Episode 166: Bass Mansion published December 20, 2021 by Granite Ridge Builders on YouTube One of Fort Wayne's hidden architectural gems: the Bass Mansion, located on the campus of the University of Saint Francis. Join the BTS crew as we explore the ornate styles of the mansion, plus a bit of football action with Johnny the Saint Francis Cougar!
Brookside wins prize for outstanding restoration an Indiana Landmarks YouTube video. Published on May 1, 2013. Their About statement: Rather than opt for modern updating, the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne completed an all-out $4.5 million restoration of historic Brookside, earning the 2013 Cook Cup for Outstanding Restoration.
Brookside was finished in 1891. John Bass, a successful businessman, ran the Bass Foundry and Machine Works, which covered 20 acres of land on South Hanna Street. Brookside was considered the family's country getaway; their city home was at West Berry Street and Fairfield Avenue. In 1902, the original Brookside burned in a fire sparked by a gas explosion. By 1903, the home was completely rebuilt in stone, concrete and steel. It has six bedrooms for family and guests and three for servants; 13 fireplaces; three staircases; and a ballroom on the third floor with a mural in the skylight depicting the nine dancing Muses of Greek mythology. In 1944, the Sisters of Saint Francis of Perpetual Adoration bought the home for $60,000 to house St. Francis College, which had originally been in Lafayette. The house served as the college and living space for the sisters until 1948, when expansion began with construction of Trinity Hall. Throughout the restoration of the home, the school took care to preserve the historic integrity of the building while modernizing it. Copied from Wearing its holiday finest, former Bass Mansion on USF campus open to public The Christmas in the Castle event takes place this weekend and next. By Cindy Larson of The News-Sentinel newspaperWednesday, November 28, 2012.
Tours of Brookside at University of Saint Francis. They moved what was then Saint Francis College from Lafayette, Indiana to Fort Wayne. The mansion served as the college library until the university opened the Lee and Jim Vann Library in August 2006."
Brookside - The Bass Mansion Renovation a WFWA TV39 Fort Wayne PBS Special | 57m 4s Brookside, also known as the Bass Mansion, was added to the National Register for Historic Places in 1982. Renovations on the former residence of industrialist John Henry Bass were completed in 2009-2010. The mansion is currently an administrative building on the University of Saint Francis. Aired: 10/01/10 Rating: NR. Description of Brookside the Bass Mansion Renovation highlights of the rennovation.
Historic buildings often have interesting architectural features that are not seen on modern buildings. Today we are featuring some examples of grotesques, which are sculptured or painted ornament involving fanciful distortions of human and animal forms, sometimes combined with plant motifs. These types of carvings are often mislabeled as gargoyles and while they are very similar in appearance, the main difference is that a gargoyle functions as a waterspout from the roof gutter of a building while grotesques do not serve that function. The John H. Bass Mansion in Fort Wayne (Allen County) is an excellent example of Richardsonian Romanesque located on the campus of the University of Saint Francis. The current mansion was built after a fire destroyed all but the foundation of the previous home in 1902. The house was rebuilt with many fire-proof features and modern systems in place including electricity, steam heating, a telephone intercom system and a burglar alarm which was activated by pressure on the rugs scattered throughout the house. The exterior of the building features ornate carvings of all types around the entire perimeter, but some of the most interesting are the grotesques around the main entry. Photos: John H. Bass Mansion, Fort Wayne, Allen County. Copied from an October 29, 2022 post by Indiana Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology on Facebook.
