A Visit to Villa De Wolf

Yesterday, I attended a fun event. With a group from the Springfield German Club, I toured the Villa DeWolf mansion in Jacksonville, Illinois. My mom and sister went along!

The mansion

The Villa DeWolf mansion was originally known as the Ayers mansion. The history of the Ayers family in Jacksonville, Illinois begins with the arrival of Eliza Freitag Ayers. She traveled to Jacksonville with her husband and two sons, Augustus, and Marshall. Gus was 3, and Marshall was 7 at the time they arrived. They traveled from Florida, up the Mississippi, arriving in Alton, and taking a carriage to Jacksonville in May of 1830.

Eliza Ayers was a mover and shaker that changed the face of Jacksonville. She donated land for Passavant Hospital. She also helped found a lady’s academy that became Illinois College.

It was Augustus Ayers that built the Ayers Mansion in 1857. A.E. Ayers was a prominent Jacksonville citizen. He was involved with the banking house of M.P. Ayers & Co. He built the mansion in 1857. Villa DeWolf was built in the Italianate style. The mansion stands three-stories and is topped with a beautiful cupola. The mansion highlights include 12-foot ceilings. There is a three-story flying staircase. Fireplaces are made from Italian Carrera marble. Pre-Civil War rare gas chandeliers, and pocket doors with unique Tuscan arched detail also add character.

Today

The mansion has been revamped into a lovely bed and breakfast by the owner Scotty DeWolf. Familiar with the hospitality industry, DeWolf hails from California. He immediately fell in love fell in love with the mansion after seeing it listed on the internet. The mansion reminded him of mansions from the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. It took three years to rebuild the mansion. Italian architect Davide Rocchi and Jacksonville native and fashion photographer/designer Jerry Lee Ingram reworked the mansion.

The ball room is a true place of beauty where events can be held. Here Scotty DeWolf entertained the visitors with a beautiful music on both organ and Steinway piano.

In the ballroom, there is a beautiful cloud-dotted sky completed by Italian restoration artist Francesca Laurencich of Florence, Italy. There is also historic wallpaper. gracing the walls

Charitable giving

Part of the stay or event at the Villa DeWolf goes to the Mission of The Esprit de Corps Acadamy. This is a new academy that Scotty DeWolf started. It will offer high-quality music and performing dramatic arts education. Both students and adults of West Central Illinois will benefit.

Opportunities

The Villa DeWolf bed and breakfast is set in the historic Ayers Mansion and offers four different suites that are perfect for any outing. You can also rent space for showers, high teas etc.!

The day was a wonderful chance to see a lovely mansion with the fun German Club! If you enjoyed this article, check out other stories about historic mansions like the Brookside Inn, Frank Lloyd Wright’s B. Harley Home, Dana Thomas House and more!