A
Victorian Christmas
Vaile Mansion, Independence, MO
by
Jarrett Medlin
In 1882, a Kansas
City Times reporter
described the Vaile Mansion in Independence as “the most princely
house and the most comfortable home in the entire West.”
Today,
more than 120 years after it was built, the three-story mansion stands
just four blocks from the Truman Library & Museum. It remains an architectural
anomaly among the Midwestern homes that surround it. It’s been featured
in USA Today and on the Arts & Entertainment Television and Home & Garden
Television channels.
Originally built for $150,000
in 1881 — equivalent
to $12-15 million in today’s economy — the Vaile Mansion is the
perfect example of Victorian elegance. The house has 112 windows, an 80-foot
tower on one side, 14-foot ceilings on the ground floor and nine marble fireplaces.
The Vaile Victorian Society, an
organization formed in 1983 to restore and refurnish the building,
allows visitors to experience the style and spirit of Victorian times
while touring the Vaile Mansion. The society also hosts various events
throughout the year.
From Nov. 24 until Dec. 30, the
Vaile Victorian Society offers Classic Victorian Christmas holiday
tours. For $5, visitors can tour the mansion and see a profusion of
ribbons, lace, cherubs, angels, garlands and bells while learning about
the mansion’s eccentric original
owner, Harvey Vaile.
The Vaile Mansion is located at
1500 N. Liberty in Independence. For more information, call (816) 325-7430,
or log onto www.vailemansion.org.
