The Brown Mansion

The Brown Mansion. , The Brown Mansion is an example of the Queen Anne style of domestic architecture that flourished in England and American during the late 1800s., An Englishman by birth, George Brown immigrated to New York in 1852 at the age 25. Attracted by the offerings of the "New West", Brown first came to LaPorte and later settled in Jackson Township. He married a local girl., Charity A. Carter, in 1855 and the couple reared 10 children. A prosperous landowner, Brown raised grain and livestock and was a major supplier of cordwood for the Porter brickyards. In 1883, he purchased this site, a farm adjoining Chesterton, to build his retirement home., Designed by Chicago architect Cicero Hine, much of the work was completed on this two-and-a-half story showplace by local craftsmen Nathan DeMass, woodworker; Swan Nilson, painter and frescoer; Chris Lembke, plasterer, and Henry Lembster, brickmason. Most of the lumber used on the home came from Jackson Township and the bricks were supplied by the Porter brickyards., Completed in 1885, the Brown Mansion featured ornate imported doorknobs and hinges, hand-carved fireplaces, an oak stair rail, frescoed ceilings, lavish papered walls, stained and beveled glass windows, and exquisite furnishings. Scrollwork porches, balconies and gingerbread trim complemented the home's exterior. A windmill and carriage house stood north of the home., Since 1963, this house has served as the Administration Center for the Duneland School Corporation.