Thursday, August 5, 2010

The Laurium Manor Inn

I love taking tours of old mansions. I'm not sure what it is that draws me in; the gross displays of wealth, the family stories behind the decor, the smell of "old"? Regardless, I enjoy historical homes, and when we went to Calumet, Michigan, last week, my family humored me by tagging along to a tour in nearby (spitting distance, really) Laurium.


The Laurium Manor Inn was finished in 1908 and is on the National Register of Historic Places in America. It was built by wealthy mining company magnate, Captain Thomas H. Hoatson, as a gift to his wife. (Lucky woman, huh?) Here are some of the interesting aspects of this beautiful home....

See this funky circle? It's in the original carriage house, and it allowed a driver to pull the car in and rotate it to face outward when it was time to drive out. (Early automobiles did not have reverse gears!)  


Of course, the home is filled with gorgeous antiques like this one-of-a-kind box grand piano.


The home has had several different owners, and some of them removed the antiques within, but it still has many remarkable features. For example, there are numerous original light fixtures, including this beauty, which hangs from a very detailed tray ceiling. If you click on the photo, you can see this gorgeous treasure up close.


This one, too, is original.


I kept the bubbled ceiling paper in the photo to illustrate what the current owners are facing in terms of costs of renovating the manor.

The craftsmanship in homes like these is one of the things I admire most about that generation. Everywhere you look, you see hours and hours worth of detail, from the woodwork, to the wallpaper, to the mind-boggling tile work. They didn't say not to take photos, but every other place I've been to does, so I compromised and did not use a flash. Although you can't tell from this photo, this fireplace is made of hand-carved oak, tiled with glass and is absolutely beautiful.


Also in the den is a mural (one of many in the home) painted by a German artist, depicting an area near the Hoatson's family cottage. Don't you just love these colors?!




David and Julie Sprenger purchased the mansion in 1989 and operate it as a bed and breakfast today. If you stay at the Laurium Manor, expect rooms like these...

 

and don't expect air conditioning, but do expect exceptional hospitality, I met Julie when we were there. Her devotion to the home was very evident. Can you imagine how much time it takes to cook and clean for guests in a a mansion every day?  She and her husband do not receive federal funding to help pay for renovations, but they work tirelessly, in the name of love for history, to continue restoration as funds become available.

There is so much more to see in this house, but in the interest of time, I've left out several things, including the diningroom "wallpaper," (which is actual elephant skin!), the claw foot bathtubs, and the 3rd floor ballroom, which has been turned into a gift shop of sorts, filled with unique, yet stylish designer items of all kinds.

Before you leave, take some time to sit down in one of the wicker chairs on the expansive porch and try to imagine what it was like to relax with a good book and a big, tall glass of homemade lemonade. Times were simpler back then; unless, of course, you were responsible for placing these thousands of tiles...


For more information about The Laurium Manor, visit Laurium Manor Inn.

P.S. In the interest of full disclosure, I have to add that Kendall did not last long in the tour, as she has an allergy to dust, and her nose starting freaking out. I suppose if you have a sensitive nose, you might not want to stay there. (I, on the other hand, have a long-established tolerance for dust!)

28 comments:

  1. as a present to his wife he made her a business woman. it would have been her responsible for the hiring and firing of staff, ensuring they got paid, budgeting for them, the running of the house and so on. of course, she probably had a butler and housekeeper to help with those duties, but her's would've been considerable as well. such was the cost of keeping up with, and surpassing, the joneses of their era.

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  2. History has always been a favorite subject of mine. I love visiting historical sites, and the older the better. It's nice that your family went along with you. Over here, they bore easily with history. While I'm carefully checking everything out, the rest of the clan is at the end of the tour waiting for me. Sigh.

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  3. Oh, it is just beautiful. I love old houses. They have their own spirit.
    Thank you for the tour!

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  4. Thanks for this great post! This is a stop well worth making and I'll make the trip sometime when I'm in the Keewenaw area.

    Elephant skin???

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  5. This looks awesome! If ever in Michigan I will have to check it out.

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  6. Gorgeous! The piano is to die for! I'm with Kendall highly allergic to dust unless it's my dust I can tolerate longer for some reason!

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  7. What an absolutely amazing place! I love visiting old homes and mansions...sigh....

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  8. Laurium Manor is a wonderful place. I too like the historic aspect and construction details like the stairs and lighting. These tours are not everyone's cup of tea but certainly worth a visit. I'm glad you liked it - even with no ghost encounter.

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  9. I too just love those big old houses!!! The pump organ is just like the one Granny Walden left me. She kept it in her bedroom and we would sit for hours playin' and singin' when I had a sleep over. My sister in Texas has it right now.

    Ya'll had a great weekend...it's showin'!

    God bless ya and have a wonderful day!!!

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  10. Well, Frau, a good percentage of dust particles comes from dead skin (I know-gross!), so maybe that's why the dust in our own homes doesn't bother us; we're used to it!haha

    Poor Matty--My heart goes out to you. Mr.4444 faked a dust reaction in the first five minutes of the tour and left with Kendall. Kyle surprised me by hanging in for the entire time with me and Grandma 4444, though I'm pretty sure it was his just being sweet, rather than pure interest, but that counts for something, right?!

    Dykewife--Excellent point!!

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  11. Incredible!! I love love love old homes and places like this. So much character, and the craftmanship. You just see things like that, these days. Everything was done and created with such care and pride...making each element unique. *sigh* To have been the recipient of such a beautiful home.

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  12. It is GORGEOUS! However, like Kendall, I might not last long. Boo.

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  13. What an interesting place and it would make an unusual place to stay, but maybe some day when I don't have a three year old :-)

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  14. I cannot imagine having the stamina to run a B & B. This looks like it is a gorgeous place and I really like the fireplace.

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  15. You're right, the quality and craftsmanship found years ago has simply disappeared. Awesome fireplace!

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  16. What a beautiful place! I'm an antique lover, too! A friend had B&B in Bardstown, KY, with the same richness and history. It was loaded with ghosts, too! Our Lempe Mansion here in St. Louis is another lovely place full of history.

    Thanks so much for sharing this great getaway with us.

    BTW, I love your new look!

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  17. Thanks for the virtual tour! It's absolutely beautiful! I love old mansions and homes too - you're right - it's the smell of "old" and the stories behind them that are so captivating! Beautiful!

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  18. Love that bed-in-the-corner! It's gorgeous...and what a great idea. Never even considered the corner.

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  19. I love going into old buildings. And going into other peoples' homes almost got me into real estate!

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  20. Thank you for sharing your tour. I absolutely love big old houses and in my lifetime have completely restored 2. I am blessed to have lived in Bucks County, Pa. where there are so many of these old gems..several even come with ghosts. I do have to say though that the mansions on Ocean Drive in Newport Rhode Island are worth the trip if you ever have the opportunity.

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  21. This is my kind of vacation, touring historic mansions. However, it is not my families idea of a vacation, so I haven't. I have many mansions on my list of places to visit. Thanks for this post and a glimpse into a working mansion. I think I'll clink on the link you provided and look some more.

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  22. LOVE IT! Sadly, I've never toured a mansion. I live in Oklahoma. We probably don't have any of those here! ;) But wow! That was amazing!

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  23. impulsive addict. get on google! you have plantation homes!!

    barb, I love touring large old homes...did you see the review I did of the Victorian B&B?

    and what the heck is a "box grand piano"????? that looks like an organ to me. pump pedal to make her go, stops (the circular buttons) above the keyboard and all. I bet if you hit a key or two that there'd be an organ. and a gorgeous one at that!

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  24. What a lovely tour. I was surprised that the musical instrument was called a piano. From the picture it looks like it is one of the old pump organs. It is very beautiful.

    I am also one of your new followers

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  25. How beautiful. Thanks for sharing this.

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