32 Vandeventer Place:
Hiram Shaw Liggett House
Built: 1890
Demolished: 1950
Style: Richardsonian Romanesque
Architect: Harry E. Roach
Neighborhood: Grand Center
City Block:2289
On 1875 Compton and Dry Map: no
On 1883 Hopkins Atlas: no
Historical significance: This 20 room mansion was commissioned by John E. Liggett for his son, Hiram Shaw Ligget, in 1890. Liggett was the founder of the Liggett and Myers Tobacco Company, which made him his fortunes. Hiram died in 1892, and John gave the mansion to his daughter Ella. Her husband was Mitchell Scott, who was treasurer of the Liggett Realty Company. Scott died in 1902, and Ella remarried in 1906 to Charles Wiggins. She lived in the house until 1913 when she moved to Portland Place. From 1914-1924, the mansion was home to Crittenden McKinley and Lucy Bent McKinley, daughter of Silas Bent. While the mansion on Vandeventer Place no longer stands, the Liggett and Myers Tobacco factory is still standing in the McRee Town neighborhood.
Architectural significance: This house was built in 1890 by Harry E. Roach in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. It featured a large 4 story tower on the east side, and a gabled roof on its west, complete with arched windows, and an entryway between the two sides. The home also featured a Turkish themed room, which had a message encrypted in one of the windows. This house was built to be one of the finest homes furnished with the finest materials at the time it was commissioned by John E. Liggett.
Hiram Shaw Liggett