Mylius–Eaton House

Englishman Charles Mylius, who was born in Italy, built this elegant home in 1894. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Mylius-Eaton House and is now a boutique hotel called the Chocolate Mansion. Designed by William D. McLaughlin in a form of the Queen Anne style developed in England, the house features gables (two of which form the letter "M") built using decorative timbering, a porch, and clapboard siding on the first floor. The house is named after Mylius and the Eaton family, who owned it for several decades. A carriage house was built shortly after the house was completed.

Information about Mylius' background is not readily available, but he did operate a sash a door company, whose work was incorporated into the house. He was also impressed by the English version of the Queen Anne style, which was developed in part by architect Richard Norman Shaw. It is possible that Mylius saw homes designed by Shaw in England. Interestingly, despite spending $12,000 on building the house, Mylius apparently never lived here. It is unclear why but it he did own it for one year before moving to Dundee, Minnesota (he eventually built a home in Italy). After he departed, a man named Edward L. Pickford bought the house. In 1899, he sold it to Franz and Matitlda Shenkberg, who owned it until early 1906.

Fred Eaton, who was a banker and the owner of the Sioux City Stockyards, bought the house in March of that year. He was born in Vermont in 1859 and became a successful banker as an adult. Eaton also served as the treasurer of three quarry companies and became director for two of them. In 1884 he married Lillian Gale. He arrived in Sioux City in 1894 intending to recover the investments of Easterners after the city's economy crashed a year earlier. He became the secretary and general manager of the Credits Commutation Company Company of Sioux City, which was tasked with recouping the investments. Eaton also became the secretary and treasurer of the Sioux City Stockyards. In 1900, he became the general manager and in 1903, the president. In the coming years, he served in leadership positions in many companies and organizations including the Sioux City Grain Exchange, the Sioux City Terminal Railway Company, and the Sioux City Chamber of Commerce. Given his involvement in all of these activities, Eaton played a significant role in the city's development in the late 19th and early 20th century period. He died in 1925.

The Eatons had two children, Dorothy and Stanley. Dorothy married businessman Edward C. Palmer in 1920. Palmer was mainly involved in two companies, Palmer Candy and Terminal Grain. He was also instrumental in improving the city's riverport. The Palmer family lived in the house and owned it until 1967 when Dorothy sold it. The next few owners made changes to the house, including converting the ballroom into a belly dance studio in the 1970s. Later owners restored the ballroom and renovated the rest of the house. The carriage house was restored as well. The Chocolate Mansion opened in 2020. It is named "chocolate" because of its brown color and association with Palmer and the Palmer Candy company.

"Our History." Chocolate Mansion. Accessed March 29, 2022. https://www.chocolatemansionsiouxcity.com/history.html.

Blankenship, Diana Jean. "Mylius-Eaton House." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. January 13, 2004. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/03001390_text.