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History - The Sinclair Era : 1884-1906
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Thomas McElderry Sinclair and Caroline Soutter Sinclair moved from New York to Cedar Rapids in 1871, where Mr. Sinclair established one of the earliest industrial plants in the region. T.M. Sinclair & Co. quickly became the biggest business in Cedar Rapids. In 1881, less than six months after the birth of his sixth child, Mr. Sinclair suffered a fatal fall in his meat-packing plant.
A widow at the age of 33, Caroline Sinclair commissioned Indianapolis architect, Maximillian Allardt, to design a home for her and her children. During construction, Allardt returned to Indianapolis to be with his daughter who had fallen ill. Cedar Rapids architects, Henry Josselyn and Eugene Taylor continued the project and designed what would be described in the local newspaper as "the grandest house west of Chicago." Constructed on a ten-acre site, the three-story, twenty-one-room mansion was designed in the Queen Anne style.
Best known for its use of contrasting materials, the Queen Anne style is reflected in the mansion’s combination of smooth brick on the lower stories with decorative slate shingles on the upper story. The mansion’s steeply gabled roof, five large chimneys, and turrets are also characteristic of this style. Decorative brick panels and stylized relief decoration are among its distinctive details. The cost of the mansion, $55,000, was the most expensive city improvement in 1885.
The interior plan included the great hall, grand staircase, eight bathrooms, nine bedrooms, and fourteen fireplaces. Mrs. Sinclair also added a conservatory on the south facade.
A newspaper reporter wrote of the home and Sinclairs in glowing terms: "The building is a grand one, an ornament and source of pride to the city, but none too worthy for the noble family that will soon occupy it."
Caroline Sinclair continued the strong philanthropic work begun by her husband. In his memory, Caroline and the family built the Sinclair Memorial Church and presented it to the congregation. Continuing her husband’s commitment to Coe College, she funded a chapel on the campus in his memory. In addition, she provided generous financial support to the YMCA, the Presbyterian Church, foreign missions, and many other causes.
In 1906, her children grown, Caroline traded the Sinclair Mansion for the home of the George Bruce Douglas family at 800 Second Avenue SE.
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