William Borden Mansion

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William Borden Mansion
Life Span: 1886-1960
Location: NW corner Lake Shore Drive and Bellevue Place
Architect: Robert Morris Hunt

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1904

Borden William

Chicago Tribune, April 29, 1886

BUILDING PERMITS: Nos.87 and 89 Belleview place, William Borden, three-story residence, 50×60 feet. $50,000.

Chicago Tribune, April 10, 1906

William Borden, whose real estate holdings are among the largest in Chicago, including the Borden Block and the Grand opera house, is lying at the point of death at his residence, 89 Bellevue place, as the result of an apoplectic stroke.

Since Sunday morning Mr. Borden has been unconscious and his physicians have resorted to oxygen in the hope of prolonging his life beyond the present crisis. The attack of apoplexy came without warning while Mr. Borden was at his residence. He is 53 years old and previously enjoyed robust health.

Realizing that tyhe condition of the patient was grave, consultation of physicians, including Drs. Billings, Stearnes, Chew, Elliott, and Stevenson, was held on Sunday. Another consultation was held yesterday after Mr. Bolden had failed to improve. A statement was given out at the residence early in the morning that Mr. Borden was still alive, but unconscious.

Mr. Borden’s family consists of his wife, two sons, John and William, and two daughters, Mary and Joyce Borden.

Wealth Gained in a Year.
The downtown real estate holdings of Mr. Borden amount to nearly a million and a quarter dollars. His father, John Borden, who resides at 3947 Lake avenue, also is wealthy. Father and son together are said to own real estate in the downtown district valued at more than $3,000,000.

The wealth of the Bordens was acquired in a single year of remarkable success. The foundation of the fortune was laid in western mining fields and later was invested to advantage in Chicago real estate.

William Borden, the son, was educated in this country, and completed his studies in Heidelberg, Germany. There he received a complete training in mining engineering. When he had learned all the German experts could teach him he returned to Chicago. Just about this time the Leadville mining fields were discovered. Borden interested Marshall Field and Levi Z. Leiter, who entrusted a small amount of money (about $20,000 each) to the young mining engineer for investment.

Young Borden turned his technical knowledge to such good account that in one year he made $4,000,000. One million went to Field, $1,000,000 to Leiter, while the remaining was divided between his father and himself.

Graphic from the Inter Ocean, March 11, 1879. This is the mining town where Mr. Borden made his fortune. He documented his story in his book, Borden’s Leadville; a treatise on Leadville, Colorado, reliable information … containing the different routes, scenes of interest on the way, and one of the most accurate descriptions of Leadville and vicinity ever published in 1880.

Invest All in Real Estate.
Real estate values in Chicago at the time were at a low ebb, but the Bordens had faith enough in the ultimate development of the city to invest almost their entire fortune in real estate. Since then the values have multiplied many times.

Since that one year’s successful work in Leadville, Mr. Borden never has engaged in any business.

William Borden’s downtown holdings at present include the following:

The real estate interests of John Borden, the father, embraces:
Taylor building, 140-146 Monroe street—$634,233
Property at southeast corner of Randolph street and Fifth avenue—$213,000
Property at 206-214 Randolph street—$266,770
Property at 243-245 Madison street—$746,400

In addition the Bordens also possess important holdings in the outlying districts.

The Borden Mansion.

Chicago Tribune, February 28, 1960

By Ernest FullerThe Borden mansion at Lake Shore drive and Bellevue place, a Gold Coast landmark since 1884, is being sold by Mrs. Ellen Borden Stevenson, former wife of Adlai Stevenson, twice defeated Democratic candidate for President. and her sister and mother, it was learned yesterday.

Mrs. Stevenson, who lived in the 36 room chateau like home as a child, conducted an art club there from 1953 to 1958. She confirmed Saturday that the building is being sold, but declined to disclose the price. The sellers besides herself, she said, are her sister, Mrs. Ralph Hines, and her mother, Mrs. Ellen Waller Border Carpenter.

Corporation Is Buyer.
The buyer is International Rolling Mill Products corporation, 5000 Whipple st., headed by Barney E. Hopkin, Chicago industrialist. LeRoy A. Listug, vice president of the company, said that in addition to the Borden home the company also has contracted to buy the home adjoining to it to the north, at 1038 Lake Shore dr. This is owned by Mrs. Florence McGinley.

The corporation already owns the three remaining buildings on Lake Shore drive, between Bellevue place and Cedar street. The latest purchases—the deals are still in escrow, said Listug—would give the company a block of Lake Shore drive frontage.

The Borden home, a three story gray stone building, is one of the last of the mansions built by wealthy Chicagoans on the near north side before the turn of the century.

Import Stone Carvings.
It was originally occupied by William Borden and his family. William Borden, grandfather of Mrs. Stevenson, was a lawyer and successful mining engineer. The home os of French renaissance design. Stone carvings used on the exterior were imported from France, said Mrs. Stevenson.

Shortly after John Borden, Mrs. Stevenson’s father, and Mrs. Carpenter were divorced in 1924, John Borden granted his ex-wife a life interest in the property. Later he deeded the home to his daughters, Mrs. Stevenson and Mrs. Hines, subject to Mrs. Carpenter’s life interest.

The Carlyle

Construction worker near the top of The Carlyle.

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