Whether it’s the preserved former home of a literary giant or a restored dwelling of a founding father, historic home museums and estates not only let visitors step into a piece of history, but into another life. These slices of history also serve as the perfect backdrop for group functions.
Captain Frederick Papst Mansion
Completed in 1892, the Flemish Renaissance-style mansion of Captain Frederick Pabst has long been considered the jewel of Milwaukee’s famous avenue of mansions named Grand Avenue.
For 67 years, five Catholic archbishops and numerous priests and nuns called the former Pabst residence home. In 1975, the mansion was sold to a party who wanted to tear down the mansion and build a parking structure. But before the deal was done, a local entrepreneur purchased the house and held onto it until a small preservation group, Wisconsin Heritages, could attain the funds needed to preserve it.
By 1978, the heritage organization was able to purchase the mansion and open the house to the public. Since those early days much has been accomplished to restore the mansion to its original appearance. In the summer of 1998, the building was renamed Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion to reflect the renewed focus solely on the restoration of the Pabst Mansion.
Today the mansion stands as one of the city’s most renowned residences, and has been used for everything from private dinners to meetings. The mansion can host 125 for cocktail receptions and up to 70 for sit-down dinners in the master suite. The mansion is available for rent in the evenings, though business meetings can be accommodated during daytime hours.
Edsel and Eleanor Ford House
In Grosse Pointe, Mich., the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House spans 87 acres and displays the couple’s tastes in art and architecture. The only son of automobile pioneer Henry Ford, Edsel began his career at the Ford Motor Company in 1912 and by the age of 26 became its president. In 1916 he married childhood friend Eleanor Hudson, and by 1925 the couple had four children.
In searching for a home for the family, Ford chose a plot his father owned in an exclusive lakeside suburb north of Detroit. The couple requested the architects create a home inspired by the stone cottages they had seen in the Cotswold region of central England.
The result was an elaborate blend of Cotswold-style architecture translated to a 60-room mansion with access to the lakeside. The couple filled their house with English and French antiques, and several rooms featured artworks by masters such as Matisse, Cezanne and Diego Rivera.
The house has been open to the public for 30 years. Though the home is off-limits to events, groups can use the visitor center, which opened in 1990. The terrace area is also available for receptions and other functions.
Groups can tour the house during receptions, according to Donna Buchanan, group tour sales director, and there is plenty of flexibility on using the property.
“We do everything from breakfast to a dessert tour in the evening,” she says.
Thomas Edison House
The Thomas Edison House is located in the historic Butchertown section of Louisville, Ky., which, as its name implies, has been the center of the city’s meat industry for over 200 years. Thomas Edison, who came to Louisville in 1866 at the age of 19 to work as a telegraph key operator, lived in Butchertown during the years he worked in Louisville.
The cottage was built around 1850 as a very basic shotgun duplex, and is now a museum showcasing some of Edison’s most famous inventions.
Groups can hold events in the Edison house, which can accommodate 50 people for a standing reception. The garden, which provides a formal setting and can be tented, also accommodates up to 50 people.
Degas House Historic Home
Once home to the French Impressionist artist Edgar Degas, the Degas House Historic Home, Courtyard & Inn, located near the French Quarter in New Orleans, touts itself as the only home or studio of Degas anywhere in the world that is open to the public.
The house serves as a bed-and-breakfast but also has function space, including two parlors for meetings and events as well as a courtyard for events. Small groups or incentives can also rent out the whole place, which features seven rooms.
Larger groups can host events, which can include food and music, in a courtyard that holds up to 200.
For More Info
Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion 414.931.0808 http://pabstmansion.com
Degas House Historic Home, Courtyard & Inn 504.821.5009 www.degashouse.com
Edsel and Eleanor Ford House 313.884.4222 www.fordhouse.org
Thomas Edison House 502.585.5247 www.historichomes.org
