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214:, is the site of a Queen Anne-style mansion, formal gardens, a children's garden, night garden, pond, orchard, and woodland. Built between 1884 and 1886 by Caroline Sinclair, widow of pioneer industrialist T.M. Sinclair, Brucemore has been home to three prominent families who used the estate as a center for culture and the arts. Brucemore, whose name alludes to the Scottish moors of the second owner's ancestral home, is Iowa's only National Trust Historic Site and is preserved by the
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325:(110,000 m). They also enclosed the western porch, and added picture windows to the master bedroom, the library, and the dining room. In two of their more unusual enhancements to the house, the Halls added two basement recreation rooms, "The Tahitian Room", and a "Grizzly Bar". The Tahitian room is designed to resemble a tropical island, including a faux hut roof, and a switch that can create artificial rain. The Grizzly room is decorated like a
285:'s plays and poems. Under George's direction, the size of the property was increased to 33 acres (130,000 m), and several buildings were constructed, including a guesthouse, greenhouse, carriage house, squash court, and servants' quarters. He also moved the entrance to the south side. The interior was also upgraded, with exposed ceiling beams and butternut paneling added to the great hall. This expansion cost over $ 30,000 and was designed by
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247:. Thomas started a meatpacking business, the T.M. Sinclair & Co., which became the city's largest business. Sinclair died in an 1881 accident at the plant, leaving Caroline to bring up their six children, the youngest aged just six months. In 1884, Caroline Sinclair purchased land that was then beyond the city limits and started to build a
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architect. When his daughter fell ill, Allardt left the job, and Henry
Josselyn and Eugene Taylor continued where he left off. The original plan for the house included a great hall, eight bathrooms, nine bedrooms, fourteen fireplaces, and a grand staircase. Sinclair added a conservatory to the south
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Brucemore is the story of three wealthy families: industrialists, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, boosters, neighbors, and friends. The men created great fortunes: Thomas
Sinclair in meatpacking; George Bruce Douglas in starch processing; and Howard Hall in manufacturing. However, the women of
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Margaret
Douglas married Howard Hall in 1924. The couple lived on the Brucemore grounds, residing in the Garden House from the start of their marriage until the death of Margaret's mother. While they lived there, they sold off some of the property, reducing the estate to its current 26 acres
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Today, Brucemore is a hub of cultural, philanthropic, and educational activities, welcoming 40,000 people each year to a variety of events, including festivals, concerts, tours, garden programs, children and family activities, outdoor theater, and more.
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The Halls kept several pets on the property, including two German shepherds, a monkey and several birds. But their most famous pets were three lions, all named Leo. Jackie, the lion that roars at the beginning of
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All of
Brucemore's residents used their wealth and standing to promote the community that had supported them. When Margaret died in 1981, she bequeathed Brucemore to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
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Brucemore are at the heart of the story; Caroline
Sinclair built the mansion; Irene Douglas transformed it to a country estate; and Margaret Hall gave it to the National Trust.
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which was added to the house. In 1927, a swimming pool was added. In 1929, Irene embarked on a major redecoration project. She enlisted the help of
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movies, is related to one of the Leos. One of the lions as well as 20 dogs are buried in the pet cemetery near the gardens.
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In 1906, when all her children had grown, Caroline traded homes with George Bruce
Douglas, and moved to 800 Second Ave SE.
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In 1923, George died. Fourteen years later, Irene followed him and willed the home to their oldest daughter
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Completed in 1886 for $ 55,000, the home was described as "the grandest house west of
Chicago" to the local paper.
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and bound many of the books currently found in the house's library, such as 40 volumes of
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University and college buildings listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
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In 1871, Thomas McElderry and Caroline Soutter Sinclair moved to Cedar Rapids from
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a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan
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Back Stairs at Brucemore:Life as Servants in early 20th-Century America,
429:"Give Your Home a Historic Touch with 7 Vintage-Inspired Wall Coverings"
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List of jails and prisons on the National Register of Historic Places
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Cedar Rapids Central Business District Commercial Historic District
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National Register of Historic Places listings in Linn County, Iowa
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George Bruce Douglas was a partner in his father's business, the
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313:, who selected the bird-themed wall paper in the third floor.
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in co-stewardship with Brucemore, Inc. Under the name of the
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Front entrance of Brucemore; originally the back of the house
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Cedar Rapids 2nd Avenue SE. Automobile Row Historic District
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National Register of Historic Places in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
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Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa
414:"Five Personal Libraries at National Trust Historic Sites"
399:"Determining the Facts, Reading 1: Servants at Brucemore"
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West Side Third Avenue SW Commercial Historic District
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Iowa Wind Mill and Pump Company Office and Warehouse
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History of the National Register of Historic Places
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254:The home was designed by Maximillian Allardt, an
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947:National Register of Historic Places portal
1223:Our Mother of Sorrows Grotto Historic District
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1167:Sinclair Building-Smulekoffs Furniture Store
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431:. National Trust for Historic Preservation.
416:. National Trust for Historic Preservation.
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16:Historic house in Iowa, United States
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999:National Register of Historic Places
412:Ortenberg, Rebecca (June 25, 2024).
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224:National Register of Historic Places
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427:Peters, Emma (July 16, 2024).
251:mansion she named "Fairhome."
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1492:Museums in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
1208:Mays Island Historic District
1188:Bever Woods Historic District
1183:B Avenue NE Historic District
107:Show map of the United States
1512:Houses in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
1417:Grant Vocational High School
1274:William and Sue Damour House
311:Elizabeth Eleanor D'Arcy Gaw
19:United States historic place
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349:Community cultural center
269:The Douglases (1906–1937)
239:The Sinclairs (1886–1906)
184:NRHP reference
150:41.9923889°N 91.6393528°W
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1299:T. M. Sinclair Mansion
1289:Lustron Home No. 02102
1080:Linn County Courthouse
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534:National Park Service
514:Contributing property
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320:The Halls (1937–1981)
287:Howard Van Doren Shaw
220:T.M. Sinclair Mansion
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889:District of Columbia
1433:First Avenue Bridge
1369:Religious buildings
1259:A. T. Averill House
1037:Apartment buildings
446:Brucemore's website
283:William Shakespeare
275:Quaker Oats Company
259:side of the house.
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120:2160 Linden Dr., SE
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334:
332:
328:
319:
317:
314:
312:
308:
304:
300:
296:
292:
288:
284:
280:
276:
268:
266:
263:
260:
257:
252:
250:
246:
245:New York City
238:
236:
229:
227:
225:
221:
217:
213:
209:
200:
198:Added to NRHP
196:
192:
189:
182:
179:
176:
172:
168:
164:
159:
141:91°38′21.67″W
138:41°59′32.60″N
131:
127:
124:
119:
115:
94:
69:
59:
52:
47:
43:
39:
34:
27:
23:
1298:
761:South Dakota
751:Rhode Island
746:Pennsylvania
726:North Dakota
456:
422:
407:
393:
378:
352:
343:
335:
323:
315:
272:
264:
261:
256:Indianapolis
253:
242:
233:
219:
207:
206:
1010:Agriculture
882:Other areas
842:Puerto Rico
676:Mississippi
591:Connecticut
305:designed a
295:North Shore
153: /
129:Coordinates
1476:Categories
1094:Clubhouses
791:Washington
711:New Mexico
706:New Jersey
581:California
358:References
303:Grant Wood
279:bookbinder
178:Queen Anne
801:Wisconsin
766:Tennessee
671:Minnesota
646:Louisiana
327:Wild West
208:Brucemore
169:1884-1886
957:Category
786:Virginia
736:Oklahoma
716:New York
691:Nebraska
681:Missouri
666:Michigan
656:Maryland
641:Kentucky
621:Illinois
596:Delaware
586:Colorado
576:Arkansas
333:saloon.
191:76000780
117:Location
1410:Schools
903:Related
806:Wyoming
781:Vermont
686:Montana
626:Indiana
606:Georgia
601:Florida
571:Arizona
561:Alabama
331:Alaskan
291:Chicago
230:History
1247:Houses
741:Oregon
696:Nevada
636:Kansas
611:Hawaii
566:Alaska
502:Topics
873:Palau
771:Texas
651:Maine
616:Idaho
166:Built
827:Guam
776:Utah
731:Ohio
631:Iowa
289:, a
1001:in
339:MGM
329:or
186:No.
1478::
383:.
377:.
366:^
991:e
984:t
977:v
557::
487:e
480:t
473:v
401:.
193:a
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