By 1887 Ogallala was a growing community with stores, saloons, banks, a school, and many other businesses that make up a thriving town. Also by this year Spruce Street was the Main Street through town. This is also the year that one of Ogallalas finest homes was born to forever stand as a symbol. L.A. Brandheofer wasa native of Pennsylvania and had recently moved to Nebraska in September of 1885. He moved to Ogallala to serve as a cashier at a The Bank of Ogallala after losing his young wife to childbirth. In 1887 after living in town for a few years Brandheofer contracted to have a large mansion to be built on North Spruce Street. On June 4, 1887 Brandheofer purchased the block that the house now sits on from Edwin and Eliza Searle for 275 dollars. Brandheofer hired contractor W.F. Marsh to built the home. The brick was purchased from LB Rectors local kiln and work began. Walls in the home were built to be sixteen inches thick and the stone was cut and brought from Lincoln. The woodwork inside the house was carved cherrywood and hand painted tiles that framed the fireplace were imported from New Jersey. The windows were given walnut interior shutters. The hardware was solid Brass and had ten foot ceilings. The mansion had nine different rooms an obvious luxury of its time. The house boasted two bathrooms. The first floor consisted of a parlor that had sixteen inch molding around the walls, a library, bedroom, kitchen, dining room, hallway and bath. The second floor consisted of three large bedrooms and a nursery. The third floor consisted of large dormer windows and was used as a maids room. When completed in 1887 the home cost a whopping 10,000 dollars. The mansion stood as the most luxurious home in Ogallala. Brandheofer did not stay long in his abode. A year later in 1888 he sold it to HL McWilliams the proprietor of the local bank. The McWilliams moved in and had extravagant parties that were the talk of the town. Often these parties were printed in the newspaper. Brandheofer married Ms.Mary Watts in 1889 and attended the parties. As the mansion aged it traveled through the hands of many owners. Prior to WWI the mansion was The mayors home. In 1918 the home served as a hospital and in the 1920s it served as an apartment house. As the years have passed Ogallala has changed but the mansion has sat overlooking the town of Ogallala. By 1966 The Keith County Historical Society purchased the home from Art Campbell at the cost of 15,000 dollars. Clarice Goodall donated money to have the grounds landscaped. Over the years the mansion has received some restoration and just recently a kitchen restoration. Although this beauty on the prairie no longer serves as a home, it does serve as a gateway linking the history of Ogallala and if its walls could talk, what mystery and stories would they tell. The mansion still sits on the same ground that she did so eloquently in 1887 and with her a landmark that links today and times gone by as travelers pass by her.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 19:02:50 +0000
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