David Davis Mansion
Encyclopedia
The David Davis Mansion, also known as Clover Lawn, is a Victorian
home in Bloomington
, Illinois
that was the residence of David Davis
, Supreme Court justice (1862-1877) and Senator
from Illinois. The mansion has been a state museum since 1960. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1972 and was designated a National Historic Landmark
in 1975.
Set in a residential neighborhood on Bloomington's near-south-side, the three-story yellow brick mansion comprises 36 rooms in an Italianate
villa style.
The mansion's lot includes an 1872 wood house, a barn and stable, privies
, a foal
ing shed, carriage barn, and a flower and ornamental cutting garden. "Sarah's Garden", the Victorian cut flower garden
, with original heirloom
rose
s and perennials
began restoration in 2001 and is near completion.
to design the mansion, which combines Italianate
and Second Empire architectural features and is a model of mid-Victorian style and taste. Piquenard was a prominent Midwest architect who designed the State Capitol
in Springfield. The home was meant as a residence for Davis' wife, Sarah. David Davis himself spent most of his time there after his retirement from the U.S. Senate in 1883. The house remained in the Davis family until 1960, when it was donated to the state of Illinois, which operates it as a state historic site.
tours are offered during the month of December, for a modest amount more than the general donation.
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
home in Bloomington
Bloomington, Illinois
Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States and the county seat. It is adjacent to Normal, Illinois, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
that was the residence of David Davis
David Davis (Supreme Court justice)
David Davis was a United States Senator from Illinois and associate justice of the United States Supreme Court. He also served as Abraham Lincoln's campaign manager at the 1860 Republican National Convention....
, Supreme Court justice (1862-1877) and Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Illinois. The mansion has been a state museum since 1960. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1972 and 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...
in 1975.
Set in a residential neighborhood on Bloomington's near-south-side, the three-story yellow brick mansion comprises 36 rooms in an Italianate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
villa style.
The mansion's lot includes an 1872 wood house, a barn and stable, privies
Outhouse
An outhouse is a small structure separate from a main building which often contained a simple toilet and may possibly also be used for housing animals and storage.- Terminology :...
, a foal
Foal
A foal is an equine, particularly a horse, that is one year old or younger. More specific terms are colt for a male foal and filly for a female foal, but these terms are used until the horse is age three or four. When the foal is nursing from its dam , it may also be called a suckling...
ing shed, carriage barn, and a flower and ornamental cutting garden. "Sarah's Garden", the Victorian cut flower garden
Flower garden
A flower garden is any garden where flowers are grown for decorative purposes. Because flowers bloom at varying times of the year, and some plants are annual, dying each winter, the design of flower gardens can take into consideration to maintain a sequence of bloom and even of consistent color...
, with original heirloom
Heirloom plant
An heirloom plant, heirloom variety, or heirloom vegetable is a cultivar that was commonly grown during earlier periods in human history, but which is not used in modern large-scale agriculture...
rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
s and perennials
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
began restoration in 2001 and is near completion.
History
Clover Lawn was built between 1870 and 1872 and is where Justice Davis lived until his death in 1886. During his life he sent and received countless letter to Abraham Lincoln himself. It was said that they were great friends during both their lifetimes. Davis commissioned French-born architect Alfred H. PiquenardAlfred H. Piquenard
Alfred H. Piquenard was an American architect. Born in France, he studied at Paris' Ecole Centrale des Arts et Manufactures before emigrating to the United States as part of the Icarian movement. After leaving the Icarians, he began work as an architect. He apprenticed with George I. Barnett in...
to design the mansion, which combines Italianate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
and Second Empire architectural features and is a model of mid-Victorian style and taste. Piquenard was a prominent Midwest architect who designed the 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...
in Springfield. The home was meant as a residence for Davis' wife, Sarah. David Davis himself spent most of his time there after his retirement from the U.S. Senate in 1883. The house remained in the Davis family until 1960, when it was donated to the state of Illinois, which operates it as a state historic site.
Tours
The home is open to the general public from Wednesday through Sunday. The home hosts many seasonal events including "Halloween at Clover Lawn," and "The Blessings of the Table" at Thanksgiving. During the winter holiday season the mansion is lavishly decorated for the Christmas holiday. Gas lightGas lighting
Gas lighting is production of artificial light from combustion of a gaseous fuel, including hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, propane, butane, acetylene, ethylene, or natural gas. Before electricity became sufficiently widespread and economical to allow for general public use, gas was the most...
tours are offered during the month of December, for a modest amount more than the general donation.
Further reading
- Keene, John T. David Davis Mansion, National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form, December 15, 1971, HAARGIS Database, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, accessed August 31, 2008.
External links
- David Davis Mansion - official site
- Illinois State Preservation Agency: David Davis Mansion
- David Davis Mansion, Property Information Report, Illinois Historic Preservation AgencyIllinois Historic Preservation AgencyThe Illinois Historic Preservation Agency is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Illinois. It is tasked with the duty of maintaining most State-owned historic sites within Illinois, and maximizing their educational and recreational value to visitors....
, accessed August 31, 2008.