Weyerhaeuser House
Encyclopedia
Weyerhaeuser House is an historic building located in Rock Island, Illinois
, United States
. It was built in 1865 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1975. The home is also known as House on the Hill, and is now part of the Augustana College
campus.
Frederick Weyerhaeuser (1834–1914) was a native of Nieder-Saulheim
, Rheinhessen
, in present-day Germany
, and immigrated to the United States in 1856. He and his brother-in-law, Frederick C.A. Denkmann
, founded the Weyerhaeuser and Denkmann Lumber Company in Rock Island. The company continues today as the Weyerhaeuser Company located in Federal Way, Washington
. As the company prospered Weyerhaeuser bought this house in 1865, and re-built it from 1882-1883. In 1900 Weyerhaeuser and fifteen partners bought 900000 acres (3,642.2 km²) of timberland in Washington State. The local partnership ended in 1905 when Denkmann died, and Frederick Weyerhaeuser and his wife had moved to Washington by this time. He died in 1914 in Pasadena, California
and is buried in Chippiannock Cemetery
in Rock Island. After Weyerhaeuser moved from the house his daughter Apollonia and her husband Samuel S. Davis lived in the house. They were leaders in industry, society and philanthropy in the city of Rock Island.
The home remained in the Weyerhaeuser family for 85 years before it was donated to Augustana College in 1954. The first floor of the home is now used for entertaining college and community guests. Female students are housed in apartments on the second- and third-floors. The building is maintained by an endowment created by friends of the college, with support from descendants of the Weyerhaeuser family.
and a tower room was built over the main entrance. A large tank on the third floor supplied water to the entire house. The dining room was enlarged and elaborate woodwork, carvings and the John LaFarge
stained glass window above the fireplace were added in 1888. It is the most elaborate Second Empire structure in Rock Island.
Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,884 at the 2010 census. Located on the Mississippi River, it is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was built in 1865 and listed on 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 1975. The home is also known as House on the Hill, and is now part of the Augustana College
Augustana College (Illinois)
Augustana College is a private liberal arts college located in Rock Island, Illinois, United States. The college enrolls approximately 2,500 students. Covering of hilly, wooded land, Augustana is adjacent to the Mississippi River...
campus.
History
Saulheim
Saulheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
, Rheinhessen
Rheinhessen
Rhenish Hesse refers to the part of the former Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt located west of the Rhine river and now part of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is a hilly countryside largely devoted to vineyards, therefore it is also called the "land of the thousand hills." Its larger towns include:...
, in present-day Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and immigrated to the United States in 1856. He and his brother-in-law, Frederick C.A. Denkmann
Frederick Denkmann
Frederick Denkmann was an American lumber baron based in Rock Island, Illinois. He teamed up with his brother-in-law Friedrich Weyerhäuser and formed Weyerhäuser-Denkmann Lumber Company.-Early life:...
, founded the Weyerhaeuser and Denkmann Lumber Company in Rock Island. The company continues today as the Weyerhaeuser Company located in Federal Way, Washington
Federal Way, Washington
Federal Way is a city in King County, Washington, United States. Federal Way is located between Seattle and Tacoma. Its western boundary is Puget Sound. It is bordered by Des Moines on the north, Kent, unincorporated King County, and Milton on the east and Tacoma and Fife on the south...
. As the company prospered Weyerhaeuser bought this house in 1865, and re-built it from 1882-1883. In 1900 Weyerhaeuser and fifteen partners bought 900000 acres (3,642.2 km²) of timberland in Washington State. The local partnership ended in 1905 when Denkmann died, and Frederick Weyerhaeuser and his wife had moved to Washington by this time. He died in 1914 in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
and is buried in Chippiannock Cemetery
Chippiannock Cemetery
Chippiannock Cemetery is a cemetery located on 12th Street and 31st Avenue in Rock Island, Illinois. The word “Chippiannock” is a Native American term which means “place of the dead”.-History:Rock Island was in need of a permanent cemetery in 1854...
in Rock Island. After Weyerhaeuser moved from the house his daughter Apollonia and her husband Samuel S. Davis lived in the house. They were leaders in industry, society and philanthropy in the city of Rock Island.
The home remained in the Weyerhaeuser family for 85 years before it was donated to Augustana College in 1954. The first floor of the home is now used for entertaining college and community guests. Female students are housed in apartments on the second- and third-floors. The building is maintained by an endowment created by friends of the college, with support from descendants of the Weyerhaeuser family.
Architecture
When Frederick Weyerhaeuser bought the house in 1865 it was a two-story brick structure with a square cupola. He had it rebuilt in 1882-1883 in the Second Empire style. He added the west entrance hall, additional rooms, bath rooms and the third floor. The third floor featured a mansard roofMansard roof
A mansard or mansard roof is a four-sided gambrel-style hip roof characterized by two slopes on each of its sides with the lower slope at a steeper angle than the upper that is punctured by dormer windows. The roof creates an additional floor of habitable space, such as a garret...
and a tower room was built over the main entrance. A large tank on the third floor supplied water to the entire house. The dining room was enlarged and elaborate woodwork, carvings and the John LaFarge
John LaFarge
John La Farge was an American painter, muralist, stained glass window maker, decorator, and writer.-Biography:...
stained glass window above the fireplace were added in 1888. It is the most elaborate Second Empire structure in Rock Island.