1008 Park Avenue
(Stop #1 East Side Tour)
I was born and raised in Galena, and one of my favorite homes is the Belvedere Mansion. I grew up on Park Avenue, and even at a young age I recognized and appreciated the grandness of this mansion. As kids, we rode our ponies past the beautiful Belvedere to reach the open fields beyond. We would gallup our ponies bareback through the tall grasses and wild flowers, allowing our imaginations to drift back to the days when Native Americans inhabited the surrounding hills. We would whoop and holler as we raced through the meadows, stopping occasionally for a cool drink at the artesian well, which is located near the Belvedere.
After college, I was privileged to teach in Galena. One of my fourth graders’ favorite units was a Galena history study I created. This is when I dug into the history of the mansion.
Like many of Galena’s historic homes, the Belvedere Mansion has its share of ghost stories. Over the years, strange occurrences have been reported here. Employees have announced that doors and windows were found unlocked, when they were previously locked; guests have felt-bone chilling drafts; and unexplained footsteps have often been heard when no one else was in the house.
One of the most renowned stories occurred in the mansion’s cupola. On hot summer days it was common to open the cupola’s windows for ventilation. At the end of one of those steamy days, a worker was asked to run up to the cupola and shut the windows before they locked up for the day. After she wound her way up the three flights of stairs to the cupola, she stopped to catch her breath and admire the scenic view from one of the cupola’s open windows. Suddenly, the worker felt a cloud of cold air envelop her. She later described the sensation as if someone’s hand was pressing against her back. She said it felt as if it were forcefully pushing her towards the open window! Frightened, she said she spun around to see if her friend had quietly sneaked up the stairs to play a prank on her. Imagine her fright when she discovered she was all alone! In a panic, she raced down the three flights of stairs and didn’t stop or look back until she reached the sidewalk outside the mansion! She exclaimed it was only then that the icy chill that had surrounded her dissipated. As one could expect, she refused the job of closing the cupola’s windows after that.
Another mysterious incident that is often talked about occurred one day when an employee was tidying up a room and heard a loud crash in an adjacent room. She immediately stopped what she was doing and ran into the room. Expecting to find someone in there, she was surprised to find the room empty! As she scanned the room looking for the cause of the crashing noise, she discovered a large painting, which for years hung on the wall, was now flung on the floor! Not only was it on the floor, there was a chair leg protruding through it!
Some people blame these strange occurrences on Lester. According to legend, Lester was the son of an early owner of the mansion. It was said there was a large, ornately carved coffin on the third floor. Being an inquisitive, young boy, little Lester climbed into the coffin. As can be expected, the lid closed and locked. Tragically, the story claims Lester suffocated and died.
What I find interesting about this story is that the third owner of the mansion was Madison Y. Johnson. He actually had a son named Leslie. After his father passed, Leslie remained in the home as a recluse with his mother and never married. Now, this is where it really gets interesting! Leslie actually invented a solid glass coffin! For a short time the Smithsonian Institute displayed this glass coffin.
Perhaps Leslie,or Lester, is the culprit behind these mysterious antics. One will never know.
