John and Nellie Vander Jagt were the original owners of this amazing home. John became a successful businessman with just a simple pickup truck. It has been rumored that he was at a train stop when someone asked him to transport something with his truck. John continued to transport items for others and then began to add more trucks to his fleet, which is how he founded Reliable Cartage Co, INC during the 1930s.
John’s transportation business took off. This business became the sole transportation company for the A&P stores, and they also provided transportation services for those throughout the Midwest. John was eventually able to expand into Kentucky with the company Louisville Transport.
The manor, The Vander Jagt, was completed in 1940. It is easy to see once you walk in that John and Nellie spared no expense when building their dream home. John and Nellie moved into the space with their seven children. Unfortunately, about a year later, John passed, and Nellie’s parents moved into the home to help her raise the children.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of information regarding the actual construction process that took place to build this beautiful home. It is unknown who the architect was, who the builder was, and whether this home was inspired by any other homes built around the same time period. Any information we do have is information that has been passed down through family members.
However, we do know that the home sits on 1.7 acres of land, is 6,000 square feet in size, and sits on a full city block. With the amazing hand-painted ceilings, the purple tile in the master bedroom that was imported from Italy, and the tile floors that have copper infused into them, it is clear that a lot of thought and money went into building this home.
Each room in this home is special as it has its own characteristics that make it truly its own. Take a tour through Facebook to see for yourself.
To learn more about this amazing home or to learn more about our tour opportunities, please give us a call today. Our staff can answer your questions and provide you with the information that you need.