History:

High atop a rocky knoll in Hannibal, Missouri, sits an enormous house; a house constructed solely to fulfill a man's dream. That man, lumber baron, John J. Cruikshank, Jr., wanted a house to richly display the finest woods and furnishings money could buy, yet one that would emanate warmth and a feeling of quiet dignity.

In 1900, after two years of construction, his dream became a reality. He and his family moved into the Mansion and resided there until his death in 1924.

After his passing, the Mansion was vacated and remained unoccupied for 43 years. Left to time and the elements, at the prompting of municipal authorities, the Mansion was scheduled for demolition. Two weeks before the once lovely home was to be razed, threatening to leave nothing but memories amid the rubble, it was saved by three local families, and the process of restoration began.