Catching up on another great day that we had in the Upper Peninsula this summer. We went to Laurium and toured the Laurium Manor, originally the Thomas H. Hoatson House which is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The year was 1908 and all over the Keweenaw Peninsula mansions were being built by the wealthy copper mine owners. But in Laurium the largest and most opulent of them all was just being completed. Built for Thomas H. and Cornelia Hoatson, owner of Calumet and Arizona Mining Co., no expense was spared building this 45 room, 13,000 sq. ft. mansion on four floors. At a time when miners were making 25 cents per hour, this house was built at a cost of $50,000 and $35,000 of furnishings were added. The Hoatson’s owned this home until 1949. The Hoatson House is now a Bed and Breakfast called Laurium Manor.
The first room we toured was the library with an impressive fireplace.
The dining room had an interesting elephant hide wall covering.
Along with a curved radiator to match the exterior wall.
