Cont. from page 9
Reddick Mansion was Ottawa’s
public library for more
than 85 years after Reddick’s
death. Historic interpretation
and sensitivity to the mansion’s
origins were not a priority
during this phase. Open
staircases were enclosed; half
of the original fireplaces disappeared
during the library’s
stewardship; and walls were
removed to open up reading
rooms. These and other
reminders of the challenges
faced by local historic foundations
seeking to authentically
restore their architectural
treasures after decades
of incremental modernization
and alternative uses are also
part of the mansion’s story.
Today, about half the structure’s
22 rooms have been
furnished and redecorated
to look as they might have
appeared during the Reddick
family’s 30-year residency,
and the new owners have
created a small but attractive
garden with colorful
perennials, blooming shrubs,
flagstone walkways and an
inviting arbor. For persons
interested in Victorian era
homes on the Illinois Prairie,
it is worth the price of admission,
and the hour required
for tour guides to tell all of its
stories.
The Weber House & Gardens
in Streator is a very different
experience. Built by Ernest
Weber in 1938 for $13,000,
it is a modest upper-middle
class “kit” home manufactured
by the Gordon Van Tyne
Company (probably selected
by the buyer via a catalog or
contractor’s brochure). Owners
of stylish “kit” homes
were successful businessmen
and community leaders—
but lacked the resources of
moguls and industrialists;
so they would select pre-designed
homes that could still
reflect their social standing.
The Weber House, known as
a Bristol Style house because
its architecture and appearance
are based on English
homes of the same name,
allowed the original owner to
add customizations—this one
includes half-timbering and
Story Book House features.
The interior was finished in
the Georgian/Colonial Revival
style. The Weber House is
newer than the Reddick Mansion,
but utilizes a much older
style and design.
Owned continuously by the
Weber Family, the Weber
House was never used for
non-residential functions, and
was not significantly modernized.
Its current owner, Ted
Weber, was a Chicago radio
personality in the 1960s and
1970s and uses these experiences
to tell personal stories
about the famous people he
met; many of them travelled
to the Weber House.
Six elaborate interconnected
gardens outside are an extension
of the house—with
rooms that tell a different
story in each one. This is not
your typical house and garden
tour. While the home and
grounds are both beautiful
and educational, more than
half the experience of the Weber
House & Gardens is the
vibrant and humorous stories
Weber tells in each room and
garden.