County of site: Moniteau County
Location of site: 209 Howard St., Tipton
Marker on site:
Built in 1858 as a school for girls called "Rose Hill", which closed with the advent of the Civil War, this 17-room home was headquarters for Union General John C. Fremont in October, 1861. Purchased by the Greim/Maclay family in 1865, it served as a family home until given to the friends of the Maclay Home, Inc. in 1983. The house, on the national Register of Historic Places since 1979, stands as an historic reminder of the vigorous frontier growth associated with the coming of the railroad to Central Missouri."
~ The Tipton Jaycees and the Friends of the Maclay Home, Inc. - 1985
"The significance of the Maclay Mansion is intertwined with the earliest history of the
town of Tipton, Missouri. Built ca. 1858-1860, contemporary with the founding of the
town 1^561, it (is a tangible historical reminder of the period of vigorous frontier
growth associated with the coming of railroads to central Missouri. Serving briefly
as a female seminary until the outbreak of the Civil War, it was used thereafter as a
private residence. The home, which has remained in' the hands of the Gleim/Maclay family for over one hundred years,, has changed little since its original construction
and is an excellent example of antebellum brick architecture in Missouri. Filled with
original furnishings and innumerable possessions accumulated by the Maclay family, the
house is an extraordinary time capsule of life during the second half of the nineteenth
century.
" ... On the 23rd of March, 1861, a regiment of local volunteers for the Southern cause was formed; Wallace Williams was among those who enlisted. When that group known as the Moniteau County Rangers, marched off to Jefferson City in May of 1861,
Williams headed the ranks as Captain.
"Thus Fremont's presence 1n Tipton in October of 1861 is well documented. It is
entirely possible that Fremont might have seized the Maclay Mansion (then still
known as the building of Wallace Williams) for use as his headquarters while in
Tipton. The building was certainly one of the largest and handsomest in town,
and Fremont's troops were conveniently bivouacked to the east, on an area which
Is now part of the fairgrounds/0 However, despite the wealth of oral tradition,
little in the way of concrete evidence exists to corroborate this story.
"Since his appointment as Western Commander, Fremont's abrupt tactics, including
the declaration of-martial law over Missouri, had enraged government officials. 18
By the time he reached Tipton, Union officials were close behind him, with orders
from President Lincoln to Inspect his operations and relieve him of command if
necessary." ~ NRHP Nomination Form
"In 1862, Lt. Harrison A. "Harry" Gleim joined the 2nd Missouri Light Artillery in St. Louis. Lieutenant Gleim became aide~de~camp to Gen John Schofield and Brig. Gen Lewis Merrill. In 1869, Gleim's brothers, Frailey and John, purchased Rose Hill Seminary, later the Gleim Mansion, in Tipton, Missouri. During the War, it was Gen. John C. Fremont's Union Army headquarters. ... " Wilson Creek National Battlefield on Google Books