Harvey M. Vaile Mansion

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Harvey M. Vaile Mansion
National Register of Historic Places
Vaile Mansion, Independence, Missouri LCCN2011631466 (cropped) .jpg
Harvey M. Vaile Mansion, Missouri
Paris plan pointer b jms.svg
location 1500 N. Liberty St., Independence in Missouri (USA)
Coordinates 39 ° 6 ′ 29 ″  N , 94 ° 25 ′ 2 ″  W Coordinates: 39 ° 6 ′ 29 ″  N , 94 ° 25 ′ 2 ″  W
Built 1871-1881
architect Asa B. Cross
NRHP number 69000108
The NRHP added 1st October 1969

The Harvey M. Vaile Mansion is a locally significant example of Second Empire architecture in Independence , Missouri . Built in 1881 at 1500 North Liberty Street for businessman Harvey M. Vaile, the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969 and is open to the public as a museum.

history

The house was built for Colonel Harvey Merrick Vaile and his wife Sophia. Vaile was born in Vermont in 1831 and graduated from the University of Louisville with a law degree before moving to Kansas City in 1859 until he finally settled in Independence in 1870. Vaile was a strong supporter of the abolition of slavery and one of the founders of the Republican Party in Jackson County . Vaile built his fortune by investing in a variety of business activities, primarily related to the construction of the Erie Canal ; he was also a partner and operator of the Star Mail Routes , and held a license for the route to Santa Fe . Vaile was a prominent figure among the business community in Independence and wanted a "splendid residence" as an expression of his prosperity. Construction began around 1871 and in 1881 the house was at a cost of 150,000  US dollars (in today's prices: 3,863,000 US dollars) completed. The Vaile Mansion quickly became the linchpin of Jackson County's social life, and hosted numerous Senators and Congressmen through the 1880s and 1890s.

In the early 1880s, Vaile was involved in the Star Route Scandal . Vaile was charged with government fraud in two trials, but in both cases the verdict was "not guilty". However, Vaile had spent over $ 100,000 on his defense. In February 1883, while he was away for a trip, his wife was found dead with an overdose of morphine . Sophia Vaile had previously been diagnosed with stomach cancer, which is why it was assumed to be suicide . Vaile lived in the house until his death in 1895. Immediately thereafter, the heirs began a legal dispute over the property that lasted five years.

During the following decades the house changed hands several times; from 1908 it was used as a sanatorium and later Carey May Carroll had it converted into a nursing home and used it to fill mineral water for the "Vaile Pure Water Co." After Carroll's death, the threatened mansion was bought by Roger and Mary Mildred DeWitt, who began repairs; In 1983 it was acquired by the city administration as a gift from Mrs. Dewitt and reconstructed over several years. The Harvey M. Vaile Mansion is now a historic home museum operated by the non-profit Vaile Victorian Society founded in 1983 by residents of the city.

description

The Harvey M. Vaile Mansion was designed by the architect Asa Beebe Cross (1826-1894) from Kansas City. The Second Empire-style design was apparently influenced by a large house that Vaile and his wife had seen in Normandy . The two-and-a-half-story symmetrical structure is dominated by the centrally positioned three-story tower and was built from hand-made bricks (which were purchased for 50,000 US dollars). The building has a carefully worked out one-story porch, ornaments made of limestone, provided with corbels cornices , with dormers provided mansard roof and different colored roof panels made of slate. The wealth of ornaments with which the house is decorated is an example of the Victorian taste for leaving no surface untouched. The tall, narrow windows and the double mansard roof of the central tower emphasize the strong sense of the verticality of the facade.

At the time of its completion, the Vaile Mansion was, according to a reporter for the Kansas City Times in 1882, "the most expensive and comfortable home in the West." It has 31 rooms with 14 foot ceilings that have been decorated by French, German and Italian artists. The original furniture was auctioned when the property was sold by the Vaile family (the present day furnishings were made by the Vaile Victorian Society after 1983); however, the paintings inside the building are still preserved, as are the nine marble open fireplaces, which were purchased for $ 1,500 each, and two of the three original chandeliers that were originally intended for the White House . Harvey Vaile was able to buy these for $ 800 because they had flaws. The most modern amenities the house was equipped with at the time included speaking pipes, gasoliers, running hot and cold water and flush toilets; Equipped with a 6,000 gallon water tank, the Vaile Mansion was the first house in Jackson County to be piped.

The mansion was originally surrounded by a 630  acre country estate (of which only 5.6 acres remain) that included a vineyard and apple orchard. Vaile had grape-to-wine processing facilities on his estate and his wine cellar had a capacity of 48,000 gallons .

gallery

Pictures from the Historic American Buildings Survey ( Jack Boucher , April / May 1986)

  • southern facade

  • tower

  • Interior view with one of the nine marble open fireplaces (east salon, first floor)

  • Detail of the staircase and entrance hall

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h Kent Burgess: The Vaile Mansion ~ Part One (English) . In: The Inter-City News , February 19, 2015. Retrieved November 27, 2016. 
  2. ↑ a b c Jonas Weir: Victorian Wonderland ( English ) In: MissouriLife . December 2, 2015. Archived from the original on December 3, 2016. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved November 27, 2016. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.missourilife.com
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l M. Patricia Holmes: National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form ( English , PDF) National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior . 1969-06-09. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  4. ↑ Steve Walker, Liz Smith, Sarah Smarsh: Wedding Vaile. Mansion shows Victorian dresses (English) . In: The Pitch , May 8, 2003. Retrieved November 27, 2016. 
  5. ^ A b c d e Caroline Dohack-McCrary: Anatomy of an Estate. Indulge in Victorian-era splendor exploring one of Missouri's castles (English) . In: Columbia Daily Tribune , February 21, 2010. Retrieved November 27, 2016. 
  6. ^ David W. Jackson: Springs brought pioneers. Why isn't Independence closer to the river? (English) . In: The Examiner , June 21, 2008. Retrieved November 27, 2016. 
  7. ↑ Robert Buerglener: Historic American Buildings Survey - Harvey M. Vaile Mansion ( English , PDF) National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior . 1988-07-14. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  8. ^ A b Vaile Mansion ( English ) The Vaile Victorian Society. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  9. ^ Asa Beebe Cross ( English , PDF) State Historical Society of Missouri . Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  10. ↑ a b c d Vaile Mansion ( English ) In: SAH Archipedia . Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  11. ↑ a b c A Man and His Mansion ( English ) The Vaile Victorian Society. Retrieved November 27, 2016.

Web links

Commons : Harvey M. Vaile Mansion  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files