[Southsider2k12]

http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs....0512/1047/Lives

Barker Mansion showing off 'face-lift'
QUESTS: OUTINGS

KAREN RALLO

MICHIGAN CITY -- Anyone who's been around for 100 years, could use a "facelift." Barker Mansion, 631 Washington St., has been undergoing many renovations and will host an open house from 1 to 5 p.m. CDT Oct. 21 to reveal its new look.

It was time to pull down some of the aging wallpaper and tear out the tired old carpet after thousands of visitors have wandered through the 38-room mansion, says Cecelia Zubler, the mansion's director.

"It's actually been ongoing for as long as I have been director, for 15 years," Zubler explains. "The city owns the building, given by Catherine Barker in 1970, after it was used for 20 years by Purdue University. Of course it needed renovations with its vinyl wallpaper and industrial carpet put in for the students. The city has been diligent about maintaining this gift by tending to things that were really necessary. But the grants for the specialty items came from the Barker Welfare Foundation," Zubler says.


Those specialty items included custom-made wallcovering and wool carpet from England, replicated from pictures taken when John H. and Katherine Barker (parents of Catherine) lived in the mansion. The family made their fortune in railroad car manufacturing.

The Barker Mansion Guild and the Barker family, along with other groups, have helped brighten the mansion. The family sent the mansion's tapestries to New York to be restored. "Some of the tapestry had been hung with duct tape," Zubler says with disgust.

Visitors who come to the Barker Centennial Celebration will be greeted by Mr. and Mrs. Barker and there will be no admission charged.

[Roger Kaputnik]

Looking at the people visiting the Barker, I think I have seen a lot of facelifts.

[Tim]

Here's an interesting article on John H. Barker from the New York Times in 1903

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/...amp;oref=slogin

[Ang]

Here's an interesting article on John H. Barker from the New York Times in 1903

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/...amp;oref=slogin

Hey Stranger!! Welcome back. Where you been?

Neat little story. Thanks for sharing it with us..