History of The Reddick Mansion
Architecture
Architectural History
Completed in 1858 for the cost of $25,000, the Italianate-style Reddick Mansion was considered one of the most elaborate pre-Civil War homes in northern Illinois. Designed by Chicago architects, William B. Olmsted and Peter A. Nicholson, the Mansion’s exterior features colorful contrasts of cream Lemont limestone and rich, red brick. Numerous factors add to the distinct details of the structure: the use of polygonal bays, its elaborate cornice brackets or corbels, the imposing front stairway, and a “basement” at ground level.
The fifty-foot-high Reddick Mansion was built with four floors, an attic, and a total of twenty-two rooms. Although the original blueprints of the Mansion have been lost, there was an inventory done of each room after William Reddick’s death in 1885. From that inventory can be gained an understanding of each room’s use while the Reddick’s were in residence and the furnishings found there.
The Restoration
Reddick Restoration
A major exterior restoration was undertaken beginning in 2018 at a cost of $1.4 million. Heritage Restoration and Design of Peoria oversaw the project which included:
- The restoration of every window.
- The restoration of the cornice brackets, including the return of the original contrasting color scheme.
- The restoration of the front entry and all exterior doors.
- The removal, redesign, and restoration of the iconic balconies.
The First Floor
The First Floor
The first floor or basement originally served as the domestic center of the household. Located here was the kitchen, various pantries, one of which contained a dumb waiter to transport food upstairs, the laundry room, and a scullery.
It is believed that the front two rooms were used by the Reddick family for informal dining, for business, or for sewing.
Today, the first floor houses office space for the RMA, a small gift shop, a kitchen, as well as meeting and rental rooms.
No known photographs exist of the first floor in its original configuration.
The Second Floor
The Second Floor
The second floor was used by the Reddick family to receive their guests and visiting dignitaries.
The ornamental plaster cornices and ceiling medallions, marble fireplaces, and woodwork found on the second floor cannot be matched in beauty or craftsmanship.
It was in the beautiful dining room and parlors on the east side, now fully restored with authentic décor and priceless antiques, where the Reddicks entertained their guests. Mr. Reddick’s original office and library on the west side have been partially restored to reflect the period but are also used for events and rentals.
The only known photographs of this floor were taken at the time of Mr. and Mrs. Reddick’s funerals. They have proved invaluable in the RMA’s restoration efforts.
The Third Floor
The Third Floor
Reached via a lovely stairway from the second floor central hallway, the third floor was used by the Reddick family for their sleeping chambers.
All three of the family bedrooms and the hallway have been restored back to the Reddick era. The guest bedroom is slated for restoration as a memorial to the Reddick Library era.
The ornate plaster ceilings and elaborately carved fireplaces of the second floor are reflected on this floor but to a lesser degree of detail.
No known photographs exist of the third floor in its original configuration.
