High on top of a rocky knoll in Hannibal, Mo. stands a monumental house, a house built solely to fulfill a man's dream. The dream belonged to Mr. John Cruikshank. Mr. Cruikshank was a wealthy lumber baron, and he dreamed of a large, grand house constructed from the finest woods available, displaying the most elegant furnishings money could buy. Yet the ambience of the house would be one of warmth and quiet dignity. Mr. Cruikshank's dream came true, and the house was completed in 1900. The Cruikshank family, consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Cruikshank and their four daughters, moved in and resided at Rockcliffe until Mr. Cruikshank's death in 1924. At that time, the family left the house forever. The magnificent house was vacated and boarded up for 43 years, leaving it to wither from weather damage and vandalism. Then two weeks before the once grand and exquisite home was to be demolished, leaving nothing but memories amid the rubble, the house was saved by three local families, and the beauty of the home's ostentatious and historical past was restored.

Since its restoration, Rockcliffe Mansion has attracted worldwide attention. It has been featured on the History channel, thus leading "America's Castles" to contact the mansion for an upcoming episode. Truly one of Missouri's castles, Rockcliffe is open throughout the year, offering guided tours for all to marvel at the craftsmanship and grandeur of this beautiful mansion.

Rockcliffe invites guests to step back in time to the elegance and splendor of the days when ballroom parties and lavish afternoon teas were posh. The three-story Greek Revival style home encompasses 28,600 square feet, including nine bedrooms, seven bathrooms, 10 hand-carved marble fireplaces and several sumptuous rooms. Wanting all of the home's original furniture on display to complete the regal atmosphere, the new owners were fortunate that one Cruikshank daughter had lovingly stored a great quantity of furnishings, linens, lace curtains and original articles from the birth of Rockcliffe and earlier. Also, many townspeople were eager to donate articles, and today the furniture and donated articles are on display throughout the mansion. Walking through Rockcliffe's luxurious rooms is a fascinating experience for all, because of the home's varying styles of rooms and wonderful decorating.

The first step in the mansion presents the Main Entrance Hall. In the main hall is the grand staircase where Mark Twain spoke to more than 300 members of Hannibal's elite society. To the left of the entry way is the reception room; this room is classic and refined, covered in ornate gilded wallpaper, while extending a warm welcome to visitors. In contrast to the classic reception room, there is the exotic Moorish Room. The Moorish Room is the most elaborate and exquisite room in Rockcliffe, although a small room by comparison to the other spacious rooms. The Moorish Room is strangely flamboyant with a touch of the mysterious Middle East. The room has no walls; it was designed around Corinthian columns and decorated in bright hues of blue and gold. The focal point of the Moorish Room is the prodigious domed ceiling surrounded by carvings of gold leaf. This room was copied from a similar room in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York, which, in turn, was adapted from an authentic Turkish room.

The mansion is filled with beauty, elegance and architectural wonder, yet every room had personal meaning to the Cruikshank family. The Red Room was Mr. Cruikshank's retreat for relaxation, and the music room and the Green Room were Mrs. Cruikshank's haven for entertaining and reflecting on the day's events. The Moorish Room, with its mystical and fun feeling, was the young Cruikshank's daughters favorite room in the house to amuse friends.

Today, although empty of the home's occupants, these rooms echo the laughter and love that filled the house almost a century ago. In visiting Rockcliffe, one can see a single man's dream come true. Mr. Cruikshank's wish that he might live to raise his family in Rockcliffe was fulfilled. Such a home can never again be built and those idyllic years the Cruikshank family spent there are gone forever. Yet, Rockcliffe, with her storied past, is now having a lively present. This divine dream of Mr. Cruikshank's has been wonderfully preserved so that others might, for a few moments, glimpse a whisper of our past and relive the spirit of an era which has long since vanished.

To visit the Rockcliffe Mansion web site click here.

Rockcliffe is located at 1000 Bird St. Call for more information at (573) 221-4140.