Riverfront Historic Mansion

Built in 1845, this historical gem is a destination itself. Hezekiah Elgin's home has the honor of being one of the oldest houses on record in the city of Clarksville and one of the few remaining houses on the river front. Mr. Elgin came to Clarksville in the early 1800's. He opened a trading post and built one of the first roads between St. Louis and Clarksville. He also bought the Elgin Opera House and Hotel which were both destroyed by fire in the late 1800's. In 1860 Mr. Elgin married a wealthy widow with 2 children. He added on to the original "federal style" home and created an "Italianate" portion of the home. There is a grand entrance with a beautiful original curved staircase and a formal sitting room with a marble fireplace he personally brought by boat from Italy! He created the grand master suite we now call "The wedding room" which has the most breathtaking views of the Mississippi. There is another original fireplace in the kitchen which is Cypress Wood and Brick. The bricks to the home were handmade on the property by the slaves who once lived there. The style of the house was greatly influenced by the French-styled houses in the French Quarter of New Orleans. The ceilings soar to 12 feet and the windows are all 9 feet tall. Some of the windows were originally designed to open up into the ceiling to double as a walkthrough door to the balcony. The house has eight main rooms that run shotgun style, each opening to a side porch overlooking the river. This home has been featured on PBS twice with former owner Richard Cottrell, who restored the home, gave detailed tours. The Elgin-Cottrell River Mansion was also featured with an 11 page spread in Victorian Homes Magazine in 2011. Since this house has had only 4 previous owners, it hasn't seen many changes and the floor plan remains the same. Victorian Homes Magazine said it is by far one of the most historically correct beautifully decorated Victorian Homes in the US.