautiful home was finished in 1865 by William Gates LeDuc. He was a lawyer who moved to Minnesota from Ohio in 1850.
William LeDuc got the land for his house as payment for his work as a lawyer. He helped with a legal case about the Vermillion Falls, which is not far from his home. LeDuc was also a veteran of the Civil War. Later, he even served the country as the U.S. Commissioner of Agriculture under President Rutherford B. Hayes.
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What Makes the LeDuc House Special?
The LeDuc Estate is a great example of the Carpenter Gothic style. This style was made popular by Andrew Jackson Downing, who was a very important person in American landscape design. William LeDuc and his wife, Mary, found ideas for their home in Downing's book, Cottage Residences. Even though Downing had passed away in 1852, his ideas lived on.
Building a Dream Home
Work on the LeDuc House started in 1862 and was completed in 1866. William LeDuc served as a Quartermaster during the Civil War. This meant he was in charge of supplies for the army. In August 1865, his family moved into their new home, even though it wasn't fully finished yet. In March 1865, he was honored for his excellent work during the war.
William LeDuc's Journey to Minnesota
William G. LeDuc first arrived in St. Paul, Minnesota Territory, in 1850. He came from Ohio to open a bookstore and a law office. In 1854, he bought a share of the town of Hastings. By 1856, he and his wife, Mary Bronson LeDuc, moved to Hastings with their two daughters. They also owned two wheat farms and a large piece of land with a small mill near the Vermillion River falls. This is where William and Mary decided to build their dream house.
Inspired by Nature and Design
The LeDucs chose a Gothic Revival home design. They found it in a later edition of Andrew Jackson Downing's book, Cottage Residences. Downing was a famous landscape architect and writer. He encouraged Americans to make their homes beautiful by surrounding them with nature. He also believed in good design for all types of properties, even farms.
William and Mary picked three of Downing's designs for their rural estate. These included their main house, a Carriage Barn, and an Ice House. The entire estate shows a wonderful example of Downing's Gothic Revival style.
The LeDuc House Through the Years
Carroll Simmons, a friend of the LeDuc grandchildren, bought the house in 1940. He used it for his antique business. In 1958, he gave the house, its other buildings, and 4 acres of land to the Minnesota Historical Society. He had an agreement that he could keep using it for his business until he retired. He finally retired in 1986.
Between 1986 and 2003, the future of the LeDuc House was unclear. Even though it was the first property the Minnesota Historical Society owned, they had opened other house museums by the time they fully took over the LeDuc House. Some needed repairs were done, but the property remained empty for a while.
Opening to the Public
Local groups worked hard to make Carroll Simmons' dream come true: they wanted the LeDuc House to be open for everyone to visit. In 2002, the Minnesota Legislature provided $1.2 million to help the Minnesota Historical Society fix up the house and make it safe for visitors.
Agreements were made between the Minnesota Historical Society, the City of Hastings, and the Dakota County Historical Society. Because of these agreements, the City of Hastings now owns the house, and the Dakota County Historical Society manages it.
The LeDuc House officially opened for tours on May 22, 2005. On June 24, 2005, the Minnesota Historical Society officially transferred the LeDuc House to the City of Hastings. As part of this agreement, the Society also gave $604,000 to help with the house's future care and repairs. This money had been provided by Carroll Simmons to help keep the LeDuc House special.
