Mansion on the Hill
category : Historic Homes
An authentic Victorian style home listed on the National Register of Historic Places , the Mansion on the Hill was Ogallala?s finest residence when it was completed in 1887. L. A. Brandhoefer contracted to have the house built of brick from a local factory. Mr. Brandhoefer, after several visits to the area became intrigued with the open prairies, the Platte River, the Indians, cowboys, and the early pioneers whose fortitude and determination to win the West gave him the foresight to see the great possibilities of Ogallala and the prairies. The walls of the mansion are 16 inches thick and the home is trimmed in stone cut and imported from Lincoln, Nebraska. Woodwork in the house including the central staircase is carved cherry wood. The fireplaces were finished with hand painted tiles imported from New Jersey.
The mansion has been converted into a museum by the Keith County Historical Society as a memorial to pioneer families. The mansion was the home of Ogallala's mayor just before World War I, and in 1918 it was used as a hospital. for a while in the "Twenties" it was an apartment house.
The house had nine spacious rooms and two baths. It has ten foot ceilings and deep narrow windows with walnut shutters designed for interior use. The hardware throughout the house is solid brass with scroll designs on the plates, door knobs, and hinges. All rooms have carved corner blocks and panel inserts on the door and window frames.
The first floor rooms include a large parlor with bay windows on the east side of the house. The parlor ceiling has coved 16 inch moldings made of plaster in four foot lengths. The library, dining room, bedroom, kitchen, hall and bath complete the first floor. Three large bedrooms and another bath are located on the second floor.
A single room on the third floor has two dormer windows and was probably used as a maid's bedroom when the McWilliams lived here. It is presently used for displaying photographs. A variety of furnishing of the period have been collected by the Historical Society, and restoration of the entire house has been completed.
Admission: Adults - $2.00; Children (age 5-12) - $1.00
Hours: Memorial Day to September 15th
Tue-Sat, 9:00 am - 12:00 Noon, 1:00 - 4:00 pm, Sun, 1:00 - 4:00 pm, Closed Mon
Address: West 10th and Spruce Street
Phone: 308-284-4327
Come visit us in Ogallala, Nebraska