The Joseph Bettendorf Mansion was built for Joseph and Elizabeth (Ohl) Bettendorf. Joseph, head of the Bettendorf Company, built his English Manor style home on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in 1915. The Bettendorf Company’s rapid growth was spurred by the design of a one-piece railroad truck frame that eliminated bolts, which would work loose as the train was moving and cause delays a
nd derailments. The new frame was cast from a single piece of steel and revolutionized the railroad industry. While William, Joseph’s brother, invented many of the products that the company manufactured, Joseph was known for his business sense that allowed the company to expand and grow financially. While the company grew, it was known to have a “family atmosphere” about it. Parties, picnics, and sporting competitions were held on a regular basis! Joseph maintained a close eye on all aspects of design and construction. Construction of the exterior was done by plant employees, with all bricks on the Mansion measured to be exactly the same size with uniform grout lines. The 28-room Mansion has three floors and a full basement, for a total of 21,000 square feet of finished space. The Mansion featured a domed conservatory, billiards room, ballroom on the third floor, and bowling alley in the basement. In addition to the Mansion, the original estate, which covered 24 acres, consisted of a large greenhouse, a carriage house, a bath house and pool, a large guesthouse, and numerous formal gardens. The building was ahead of its time in many ways: base electrical outlets, steel I-beams throughout the house for extra support, and a central vacuum system. The Mansion remained a residence of the Bettendorf family until it was sold to the Marist Society in 1959 and used as a seminary. Mark’s School purchased the Mansion and Carriage House and moved the School from Davenport. The School built a gymnasium in 1975 and Becherer Hall in 2001. In 1981, the School purchased the former guest house. In 2001, the Board of Trustees voted to change the name of the School to Rivermont Collegiate. Today, only the Mansion, Carriage House, and guest house (now informally known as the Wallace House) remain on 8.57 acres of the original estate. In 1984 the Bettendorf Mansion was recognized for its significance to the people of Iowa and was entered into the National Register of Historic Places. Interesting Notes
Imperfect bricks rejected for use on the Mansion were used on the Carriage House
The cook & chauffer for the Bettendorf family lived in the Carriage House with their family
The foyer, conservatory, and Chinese Breakfast Room feature fabric ceilings painted in Chicago
Only one of the fireplaces in the Mansion was ever built to be functional
The domed conservatory was one of the first instances of curved stained glass in a private residence
Every doorway in the Mansion had curtains in English Manor style, which were purely decorative – many doorways still have the rods from which the curtains hung
The Mansion featured a phone booth where the Bettendorf family took phone calls – the booth has two entrances, one formal for the family and one informal back entrance for the maid
The third floor ballroom featured a movable stage and was the venue for many social events hosted by the Bettendorf family, such as the Chinese Costume Ball
