In 1893 Wing and Mahurin began construction on Robert and Clara's Romanesque styled mansion. Same architect as the University of Saint Francis' Bass Mansion and The History Center both in Fort Wayne. Robert served as a state senator, assistant U.S. Commissioner for Indiana, and was a prominent lawyer. Clara helped form the first classes at the Fort Wayne Art School and was the co-founder of the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. The couple was originally from the Muncie area but moved up here for business purposes. They were a very prominent couple during their years here in Fort Wayne. Not only did Clara leave her forever footsteps at the Art Museum his law firm is still going strong known as the Barrett-McNagny law firm serving the local area still today. They only had one child Bessie but unfortunately due to illness died at 11 months old.
After Robert's death in 1901 the home was sold to William K. Noble who ran a lumber company that operated in 3 states. His family of 3 lived there for 22 years and sold the building for $50,000 to The Klaehn Funeral home. In 1935 the west side addition was added due to high demand. At this time funerals were no longer held in the resident's homes as they were done in the 1800s.
Today there are over 14,000 square feet in this absolutely breathtaking mansion. No detail has gone unnoticed. It remained a funeral home for over 93 years. Until they left the building in 2018 and Robert Sturm Jr. bought the building in 2020 to preserve its beauty. We want to preserve our precious history first and foremost. History is the reason why we are all here today! We hope you love this building half as much as we do! Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns!
420 W Wayne St, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46802
