Reddick Mansion and Gardens
The Reddick Mansion is known as a unique landmark, a prideful reminder of the past. Standing on the corner of Columbus and Lafayette streets in Ottawa, Illinois, the magnificent structure remains as a tribute to the architecture, times and people of a bygone century.
Mansion Exterior
Commissioned in 1855 by central Illinois businessman and politician, William Reddick, the splendid mansion was the home of the Reddick family for nearly 30 years. The twenty-two room mansion was designed for the William Reddick family by two prominent mid-western architects: William B. Olmsted and Peter A. Nicholson.
The Reddick Mansion has been known to be one of the most expensive and ornate Italianate residences ever constructed in the Midwest during the mid 1800's. Few other pre-Civil War homes in Illinois compare to architectural quality or complexity to the Reddick Mansion. The quality of workmanship and building design still delights and stimulates the curious mind. An undated report written by a student at the St. Bede Academy High School, Peru, Illinois, reflects this influence on the modern mind. That report, written by Adam Gnidovec, entitled "The Reddick Mansion: A Local Example of Ante-Bellum Italianate Architecture in Illinois."
Mission
The Reddick Mansion Association is responsible for the historic preservation and restoration of the Reddick Mansion by adhering to acceptable restoration practices in conformance with adaptive public use.
The Association will foster the use of the Reddick Mansion for the community's cultural, educational, social, recreational experiences and other beneficial purposes.
Company Overview
The Reddick Mansion Association
William Reddick left his house as a gift to the City of Ottawa for use as a public library and reading room. Reddick's home became known as "Reddick's Library" and opened to the public on September 19, 1888. It served as the public library until 1975 when a combination of endowment and revenue sharing funds enabled construction of a larger facility that could accommodate the library's growing collections.
After Reddick's Library relocated to its present location, the future of the Reddick house was in doubt. The Reddick Mansion Association came into being as a result of a series of public meetings and the formation of a "Save Reddick's Committee" in the spring and summer of 1974. The Corporation itself was chartered in 1974 and its management is carried on by a Board of Directors elected by the membership.
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