Circa Old Houses has just listed a 19th century mansion in West Ottawa, Illinois for sale. Built in 1870 just after the Great Chicago Fire, the facade boasts of the 19th century "Italianate" architectural style.
The mansion is up for grabs for only $150,000, with the listing calling it "a fixer-upper."
House Beautiful gives a detailed tour of the house. It has six marble fireplaces--still all intact--six bedrooms, and three baths. All the windows and doors are from the original 1870 structure, and some of the light fixtures are still left hanging. Ottawa's mayor has also declared the house to be structurally sound.
While years of neglect show deterioration, the aged, dilapidated look just adds to its "vintage" appeal. It is not difficult to imagine the grandeur the house once held. And with a little bit of imagination and budget, one can easily restore the splendor of the property.
For $150,000, you get the abode, plus a little bit of history.
In 1939, a certain Norman Hulse purchased the mansion and turned it into a funeral house. In 1960, the estate became a local landmark, when three women who were found dead in St. Louis Canyon were brought there to be autopsied. According to the Chicago Tribune, the triple murder, known as "The Starved Rock Murders," was once ranked as the "Crime of the Century." The victims were all sub-urban housewives and were very active in the community. They were brutally killed in the Starved Rock State Park not very far from the West Ottawan mansion.
If you are a bit of a history geek and you don't mind a few paranormal tales, this house could be the one for you.
