The Chicago Bremner Biscuit Mansion has recently been placed on the market, listing with the KoenigRubloff Realty Group. This 11,097 ft² red brick colonial house dates back to 1899, and its design, as well as many of Chicago’s stately architecture, is attributed to Benjamin Marshall and Horatio Wilson.
What modern architecture has lost, the nine bedrooms Bremner Biscuit Mansion has plenty, such as the large multipurpose rooms, a library, and a third-floor recreation room.
The Bremner mansion was built for David F. Bremner, a bread magnate who was moving his biscuit company from Illinois in 1871, soon after the devastating Great Chicago Fire. Renowned for his cookies wafers and crackers, the baker made sure that each product would carry his initials DFB, which was popularly connoted to ‘Damn Fine Bread.’ Situated near the University of Chicago, the three-story Bremner Biscuit Mansion sits in the neighborhood of former US president Barack and his wife Michelle Obama’s Chicago home.
Other residents of the affluent Hyde Park area of Chicago include Mary Todd Lincoln, boxer Muhammad Ali, Mahalia Jackson, playboy’s Hugh Heffner, and pilot Amelia Earhart. The tree-lined streets have large palatial residences, and the Bremner Biscuit Mansion’s adjacent five-bedroom coach house is part of this property.
The beautiful red brick exterior walls of this mansion gives it character. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The large round foyer has charming hardwood flooring and beige walls. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The beige ceiling of the foyer has a clear view of the second floor hall through the second floor railings. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The large and airy living room has an abundant supply of natural lighting that works well with its charming pink walls. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The homey kitchen has brown wooden cabinetry matching with the kitchen island under the ceiling fan. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The dining room has a unique and detailed ceiling that complements the elegant wooden details of the room. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The ground floor hallway is lined with large wooden cabinets. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
These charming cabinets of the hallway has glass cabinet doors perfect for displays. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The second floor hallway flaunts of a circular indoor balcony brightened by the circular architecture of the ceiling. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The primary bedroom has a spacious floor space with a charming hardwood tone complemented by a warm fireplace and brightened by surrounding windows. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The second bedroom of the second level has simple beige walls, ceiling that is complemented by the charming hardwood flooring. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The bedroom of the third level has a couple of windows at the corner with wooden frames matching the lovely wooden moldings. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The second bedroom of the third level has a smaller floor space elevated by a set of green carpeting that works well with the beige walls. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The second floor primary bathroom has a wooden door that matches well with the beige walls and ceiling. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The powder room has simple beige walls that matches quite well with the white marble countertop of the vanity. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
This is the wide and spacious reception area of the third level of the house with simple white ceiling, beige walls and hardwood flooring. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The gorgeous ballroom of the third floor has a green cove ceiling converging with the walls complemented by the spacious gray carpeted flooring with elevations for a stage. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The small bonus room has simple beige walls and wooden moldings with an easy access to the ballroom. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The first floor library has a wide space for additional shelves and furniture brightened by the wide arched window. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
Another angle of the library shows the comfortable fireplace on one corner with a wooden mantle that matches the wainscoting. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The bright sunroom of the house may have a small floor space but it makes up for it with natural lighting from the surrounding tall windows. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
This is a backyard view of the coach house surrounded by tall trees and lush green lawns of grass. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
A different view of the lush and spacious lawn of grass at the backyard perfect for gatherings. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The wonderful red brick exterior walls of the mansion makes it pop out against the lush greenery of the surrounding landscaping. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
Features of the Opulently Classic Bremner Biscuit Mansion
With a total of 14 bedrooms, the Bremner biscuit house has been listed for the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. The church has had ownership of the Hyde park- south Kenwood mansion since 1966, and they are asking for $2.35 million. The vintage classic mansion is packed with originality, like the interior circular ceiling cutout that lets through light onto the 1st-floor foyer from a skylight above.
This house’s bathrooms and kitchen are still in their original state, having never been renovated, while colonial craftsmanship is reflected by ornate plaster ceilings and mahogany wood paneling. The bedrooms are located on the second and third floors, and the Bremner mansion features a full basement. A formal room, kitchen, and a vast library complete with built-in wood bookcases occupy the first floor of the Bremner Biscuit Mansion.
The ballroom cum recreation room, as well as a den, three bedrooms, and two baths, take up the entire third floor of the mansion. There are built-in hutches, grand fireplaces, wainscoting, and may other original architectural primarypieces within the main mansion and the adjacent coach house.
Baking Operations of the Bremner Biscuit Company
The Bremner wafer crackers are a popular condiment for cheese and wine enthusiasts and are still on sale from grocery stores across the country. Though the company was successful in its own right, real fame came after David F. Bremner’s sons started a bakery dedicated to the butter wafer in 1905. When the internal combustion engine came to replace the horse buggy in the 1920s, Bremner products found wider distribution using motor vehicle trucks.
The invention of the electric band oven also gave the company a higher production output, and the formulation of special packaging to prevent cracker breakage. Other products in the Bremner line include sesame seed, soup, and chili, cracked wheat, pure sunflower oil crackers. For five generations, the Bremner family has continued to back their products with integrity and superior quality.
Jon Dykstra owns an interior design company in North Vancouver, British Columbia. He's fascinated by architecture and interiors. He also enjoys gardening at his "house in the burbs" and "homesteading" at his off-the-grid boat-access cabin.
Combine all that with a love of writing and Homestratsophere.com was born. He balances his working time between running his interior design company, working on his off-the-grid cabin and publishing homestratosphere.com.
