Haeger Mansion & Haeger Potteries

Aleo Publications, Division of P.F.C. Supply Co. Inc.
P.O Box 1085

Dundee, IL 60118

www.aleopublications.com

July 13, 2015
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Haeger Mansion on Hill Street

This home is the original Haeger Mansion. It was the first of three
located in the area. The other two Haeger homes in Dundee are:
1. U.S. Bank at the corner of 7th and Main (Built by Edmund Haeger in

1919)

2. The Haeger / Estes Estate on Rt. 31 just south of Century
Plaza (Purchased by Joseph Estes in the early 1940’s )

David H. Haeger did not build this home. He purchased it in 1871
from Hiram G Torrence.

Hiram G Torrence

Hiram Torrence was born in Middleton, Vermont in 1817. Both
of his parents passed away before he was 11 years of age. At the
age 20, he married 17 year old Phila McEwen (1837).

In 1844, the Torrence family, Hiram and Phila and two children
settled here in Dundee, Illinois. Hiram provided for his family by
farming for the first 12 years.. By 1862, he was in the mercantile
business, owned a general store and sold groceries, crockery and
notions. Evidently he was doing quite well.

In 1862 Mr. Torrence paid $349 for this property which included,
(based upon available information, 12—15 acres). He built a
southern style farm house.

The Torrence family lived here for about nine years, and their
family grew in size to 5 children. In 1871 he sold the home and
property to David H. Haeger.

David H. Haeger was born in Mecklenburg, Germany, August 7,

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Haeger House at 417 Hill Street, c.1871

1839. At the age of 15, he came to America in 1854 with his par-
ents, David Casper Haeger and Maria, and four brothers and sis-
ters. The family homestead was located on Spring Creek Road in
McHenry County, Barrington Hills, IL. Across the road (74
Meadow Hill Rd) the children attended the Haeger School (a one
room school house that was used as a school until the 1940’s)
with an adjacent cemetery.

In 1854 this cemetery was dedicated by deed as the David Haeger
Cemetery, and has been closed for over 100 years. Local pioneers
are buried here including Goodrich, Huntley, Klinck and Lutes,
with the earliest remaining headstone dated 1842. David H. Hae-
ger’s parents David C. and Maria are also buried here at the Bar-
rington Hills cemetery.

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In 1859 at 20 years of age, David H. established himself in
McHenry County, where he sold farm machinery, purchased
grain and erected a grain elevator in Barrington.
He married his second wife Mary Welzien in 1870. One year
later, in 1871, David H. Haeger purchased this 6,800 square foot,
22 room mansion that sat on approximately 12-15 acres for
$3,000.

Haeger House at 417 Hill Street after the foyer was added. c. 1890

By 1890, David Haeger had remodeled the home into the Gothic
style revived during the Victorian age. This included removing
the sweeping porch and adding the beautiful foyer that we see till
this day.
This home is situated in the middle of water springs that are still
being used by D’Angelo Water Co. just yards away. In the 1870’s
this home had it’s own water pumping windmill. In fact, the larg-
est supplier of water-pumping windmills in America in the 1860’s

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and 70’s was the U.S. Wind Engine and Pump Company located
in Batavia, Il.

Haeger House at 417 Hill Street. Note the windmill to the left. c.1890

The Haeger Note the drinking fountain on the kitchen wall. c.1890
home boasted
cool running
water in the
house. They
even had a
drinking
fountain right
in the kitchen.

This was a
rare luxury
for this time
period.

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While residing in this home, David and Mary had 6 children,
Thusnelda, Edna, David C., Mary, Edmund H., and Elsa.
The adjacent carriage house was built in 1897. It was considered
an architectural feat for the time because its walls were built with
mortise and tenon joints. No nails were used. Some of the walls
are two feet thick and more.

The Carriage House built by David H. Haeger in 1897 . photo c. 2003
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David H. Haeger died in
1900 at the age of 61 and
was laid to rest in the West
Dundee cemetery.

In 1924, his widow Mary,

sold the property to Charles

D. Thompson who con-

verted it into the Tower Hill

School for Boys. Thompson

was the school principal.

Boys came from all over,

but mainly from Chicago. David H. Haeger gravesite
Grades 1 through 8 were

taught here. There was 1 female teacher and 3 or 4 male teach-

ers. The curriculum for the time was first rate. Students were

taught penmanship, reading, spelling, manners and more. Stu-

dents progressed at their own pace. Athletics included roller skat-

ing. According to Bert Zoub, who was a student here at 5 years of

age in 1931, there was also a gymnasium above the horse barn

(carriage house).

Camp To-hi-ca (Tower Hill Camp) was held here in the sum-
mer and served 30-35 boys at a time. The camp was held in the
back wooded area near a pond.

During the 1950’s and 1960’s, this property was used as a nursing
home.

The house has been a private residence for a number of decades.
Each owner has in some way restored it to its past beauty and
glory. However, the current owners, Anthony and Melinda Reid,
have restored this property to a new level of beauty and perfec-
tion.

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On To Haeger Potteries.
When David H. Haeger purchased this business in 1871 it a was a
brick manufacturing company. The land along the east bank of
the Fox River here in Dundee had some of the finest clay depos-
its known throughout the region. The earliest records refer to
bricks being made here in Dundee as early as 1852.
1871 was a pivotal year to purchase this company. Anyone know
why? What happened in 1871?

(The Chicago Fire. 17,500 buildings were destroyed and Haeger’s
brickyard was instrumental in rebuilding Chicago.)

The company’s name became the D. H. Haeger Brick &Tile
Works.

Workers at the D. H. Haeger Brick & Tile Works. Note the workers
holding the brick molds in the front row.
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Advertisement in the Freeport Journal Standard, Fri. Aug. 19, 1887

The quality and uniqueness of Dundee Brick was recognized
throughout the region.

The Belvidere Standard, Tue. Jul 17, 1860
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The Belvidere Standard, Wed. Jun 19, 1895

Other local buildings built with Dundee Brick include:
 The Elgin National Watch Company
 Elgin State Hospital
 Hunt Block—(Emmett’s)

David H. Haeger was a very enterprising business man. He also
purchased the Spring Mills which was located south of the Im-
manuel Evangelical Lutheran Church. The Spring Mills was the
first mill built here in Dundee in 1837 by Thomas Deweese. It
was unique because its source of power didn’t come from the
river. It came from the abundant springs located in the hills here
in East Dundee.
The water fell
from a distance
of 40 feet to
turn the wooden
water wheel.

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The brick factory was very successful, and Haeger opened an-
other branch in 1885 in nearby Gilberts.

In time the clay used here for brick ran out. Haeger Industries
would later ship in clay regularly from Kentucky, New York and
elsewhere, and still do to this day.

David Haeger, with the help of one of his sons, Edmund H. Hae-
ger, began laying the groundwork for their company's transition
from brick-makers to artisans. By 1900, the year of David H.
Haeger's passing, the company was already making simple red
clay flower pots for the florist trade. Edmund Haeger, with his
artistic vision, was to complete the metamorphosis from Haeger
Bricks to Haeger Potteries. In 1914 he introduced a more sophis-

ticated line of glazed
artware. The Haeger
Brick & Tile Works
became Haeger Pot-
teries.

Named Adam & Eve
from the first

Artware Collection

Haeger’s First Milk Bottle Kiln
Installed in 1916

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During the 1933-34 Century of Progress Worlds Fair in Chicago,
Haeger Potteries built a complete working ceramic factory which
demonstrated both ancient and modern modes of production.
More than four million people visited this remarkable exhibit.

In 1976 Haeger Potteries was entered into the Guinness Book of
World Records. They created an amazing vase which stands more
than eight feet tall and weighs more than 650 pounds. It is show-
cased in the museum at Haeger headquarters in Dundee, Illinois
and held the title as the largest hand-thrown vase in the world for
many years.

In 1979 Joseph F. Estes' daughter, Alexandra Haeger Estes (great
granddaughter of the founder), became president of Haeger Pot-
teries. It is with pleasure that I now turn this tour over to her, as
she takes us inside to tour the Haeger Potteries museum.

David H. Haeger Edmund H. Haeger Joseph F. Estes Alexandra Haeger
Estes

1871—1900 1900—1954 1954—1979 1979—2015

Four Family Presidents in 144 years of Business
1871 - 2015

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Archive Newspaper Articles Relating to
David H. Haeger and Haeger Potteries

David C. Haeger died
Lexy Estes Great Great Grandfather

Chicago Daily Tribune, Tue. May 3, 1881

Haeger Purchases Elgin Brick and Tile Co.

The Inter Ocean, Sun. Aug. 4, 1889

David H. Haeger injured

The Inter Ocean, Sun. Aug. 18, 1889

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Dundee Township Facts

 East and West Dundee were never joined as one town.
 Originally, East Dundee was predominately German and

West Dundee was predominately Scottish.
 The government sale of lands in Dundee Township

opened on September 2, 1840.

 The earliest settler of West Dundee was Jesse H. New-
man, who in 1834 erected a log cabin at the location
that is today the “Big Lots” store on Rt. 31, just north of
the cemetery.

 West Dundee was platted and surveyed in 1836 .
 The first post office was established in 1836.
 The Village of West Dundee was incorporated on April

4, 1867.

 The earliest settler of East Dundee was Joseph Russell,
who was traveling with Newman in 1834.

 The first school in Dundee was established upon the hill
on the east side of the river in 1838.

 East Dundee was platted in 1842.
 The Village of East Dundee was incorporated on

May 20, 1871.

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