Renesselaer D. Hubbard House, Historic Second Empire mansion in Mankato, United States.
The Rensselaer D. Hubbard House is a Second Empire mansion built in 1871 with sixteen rooms and a mansard roof that dominates Mankato's South Broad Street. Its interiors feature marble from Georgia, Spain, and Italy, complemented by an 1888 Italianate addition that extends the main structure.
Architect Silas Barnard designed the house in 1871 and later added an Italianate wing in 1888 that enhanced its architectural complexity. The property earned recognition on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 for its architectural significance to the region.
The rooms display how wealthy Minnesota families lived during the Victorian period, showing their daily surroundings and furnishings. These spaces reflect the tastes and lifestyle that shaped the region's most prominent households.
The house sits on South Broad Street with fourteen rooms open to visitors and a carriage house holding historical vehicles from the period. The grounds include a period garden maintained by a local club, offering additional context for understanding how the property once functioned.
The marble decorating the rooms comes from three different countries, reflecting the effort wealthy families made to source fine materials. This international selection of materials was a visible statement of prosperity and refined taste during that era.
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