Hegeler Carus Foundation

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How old IS the chair?

We have two very similar and yet very unique chairs in the Mansion. One is in the Parlor and one is in the Library. The one in the Parlor is original to the Mansion and the one in the Library was donated by the Grandson of Annie Hegeler.

  • Parlor
  • Library

The chair in the Parlor was made in the late 1600s, meaning the Hegeler family bought it “used” when they moved into the Mansion in the late 1870s. This chair is approximately 350 years old! If you have taken one of our tours and were told not to touch or sit on things, this is why. Now, the history:

Girolamo Savonarola was a monk who lived in Florence during the Italian Renaissance. He was a moral dictator who burned anything he considered to be immoral or lascivious, be it art or books or even suggestive carvings in furniture, sparking the bonfire of the vanities. He was executed in 1498.

In order to travel the country, a special chair was made for him. Similar chairs were in existence long before, but this particular, portable design was made just for him. Savonarola chairs only hold about 180-220 pounds.

Originally used as hall chairs, they were more for decoration than actual seating. A loose cushion was usually added for looks and comfort. Many reproductions of the chair are still made.

Below is a close-up of our 350 year-old chair that is currently in the Parlor. The second picture is an example of what it would look like folded up, ready for travel.

  • Close-up of the 350 year-old chair
  • Example of a Savonarola chair, ready for traveling.

Make sure you check out the chairs on your next tour, but DON’T SIT DOWN!

These (little) lights of ours

Let them shine. Let them shine. Let them shine.

With so many rooms, there is such a variety of lighting all over the Mansion. The crystal is beautiful and their many facets help radiate the light. We don’t know if Feng Shui was a thing then but there is definitely good energy throughout.

This is just a sampling. When you take a tour, you can see these lights (and more!) in person.

  • Sparkling in the Reception Room.
  • Looking up from below in the Reception Room
  • Main hallway between Reception Room and Parlor. This beautiful light greeted all visitors.
  • Multicolored in the Parlor
  • Light in the Children’s room for play and studying.
  • In the Family Room.
  • Lamp beside Mary Carus’ desk in the Family Room
  • Gracing the Dining Room
  • In the beginning light came from candles, lanterns and fireplaces.
  • Light in Camilla’s Bedroom (Second Floor)
  • Light in Paul and Mary’s Bedroom (Second Floor)
  • One of the early light bulbs in the gymnasium.

Twenty-two species of wood!

Someone asked about all the beautiful wood in the inlaid parquet floors. First of all, the Mansion has beautiful wood throughout. It has been reported that there are about 22 different species of wood used in the interior design. In the inlaid parquet floors alone, there are at least eight different species.

  • Parlor floor
  • Finished parlor floor leading into the hallway floor that needs to be restored.
  • Restored Parlor floor closeup. You can easily pick out 6-7 species of wood.
  • A great example of the different woodwork in the Mansion. This is the dining room, looking into the main hall.
  • Reception Room inlaid floor.
  • Sample of hallway floor that has been cleaned in order to determine restoration costs. The left side of the picture is our hallway as it is now.