Hegeler Carus Mansion
Encyclopedia
The Hegeler Carus Mansion, located at 1307 Seventh Street in La Salle, Illinois
is one of the midwest's great Second Empire structures.
Built in 1876 by Edward C. Hegeler
, partner in nearby Matthiessen Hegeler Zinc Company, the mansion was designed by Chicago architect William W. Boyington
. Boyington is noted for the Chicago Water Tower
, the Joliet State Penitentiary
and for completing the Illinois State Capitol
. Owned and operated by the Hegeler Carus Mansion Foundation, which also owns the Julius W. Hegeler Home, undergoing restoration, located directly across the street.
, later moved his family into the house, and the main headquarters of the Open Court Publishing Company
was located on the first level of the house. It is here that Carus wrote over 70 books, countless articles and served as editor of two scholarly publications, The Open Court and The Monist
. Carus invited editorial contributions from the likes of Charles Sanders Peirce, William James
, Leo Tolstoy
, F. Max Müller, Gottlob Frege
and Bertrand Russell
.
Carus hosted a historical meeting of East
and West
immediately after the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition
, bringing together eminent Oriental religious scholars. This led to Open Court's publishing program emphasizing classics of eastern religious thought. In fact, Zen
scholar D. T. Suzuki spent 11 years in La Salle working with Carus on this programme.
During Paul Carus's granddaughter Louise Carus's tenure as an editor for America First Committee
, an organization conspiring to keep the United States out of World War II, Nazi propagandist Friedrich Ferdinand Auhagen Ernest was arrested at the mansion on March 5, 1941 for failing to register.
The house was later occupied mainly by Carus' children.
stencils and wall and ceiling paintings, the woodwork and the history.
On March 29, 2007, the Hegeler Carus Mansion was designated a National Historic Landmark
.
During late 2008, a project was launched towards restoring the mansion's gym
nasium and its apparatus, considered to be a unique surviving example of a late 19th century physical culture
facility.
Todd Volker, Feature article, "The Hegeler-Carus Mansion" in German Life magazine, June–July 2001.
La Salle, Illinois
LaSalle is a city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States, located at the intersection of Interstates 39 and 80. It is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area. Originally platted in 1837 over one square mile, the city has grown to...
is one of the midwest's great Second Empire structures.
Built in 1876 by Edward C. Hegeler
Edward C. Hegeler
Edward C. Hegeler was a United States zinc manufacturer and publisher.-Biography:...
, partner in nearby Matthiessen Hegeler Zinc Company, the mansion was designed by Chicago architect William W. Boyington
William W. Boyington
William W. Boyington was an architect who designed several notable structures in and around Chicago, Illinois. Originally from Massachusetts, W.W. Boyington studied engineering and architecture in the State of New York...
. Boyington is noted for the Chicago Water Tower
Chicago Water Tower
The Chicago Water Tower is a contributing property in the Old Chicago Water Tower District landmark district. It is located at 806 North Michigan Avenue along the Magnificent Mile shopping district in the Near North Side community area of Chicago, Illinois...
, the Joliet State Penitentiary
Joliet Prison
Joliet Correctional Center was a prison in Joliet, Illinois, United States from 1858 to 2002. It is featured in the motion picture The Blues Brothers as the prison from which Jake Blues is released at the beginning of the movie...
and for completing the Illinois State Capitol
Illinois State Capitol
The Illinois State Capitol, located in Springfield, Illinois, is the building that houses the executive and legislative branches of the government of the U.S. state of Illinois. The current building is the sixth capitol of the state since its admission as a state of the United States in 1818. The...
. Owned and operated by the Hegeler Carus Mansion Foundation, which also owns the Julius W. Hegeler Home, undergoing restoration, located directly across the street.
History and significance
The Hegeler Carus Mansion was initially home to Hegeler and his family. His son-in-law, Dr. Paul CarusPaul Carus
Paul Carus, Ph.D. was a German-American author, editor, a student of comparative religion, and professor of philosophy.-Life and education:...
, later moved his family into the house, and the main headquarters of the Open Court Publishing Company
Open Court Publishing Company
The Open Court Publishing Company is a publisher with offices in Chicago and La Salle, Illinois. It is part of the Carus Publishing Company of Peru, Illinois.-History:...
was located on the first level of the house. It is here that Carus wrote over 70 books, countless articles and served as editor of two scholarly publications, The Open Court and The Monist
The Monist
The Monist: An International Quarterly Journal of General Philosophical Inquiry is an American academic journal in the field of philosophy. It was founded in October 1890 by Edward C. Hegeler, making it one of the longest-established journals in philosophy...
. Carus invited editorial contributions from the likes of Charles Sanders Peirce, William James
William James
William James was a pioneering American psychologist and philosopher who was trained as a physician. He wrote influential books on the young science of psychology, educational psychology, psychology of religious experience and mysticism, and on the philosophy of pragmatism...
, Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
, F. Max Müller, Gottlob Frege
Gottlob Frege
Friedrich Ludwig Gottlob Frege was a German mathematician, logician and philosopher. He is considered to be one of the founders of modern logic, and made major contributions to the foundations of mathematics. He is generally considered to be the father of analytic philosophy, for his writings on...
and Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, and social critic. At various points in his life he considered himself a liberal, a socialist, and a pacifist, but he also admitted that he had never been any of these things...
.
Carus hosted a historical meeting of East
East
East is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.East is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of west and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the right side of a map is east....
and West
West
West is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.West is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of east and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the left side of a map is west....
immediately after the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
, bringing together eminent Oriental religious scholars. This led to Open Court's publishing program emphasizing classics of eastern religious thought. In fact, Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
scholar D. T. Suzuki spent 11 years in La Salle working with Carus on this programme.
During Paul Carus's granddaughter Louise Carus's tenure as an editor for America First Committee
America First Committee
The America First Committee was the foremost non-interventionist pressure group against the American entry into World War II. Peaking at 800,000 members, it was likely the largest anti-war organization in American history. Started in 1940, it became defunct after the attack on Pearl Harbor in...
, an organization conspiring to keep the United States out of World War II, Nazi propagandist Friedrich Ferdinand Auhagen Ernest was arrested at the mansion on March 5, 1941 for failing to register.
The house was later occupied mainly by Carus' children.
Recent developments
In recent years, grandson Blouke Carus and others have initiated restoration, creating the Hegeler Carus Mansion Foundation in the 1990s. The Hegeler Carus Mansion, also known as the "Big House," hosts numerous public programs, and is open for public tours. Visitors are impressed with the amazing high VictorianVictorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
stencils and wall and ceiling paintings, the woodwork and the history.
On March 29, 2007, the Hegeler Carus Mansion was designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
.
During late 2008, a project was launched towards restoring the mansion's gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium and its apparatus, considered to be a unique surviving example of a late 19th century physical culture
Physical culture
Physical culture is a term applied to health and strength training regimens, particularly those that originated during the 19th century. During the mid-late 20th century, the term "physical culture" became largely outmoded in most English-speaking countries, being replaced by terms such as...
facility.
Further reading
- Harold Henderson, Catalyst for Controversy (SIU Press).
Todd Volker, Feature article, "The Hegeler-Carus Mansion" in German Life magazine, June–July 2001.