Glover Mansion

James Glover came to Spokane in May 1873 from Salem, Oregon. At the time, there was little more than a rudimentary saw mill in what would become Spokane. Glover was taken with the setting of the Spokane Falls and on his second day, he had purchased the sawmill and the rest of the land surrounding the falls. Over the years that followed, Glover would come to be known as the founding father of the city of Spokane and would serve as its second mayor. Wealthy and powerful, Glover commissioned architect Kirtland Cutter to design his grand mansion on a hillside to the south of the city center. It was Kirtland's first major project, and helped spur a career that would make him one of Spokane's most renowned and prolific architects. Glover and his wife, Susan, moved into the mansion shortly before the August 1889 Great Spokane Fire, which devastated the downtown core. Less than two years later, Glover and his wife separated, and ultimately divorced. Glover's wife was later committed at Eastern State Hospital, buried in an unmarked grave, and largely erased from history.[3]

West view of the Glover Mansion, with the 1961 building visible on the left.

Glover's fortunes turned during the Panic of 1893, which drove him nearly into bankruptcy. As a result, he lost possession of the mansion. In 1898, Lawyer Frank H. Graves purchased the mansion, which he owned until 1904.[4] The mansion cost Glover $100,000 to build, but he sold it for just $30,000.[5] From 1904 until 1908 the mansion was owned by mining magnate Charles Sweeney, father of Charles Sweeny, an American soldier of fortune. The mansion passed to Patrick Welch, a contractor, who owned the home from 1908 until 1943. In 1943, the Unitarian Church purchased the property.[4]

In 1961, the church constructed a mid-century building in the northern portion of the grounds, along Eighth Ave., which served as the church meeting house.[6] The Unitarian Church owned the mansion and grounds until 1991, when it was sold to Neila Poteshman and Tod Doran. The mansion has had several owners since, and been used as a restaurant, and more recently as an event venue known for hosting weddings.[5]

The mansion was added to the Spokane Register of Historic Places in 1995. Mansion ownership signed a management agreement with the city, in which the city recognizes it as a historic landmark and the owner gives the city power to approve or disapprove plans for demolition, relocation, change in use, or alterations to the exterior of the structure.[7]