A Mansion Was Built And Left To Decay In The Middle Of This Nebraska Field
Of all the abandoned places in Nebraska, this mansion may just be the most beautiful…and one of the saddest. It was built for a family in 1874-1875 and remained in that family for more than a century. Unfortunately, it’s now just a decaying shell of its former glory.
Just outside of the Saunders County town of Ashland, a rather surprising sight can be seen in the middle of a large, otherwise empty field.
The home was once a marvel of masonry and a spectacular family dwelling. It's a solidly built structure that was once said to have been sturdy enough to last for centuries. The mansion was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 while members of the Beetison family still lived there.
The mansion was constructed for Israel Beetison, an Englishman who settled in Nebraska in the 1860s.
The walls are made of 18-inch-thick limestone. All of the limestone used in the construction was hand-chiseled by local masons from the surrounding areas, then brought nearly 10 miles by horse and wagon to the building site. This was no small (or inexpensive) feat back in those days.
The 1,800-square-foot, two-story structure was built in the Italianate style and today stands as a beautiful example of this type of architecture.
Notice the cupola on top, which was added so the family could survey the surrounding plains for signs of any approaching indigenous people, who often came to trade with the family. The decorative stonework and arched windows are some of the mansion's most distinctive features.
Over the years, many alterations and updates were made to the home. It's wired for electricity, and indoor plumbing was added in 1963.
Five generations of Beetisons lived here, with one generation passing the home down to the next, until the building and the surrounding land were sold to a developer in 1999.
Since then, the fate of the historic home has been unclear. It's fallen into disrepair and has attracted vandals who have wrecked the interior.
The doors and windows are boarded up, leaving this once-magnificent home to look sad and forgotten. The home's structure seems to remain sturdy, though it seems that it will never again be home to anyone. The cost to restore it to livable condition would be astronomical at this point.
Since the home is on the National Register of Historic Places, it can't be torn down without the consent of the Ashland City Council.
The city council has discussed the issue many times over the years, but as of the time of publication, the Beetison mansion still stands in this field near the historic Oxbow Trail. It's a sad reminder of a bygone era in Nebraska - but even in its continuing decay, this mansion remains absolutely beautiful.
The grandeur of the Israel Beetison mansion will live on, even as time and nature take their toll on the building. Please note that the home is on private property and not accessible to the public. You can, however, see it from your car if you travel north on Highway 66 from the I-80 Ashland exit.
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Address: Ashland, NE 68003, USA
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As a lifelong Nebraskan, Delana loves discovering the many hidden treasures of her state. She has worked as a writer and editor since 2007. Delana's work has been featured on more than a dozen websites and in Nebraska Life Magazine.
