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The William & Mary LeDuc Historic Site is a nationally
significant historic property that includes an architecturally
outstanding house and outbuildings , and historic grounds.
The LeDuc House is a four-acre site located at 1629 Vermillion
Street (Highway 61), Hastings, Minnesota along the Great
River Roads Scenic Byway. [ Directions
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Its unaltered Gothic Revival architecture, and especially
the design source, establish its national significance.
William LeDuc, an attorney, entrepreneur and distinguished Civil War officer, served as U.S. Commissioner of
Agriculture under President Rutherford B. Hayes.
Mary LeDuc selected designs from Cottage Residences, a
seminal volume first published in 1842 by noted architectural writer and landscape architect Andrew Jackson
Downing, whose work dominated New York's Hudson
River Valley. Following Downing's stylistic guidelines, the
LeDucs produced a stunningly landscaped architectural
gem in a young river town on the Minnesota prairie.
The house survives virtually unaltered from its appearance
when it was completed in 1865-66. In 1970 the site was
listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Hastings citizens have supported and encouraged the
preservation of the LeDuc house for decades because they
recognize and appreciate its architecture and its history.
With its prominent location on the Great River Road, a
National Scenic Byway, the house is a major attraction for
Minnesota's rapidly growing industry of cultural tourism.
The handsome, restored house will encourage economic
development by attracting visitors, tourists and commerce.
With engaging exhibits and an exciting schedule of tours
and public events, the house will become a cultural center
for Hastings and the region.
In 2003-04 the current owner, the Minnesota Historical Society, will make a
significant investment in the property's restoration, upgrading
utilities and making structural repairs. The City of Hastings
will take ownership of the improved site and the Dakota
County Historical Society will install exhibits, plan tours
and programs, and ready the house for its public opening
in spring-summer 2005.
Read "A Brief
History of the LeDuc House" and see old and new
images on the Gallery Page.
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What
is the LeDuc Historic Site?