Lawnin Mansion

Lawnin Mansion. Historic Leclaire. , The exterior architecture of this home was design to fit within the overall aesthetic of the neighborhood. Its massive interior, high-end construction materials, and detailed interior design separated it from the rest of the homes in Leclaire., Louis D. Lawnin was married to Julia Nelson, one of the two surviving children of Leclaire founder, N.O. Nelson. The Lawnins moved from St. Louis to Leclaire, as did N.O. Nelson and his wife, Almeria, in 1897, so that Louis could oversee the Leclaire portion of Nelson's factories as well as the developing community. After first renting a home, and then living in the house behind this one on Park Place (across the street from the Children's Museum), the Lawnins moved into their mansion with the purpose of not only raising their family of four children, but also hosting and entertaining many company and community guests. , And entertain they did - their November 1905 housewarming party saw over 150 guests, and the third floor's ballroom served its purpose for dancing and housing the performance of the Thomas Orchestra. , In 1918, Lawnin took over the Nelson Corporation, and as a result, he and Julia moved back to St. Louis to be near its headquarters. From that point forward, the house was divided and rented to other families. It has seen several renovations and has continued to function as a rental through the 21st century. , Hey kids, , How many people do you think could live in this house? Look at the third floor of the building. When the house was built, it served as a ballroom for dancing. Imagine how exciting it would have been to come to this house for a party!