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History - Brucemore : A Midwestern Country Estate
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One significant way of understanding the Douglases, Sinclairs and the Halls, in context is by comparing their home and lifestyle to others in the community as well as their upper-class peers from other urban areas. Although the Douglases adopted many typically “Eastern” ways of decorating the house and outfitting the estate, Brucemore also maintained a sense of conservatism that might be characterized as “Midwestern.” Despite the fact that families of Brucemore were materially and technologically better off than most residents of Cedar Rapids, their home is in some ways more restrained than those of others in their social class.
Brucemore is considered a “country estate.” In his 1904 book, American Estates and Gardens, Barr Ferree describes the country house as “a new type of dwelling, a sumptuous house, built at large expense, often palatial in its dimensions, furnished in the richest manner and placed on an estate, perhaps large enough to admit of independent farming operations, and in most cases with a garden which was an integral part of the architectural scheme.” Clive Aslet, a contemporary scholar of country homes adds that this house “stands on its own land, beyond the suburbs and other planned development, out of sight of other houses, possessing at least the appearance of an independent, possibly self-sufficient, landed life. All this might be possible on as little as twenty acres.” Both of these descriptions recall Brucemore and its relationship with other homes in Cedar Rapids. Despite the modern technologies it shared with others, Brucemore’s house, lot size, and landscape design were probably the main factors that made it unique in this city.
Yet Brucemore had much in common with country estates of the East. Formal gardens and small farms were typically found on country estates, and Brucemore was no exception. Mrs. Douglas, an avid gardener, played an active role in the planning and planting of the formal garden. She hired a series of head gardeners who maintained the gardens and grounds. The Douglases also planted a cutting garden behind the carriage house, which provided fresh flowers for the mansion. Vegetable gardens, an orchard, chickens, and cows made up Brucemore’s farm. Throughout the growing season the Douglases and their servants and grounds staff enjoyed fresh produce grown on the estate. Although the model farms of country estates gave the impression of self-sufficiency, their products provided only minimal support to the operations.
Sporting facilities were also a very common element of the country estate. Sports were a common preoccupation of the wealthy (not surprising since they had the money and time to pursue such leisure). The Douglases were no exception. They had a squash court, tennis court, and swimming pool on the ground and played golf frequently. Since they were in temperate climates during most months of the year (thanks to their home in Santa Barbara) they played golf and other sports year-round. George and Walter Douglas are credited with bringing golf to Cedar Rapids.
Despite all the similarities between the Douglases and others in their peer group, they also maintained some differences. One clear difference is the relative practicality of the estate compared to others. Despite all the changes the Douglases made to Brucemore, the layout of the house itself was never changed. Other than the porches and terraces, no additions were built and the existing rooms were put to a practical use.  Like many country houses, Brucemore had a library and sitting room in addition to all the necessary private rooms (bedrooms, nursery, dining room, etc.), it did not have some of the “extras” like music rooms. The Douglases had many musical interests but did not create a separate space. The great hall became a “music room” of sorts, as the organ, grand piano, and Wagnerian mural were all found here.
Perhaps an even more striking absence at Brucemore is the lack of a specific “male domain.” Many country houses had a separate den or office, which was generally decorated with stuffed ducks, arms, or armor. The den was usually the room where men could work, or where they could meet with business associates.
Mr. Douglas certainly met with and entertained business associates at Brucemore, but why he did not have a specific room for doing so is not known. Howard Hall, however, did establish such a domain with the Tahitian Room and Grizzly Bar. By the time the Halls moved into the mansion in 1937, homeowners were experimenting with uses other than laundry and storage for their basements. The Tahitian Room and Grizzly Bar are early examples of basement recreation rooms and also carry on the tradition of the den.
There were no unused spaces in the main floors of the house, which also highlights the Douglases’ practicality. Though there were some spaces built on the estate for specialized leisure purposes, such as Mrs. Douglases’ bookbindery and squash court, these were fairly conservative additions. The house itself, although a showpiece, was also “lived in.” The Douglas daughters roller-skated through the halls and played ping-pong on the dining room table. Once the Halls moved into the mansion, it became even less of an object of show.
At Brucemore, the Douglases created a home that combined the trends of the East Coast elite with the modesty often attributed to people of the Midwest. Although stereotypes of Midwesterners abound, one early twentieth century description of their character stands out as being particularly relevant to the Douglases. In a series of articles in Century Magazine, Edward Alsworth Ross surveyed many aspects of the Midwest, from its politics to its schools to its people. Of its wealthy set he wrote the following:
“The Western millionaire with strong local attachments cares more for the people among whom he has prospered than for Vanity Fair, and will not uproot in order that ‘the girls’ may have a shy at a titled foreigner. He keeps on a human basis with his townsmen, gives freely of his time and money to community interests, and when he dies, bequeaths liberally to local institutions.”
The Douglases and the Halls spent part of each year away from Brucemore but always considered it their home. From the words in their diaries to the actions that have been documented and remembered so fondly by the people of Cedar Rapids, they truly exemplify the description quoted above. The greatest symbol of this is Brucemore itself, bequeathed generously to serve the public that built it.
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