I enjoy taking historic house tours, but sometimes they tour can be a little stuffy; full of facts but without the antidotes and follibles of the people who once inhabited the homes. When I was introduced to the tour guide of the Conrad-Caldwell House, I knew this tour would be far from boring. The docent, Beth Caldwell, was the great-granddaughter of the owners of the home. She laughingly told us she could talk for hours about the home and to ask any questions we might have. She had probably never had a guest like me who took her up on it and stayed to chat about the history after the tour. Her love of the home was evident and her personal memories and stories of her family who lived in the home added a human touch to the experience.
Built in 1893 by Theophile Conrad to show his immense wealth, the home was known as either “Conrad’s Castle” or “Conrad’s Folly,” depending on who was speaking, the house included state of the art innovations such as indoor plumbing and gas lighting. The house was purchased in 1905, after the death of Mr. Conrad, by William Caldwell, whose wife immediately set about to “modernize it.”
My favorite story was of the docent’s father, who spent each Sunday afternoon at the home. The Conrad-Caldwell house has a lovely curving staircase, which I forgot to take a picture of, and each Sunday the docent’s father and aunt would brave the wrath of the adults by sliding down the banister with a pillow attached to their behinds to keep from hurting themselves on the post at the end of the stairs. The children were not good at furtive sliding, getting caught each week as a result of a giggling fit, and suffered lectures and spankings each week. They continued to slide each week “because it was so much fun.”
Another plus of the Conrad-Caldwell house is how many of the furnishings belonged to the original owners. The Caldwells have donated much of the original furniture, paintings and knick knacks back to the home. Many of the rooms are furnished exactly as if one had dropped by for a visit with the Caldwells.
If you go:
- The Conrad-Caldwell house is open for tours Wednesday through Sunday. Tours are given at 1:00 PM & 3: PM, with the addition of an 11:00 Am tour on Saturday.
- Tickets are $10 for adults, $4 for students and $6 for seniors.
- Wear comfortable shoes as the house has three flights of stairs.
- Bring your camera! You can take pictures inside.
- Beth Caldwell, the great granddaughter of the owner, gives tours on Thursdays and Saturdays.
We received complementary tickets to the Conrad-Caldwell house for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
What a gorgeous home. I can only imagine what it would be like to grow up in a house like that.
I love decorative wooden floors like that, they are so beautiful!
Wow, what an amazing castle! I would love to go inside and see if for myself.
WOW! Gorgeous house! I would love to visit!
What an incredible mansion! I love going on tours like this! A small step back in time…
That house is amazing looking. Houses of days gone by have so much character. I love seeing historical districts in our cities help bring these amazing pieces of architecture back to life.
I love, love, love touring old mansions like this. I love the history and the stories behind everything!
Wow that is quite the beauty! It looks like it’s in amazing condition! What a fantastic place to visit!