For years, no one seemed to know exactly where the original blueprints of the historic Hauberg mansion in Rock Island, IL were being stored. With their mission to fully restore the mansion, carriage house and surrounding landscape, the Friends of Hauberg Civic Center Foundation were especially interested in discovering their whereabouts. But after countless hours spent cleaning decades worth of miscellaneous items out of the basements, closets and attics of both the mansion and carriage house, no original plans had yet turned up.
Then in mid-September 2017, the Friends decided to look in some unlikely places. After learning that the basement storage areas of the current and former Rock Island Parks and Recreation offices held some archived items, they requested permission to take a look and were rewarded for their efforts with a treasure beyond their greatest expectations. Several dozen rolled up blueprints, dating back to 1909, revealed not only the original architectural drawings of the buildings, landscape and furnishings (with the original signatures of Robert C. Spencer and Jens Jensen); but the collection also included detailed instructions for wall and ceiling decorations, designed by George Niedecken.
After the documents have been properly catalogued and mounted, the Friends plan to display them on the property for the public to view.
