A Dollhouse Worth Seeing!

Dollhouses have always been popular with little girls. But, in 1978, a woman in her 60’s, Helen Kuhlman, decided to have a dollhouse built. It was to be replica of a similar dollhouse built in 1885 in France. The original dollhouse had been given to her mother when she celebrated her fifth birthday. It was based on the blueprints of her parents’ Dubuque mansion.

While the original dollhouse had been donated to a Dubuque museum some years earlier, Mrs. Kuhlman recalled it with fond memories. So, in her later years, she decided to build a duplicate of the original dollhouse for herself.

First, to make sure it would be an exact replica, she dispatched a Peoria craftsman to Dubuque, where he located the original dollhouse in the museum. He then obtained the necessary measurements and other details before starting the lengthy construction. See second photo.

Mrs. Kuhlman then concentrated on the interior of the dollhouse, reportedly spending several years just collecting the furnishings to put in it. For example, to locate appropriate interior items, Helen studied old photos, books and catalogs. And, she ordered pieces from all over the world to get items that were historically accurate to the home’s 1860-70 time period.

The pictures on the walls of the dollhouse are miniatures of 100-year-old family photographs. There are also hand-made lace curtains with matching bedspreads. In addition, the house contains hand-made needle-point rugs and wall hangings … even a miniature Tiffany chandelier.

Furniture throughout the house came from all over the world. For example, the music room contains a miniature piano from Colombia, as well as a gilt harp. The flatware on the dining room table is sterling silver from France. The sun room, the bedrooms, the formal dining room and living rooms, and the old-fashioned kitchen all represent many hours of creative endeavor on the part of Mrs. Kuhlman. See third photo.

In 1985, Mrs. Kuhlman’s son, a long-time resident of Western Springs, convinced his mother to have their family donate the dollhouse to the Western Springs Historical Society. At that time, she said, “I sincerely hope the area residents will enjoy viewing it as much as we enjoyed creating it”.

While Helen Kuhlman has since passed away, her gift to our village lives on. Today, the dollhouse is displayed on the third floor of the historic Water Tower museum. To see it close-up, drop by any Saturday between 10 a.m. and Noon. Mrs. Kuhlman would be pleased.

Each week, the Western Springs Historical Society presents a “Blast from the Past”. To view prior stories, visit us at www.westernspringshistory.org or just click on the author’s name shown above.