The Harris Mansion

The site of the party, and eventual crime scene, was the magnificent Harris Mansion in Champaign. First National Bank President Benjamin Harris and his son B.F. Harris II commissioned Arthur Heun of Chicago to design this $200,000 home at 805 W. Church Street in 1904. The opulent estate, called Elmshade, was completed in 1907 and considered the largest and finest home in Champaign for many years. H.H. Harris and his wife Hortense regularly held opulent parties at the beautiful home.

The Aftermath 

When B.F. died suddenly at age 52 in 1920, the home was passed to his wife, and later his son H.H Harris. In 1931, two years after the robbery, the Harris family moved and left the home to decline nearly to ruin. It was abandoned until 1947, when the home found new life as Cole Hospital. The old mansion served as Cole Hospital for many years, with a large addition completed in 1979. Eventually, however, ownership of the home was transferred to The Pavillion mental health clinic, and the Harris Mansion was demolished in 2012 to make way for expansion of The Pavillion.