William and Eliza Wyeth requested legendary architect E.J. Eckel to design the 1879
Wyeth-Tootle Mansion to resemble the castles they had seen on the Rhine River as
they were traveling in Germany
Over one million bricks were used in the construction and the front portion
of the building was covered with native sandstone
The original St Joseph Museum was located at 19th & Felix
It was in the McAlister/A. J. August mansion and had outgrown the mansion
This mansion was purchased from the Tootle family in 1947 by William Goetz and the Goetz Brewery for $35,000 and was gifted to the St. Joseph Museum
Mr. Goetz also purchased and gifted the Harry L. George Native American collection, which is the most significant part of the Museum's collections
The Museum board raised $35,000 to renovate the structure into a museum
In 1948, voters approved a tax levy for supporting a municipal museum
In 1953, the St. Joseph Museum deeded the mansion to the City of St Joseph
Besides having run out of space for more exhibits, the mansion also lacked climate control for proper storage of the many
delicate Native American artifacts
An opportunity was offered to take over the Glore Psychiatric Museum
The Glore Museum had been operated by the State Hospital on Frederick Avenue
This move provided a ten-fold increase in space and a better climate control
In 2004, most of the exhibits were relocated to the Glore Museum site
This move allowed for the restoration of the mansion's interior
The dining room is now furnished with the gift of the Wyeth table service
Some years ago, one of the bedrooms was restored on the second floor
Other second floor rooms have been renovated for temporary exhibits
Exhibits such as "Enterprising St. Joseph" featuring products developed by local companies
Also a recreation of the architect Edmund J. Eckel's office has been completed
The City of St. Joseph has been restoring the exterior of the mansion in phases, beginning with the front elevation
The Wyeth-Tootle Mansion is owned by the City of St. Joseph and operated as a Museum under contract with the St. Joseph Museums, Inc.
The above information was provided by David W. Lewis Jr.
(Museum Board President)
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