The Mansion & Its Setting
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After a three-year search for the perfect home to convert into a living storybook Victorian House Museum, in 2012 Emmy-nominated Hollywood Set Designer/Decorator James Colburn discovered this French Neo-Renaissance Chateauesque Victorian Mansion which takes pride of place in the Historic Homes District of the Victorian Port City of Manistee in Northwestern Michigan.
The present James is not the first James in the California film industry to enjoy this fine home. In 1993 Oscar, Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony winning actor, James Earl Jones, returned to the historic Ramsdell Theater here in Manistee (where he began his acting career in 1955) to campaign for the playhouse's restoration and provide a book-signing event. During that stay he and his family chose The Dempsey Manor as their pied-a-terre, and occupied all three floors of this stately Mansion. The Dempsey Manor House Museum has been, and is, an irreplaceable architectural treasure, now a stunning and educational museum, and a necessary itinerary stop for anyone visiting Michigan's Northwest.
The man who built the Mansion was another James: the modest but very successful
Lumber Baron, the Honorable James Dempsey (a philanthropist who also served a
term as Mayor of Manistee). The Mansion was designed
and constructed by the prestigious Chicago firm of Holabird and
Roche, who completed it in 1894. Your Host, James Colburn, now
retired from the film and television industry, has devoted a year and a half restoring and furnishing this architectural treasure in Victorian Period style.
In the days of James Dempsey, Manistee was home to many well-to-do residents. In one period of its 19th century boom days, Manistee had more millionaires per-
capita than any other city in the nation. And much larger and grander homes as well.
Alas, all of the other opulent estates are gone, their homes demolished or destroyed by fire. Today, The Dempsey Manor is the largest Lumber Baron residence in town that remains from Manistee's extravagant and unique industrial period.
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The Manistee County Tourism Authority publishes a fascinating and
highly esteemed booklet on Manistee Self-Guided Historical Tours, which
includes The Dempsey Mansion, and features this introductory Tour Video:
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From the State of Michigan
Pure Michigan - The James Dempsey Mansion Story
narrated by Hollywood film and television star (and Manistee-an!), actress Toni Trucks*
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.(1) From Manistee, Toni relocated to Los Angeles to make her television debut as the female lead on Showtime’s acclaimed comedy series Barbershop *
Other television credits include Hostages, The Soul Man, House, All of Us, Veronica Mars, 'Til Death, Brothers, CSI: NY, Made in Jersey, Grimm, the telefilms Star Runners and Starstruck, and her current co-starring role as Lisa Davis in the CBS weekly series SEAL Team. Her previous film credits include Dreamgirls, Weapons, and Music and Lyrics, and co-star of the 2012 Fox Searchlight film Ruby Spark
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Email us.
We can arrange a tour for you
providing memories you will love to
share for a long time to come.
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The Hon. James Dempsey
Lumber Baron, Banker, Manistee-Grand Rapids Railway Owner, Postmaster, and Mayor of Manistee, MI.