Features & Amenities
Events ranging from baby showers, anniversary parties, holiday events, and, of course, weddings have been held at the magnificent mansion.
The mansion has a little over 7,000 square feet and sits on 1.2 acres. There are 16 rooms, including 3 parlors and 8 bedrooms. The bedrooms (all with attached bathrooms) are available for overnight stays. Weddings can be as small as 10 or as large as 250 people.
Featured on Television and in Magazine
The Austin Mansion has a rich history. It was once an international photography college and has been featured on HGTV's "If Walls Could Talk" and in "This Old House" magazine. If the walls of this house could talk, we can only imagine what they would say!
Built in 1892
It was built in 1892 by Calvin Austin, a wealthy industrialist. Newspapers of the day declared it "the finest home in the country". At the time, the property included a large carriage house with stables and staff quarters.
Illinois College of Photography
Calvin Austin sold the property in 1900 to the Illinois College of Photography, the first international photography college of its kind. It boasted students from every state in the U.S., every province in Canada and 52 foreign countries.
The house was renamed Garnet Hall in honor of the college founder's son James Garnet. James died when he was 11 years old.
The Great Depression and Following Years
The school closed its doors during the Great Depression. It was later used as a rehabilitation center for World War I vets, but it was eventually turned into apartments. It was boarded up in the 1980s, when the local fire marshal found that the building didn't meet safety codes. For a decade, it sat empty.
Renovations
In the 1990s, a couple bought the mansion and began renovating it with the help of a local shop class teacher and his students. In 1997, the Garnet Hall Bed and Breakfast opened, but only operated for a few years.
In 2005, Garnet Hall again changed ownership and the new owners began the task of renovating it yet again. They restored the name of the house to the original Austin Mansion. Renovations were complete by 2009.
The Mansion Becomes an Event Venue
Walnut Street Weddings added the historic Austin Mansion in December 2013 as an event venue.
There are many citizens in our community who lived in the home when it was small apartments, stayed overnight there when it was a Bed and Breakfast or remember it when it was in a state of condemnation. The house has had many lives and we are proud to be giving it another one.
