Thomas H. Hoatson House
Encyclopedia
The Thomas H. Hoatson House, now known as the Laurium Manor Inn, is a house located at 320 Tamarack Street in Laurium, Michigan
. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1994. At 13000 square feet (1,207.7 m²), it is the largest mansion in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
, where, on October 20, 1861, Thomas Jr. was born. In 1865, the family moved to the United States, first to Houghton, Michigan
where Thomas Sr. worked at the Quincy Mine
, then to Greenland, Michigan and the Ridge Mine. In 1870, the family moved a final time to Calumet, Michigan
, where Thomas Sr. began work as superintendent of the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company
, a position he held until his death in 1897.
Thomas Hoatson Jr. attended school in Calumet until he was seventeen, after which he followed in his father's footsteps and went to work for the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company. Shortly after 1900, Hoatson was involved in organizing the Bisbee Mine in Bisbee, Arizona
, along with his elder brother James and other investors. Thomas Hoatson was elected second vice-president of the company. The mine later changed its name to the Calumet and Arizona Copper Mine, and proved wildly successful, netting the investors, including Hoatson, substantial wealth.
Despite the Arizona location of the Bisbee mine, Hoatson chose to make his home in the Keweenaw Peninsula
. He also served as vice-president of several other mines, as well as president of the Calumet State Bank and a director of the First National Bank of Calumet.
On November 24, 1886, Hoatson married Cornelia Chenowyth of Rockland
. The couple had six children: Gussie, Calvin Dean, Chester, James Ramsey, Gertrude, and Grace Lorimer. Thomas Hoatson Jr. died on February 1, 1929.
After Hoatson's death, the house passed through the hands of a series of owners, some of whom stripped the original stained glass and lighting fixtures. In 1989, current owners Dave and Julie Sprenger purchased the Hoatson House and turned it into a bed-and-breakfast under the name "Laurium Manor Inn." The house is open to the public for accommodation and for tours, and is a Heritage Site associated with the Keweenaw National Historical Park
.
design. The house is rectangular with a red sandstone foundation and clapboard exterior. The front facade is symmetric, with a central portico with Corinthian columns sheltering the main entrance and a one-story porch to each side. A hipped roof with gabled dormers sits atop the house.
The interior has 45 rooms covering 13,000 square feet, and boasts exceptionally fine detailing. The first floor contains a library measuring 23 feet (7 m) by 23 feet (7 m), a dining room measuring 17 feet (5.2 m) by 23 feet (7 m), and a reception hall measuring 12 feet (3.7 m) by 40 feet (12.2 m) with triple staircase. Also on the first floor are a den with an iridescent tile fireplace surround and painted murals, a kitchen, and pantry space. The second floor had six bedrooms and three bathrooms. The third floor had three more bedrooms, a bathroom, a cedar room, and a billiard room measuring 50 feet (15.2 m) by 50 feet.
Laurium, Michigan
Laurium is a village in Calumet Township, Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan, in the center of the Keweenaw Peninsula. The population was 2,126 at the 2000 census.-History:...
. It was 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 1994. At 13000 square feet (1,207.7 m²), it is the largest mansion in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Thomas H. Hoatson
The Hoatson House was designed by Charles W. Maass and brother, Frederick A. Maass and built in 1908 for Thomas Hoatson Jr. Hoatson's father, Thomas Sr., emigrated from his native Scotland to Canada in 1852. Thomas Sr. arrived in Bruce Mines, OntarioBruce Mines, Ontario
Bruce Mines is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located on the north shore of Lake Huron in the Algoma District along Highway 17. The town of Bruce Mines has a population of 584 residents. The current mayor of Bruce Mines is Gordon Post.- History :...
, where, on October 20, 1861, Thomas Jr. was born. In 1865, the family moved to the United States, first to Houghton, Michigan
Houghton, Michigan
Houghton is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and largest city in the Copper Country on the Keweenaw Peninsula. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,708. It is the county seat of Houghton County...
where Thomas Sr. worked at the Quincy Mine
Quincy Mine
The Quincy Mine is an extensive set of copper mines located near Hancock, Michigan. The mine was owned by the Quincy Mining Company and operated between 1846 and 1945, although some activities continued through the 1970s. The Quincy Mine was known as "Old Reliable," as the Quincy Mine Company paid...
, then to Greenland, Michigan and the Ridge Mine. In 1870, the family moved a final time to Calumet, Michigan
Calumet, Michigan
Calumet is a village in Calumet Township, Houghton County, in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, that was once at the center of the mining industry of the Upper Peninsula. Also known as Red Jacket, the village includes the Calumet Downtown Historic District, listed on the National...
, where Thomas Sr. began work as superintendent of the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company
Calumet and Hecla Mining Company
The Calumet and Hecla Mining Company was a major copper-mining company based in the Michigan Copper Country. In the 19th century, the company paid out more than $72 million in shareholder dividends, more than any other mining company in the United States during that period.-History:In 1864, Edwin J...
, a position he held until his death in 1897.
Thomas Hoatson Jr. attended school in Calumet until he was seventeen, after which he followed in his father's footsteps and went to work for the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company. Shortly after 1900, Hoatson was involved in organizing the Bisbee Mine in Bisbee, Arizona
Bisbee, Arizona
Bisbee is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, 82 miles southeast of Tucson. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 6,177...
, along with his elder brother James and other investors. Thomas Hoatson was elected second vice-president of the company. The mine later changed its name to the Calumet and Arizona Copper Mine, and proved wildly successful, netting the investors, including Hoatson, substantial wealth.
Despite the Arizona location of the Bisbee mine, Hoatson chose to make his home in the Keweenaw Peninsula
Keweenaw Peninsula
The Keweenaw Peninsula is the northern-most part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It projects into Lake Superior and was the site of the first copper boom in the United States. As of the 2000 census, its population was roughly 43,200...
. He also served as vice-president of several other mines, as well as president of the Calumet State Bank and a director of the First National Bank of Calumet.
On November 24, 1886, Hoatson married Cornelia Chenowyth of Rockland
Rockland Township, Michigan
Rockland Township is a civil township of Ontonagon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 324 at the 2000 census.-Communities:...
. The couple had six children: Gussie, Calvin Dean, Chester, James Ramsey, Gertrude, and Grace Lorimer. Thomas Hoatson Jr. died on February 1, 1929.
History
Thomas Hoatson Jr. built his house as a surprise for his wife and children. He hired architect Charles Maass to design the house; the final construction cost was $50,000. The house, completed in 1907, is notable for the technological advancements included in the design.After Hoatson's death, the house passed through the hands of a series of owners, some of whom stripped the original stained glass and lighting fixtures. In 1989, current owners Dave and Julie Sprenger purchased the Hoatson House and turned it into a bed-and-breakfast under the name "Laurium Manor Inn." The house is open to the public for accommodation and for tours, and is a Heritage Site associated with the Keweenaw National Historical Park
Keweenaw National Historical Park
Keweenaw National Historical Park is a unit of the U.S. National Park Service. Established in 1992, the park celebrates the life and history of the Keweenaw Peninsula in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan...
.
Description
The Hoatson House is a -story wood-frame structure of NeoclassicalNeoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
design. The house is rectangular with a red sandstone foundation and clapboard exterior. The front facade is symmetric, with a central portico with Corinthian columns sheltering the main entrance and a one-story porch to each side. A hipped roof with gabled dormers sits atop the house.
The interior has 45 rooms covering 13,000 square feet, and boasts exceptionally fine detailing. The first floor contains a library measuring 23 feet (7 m) by 23 feet (7 m), a dining room measuring 17 feet (5.2 m) by 23 feet (7 m), and a reception hall measuring 12 feet (3.7 m) by 40 feet (12.2 m) with triple staircase. Also on the first floor are a den with an iridescent tile fireplace surround and painted murals, a kitchen, and pantry space. The second floor had six bedrooms and three bathrooms. The third floor had three more bedrooms, a bathroom, a cedar room, and a billiard room measuring 50 feet (15.2 m) by 50 feet.