May 7, 2021

BRUCEMORE

2160 Linden Dr SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403

“Brucemore, a park-like, 26-acre estate in the heart of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is the site of a Queen Anne-style mansion, formal gardens, a children's garden, night garden, pond, orchard, and woodland. Built between 1884 and 1886 by Caroline Sinclair, widow of pioneer industrialist T.M.” Wikipedia

I have a fondness for old mansions, and Brucemore did not disappoint. The three floors are immaculately preserved and provide a great example of how the upper class lived through the years. Unfortunately, the 2020 Derecho destroyed more than 600 trees on the property, and the storm’s devastation is still very evident today. The mansion is also undergoing structural preservation, so the outside façade is disrupted by fence and tarps, but none of this disturbs the self-guided tour of the interior of this beautiful mansion.