In 1911, the Haubergs moved into the estate. At that time, the Carriage House was important in running the property. The Carriage House was soon teeming with activity. It housed an automobile, carriages, horses and a pony, garden supplies and equipment, storage, housing space for temporary workers and a 2600-square-foot apartment. Beautiful architecture with precise function.
After years of sitting vacant, the building was in serious need of restoration. The Friends of Hauberg board of directors re-imagined the 8,000-square-foot Carriage House across the lush front lawn from the Mansion. The Carriage House is once again becoming an integral part of the estate.
The Auto House is a large multi-purpose room available to rent for private events, space for educational programming, and accommodation for larger attendance at Hauberg public events and activities. Since the space was originally used for parking and maintaining family vehicles, there are still remnants of that time. Look for the gas pump, the oil change area and the Baker Electric Car charging station.
The glass breezeway to the building was once the estate’s entry through which cars and carriages would enter the Carriage House from the street.
The original Carriage House has been reimagined as the Carriage Haus Bar. An amazing barn wood bar, tables and stools created by local artisans, and an ADA bathroom. Adding an additional artistic flare is the mural painted by a local artist of John Hauberg fishing in the pond on the estate. You’ll also find the Hauberg’s pony cart and original light fixtures over the bar and outside the building. As preservationists at Hauberg, the very large Harper Vase was saved from Rock Island’s Spencer Square.
The family’s stable area off the Carriage House has been reimagined as the Hauberg Stables Gift Shop. Gifts and souvenirs line the walls of the stalls. The original horse trough can still be seen.
The last door is to the Tool Room for the storage of gardening supplies and equipment used by staff and volunteers.