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 A Brief HistoryOf Cliff Manor Bed & Breakfast Inn
Judge Arnold Krekel built Cliff Manor in 1866. He purchased the property at an auction on the Cole County Court House steps from his friend Henrietta Bruns, widow of Mayor Bernard Bruns, who by the way founded the town of Westphalia just east of Jefferson City, in July of 1865. An early map of Jefferson City drawn in 1869, now on display at the entryway of the Inn, shows the house, summer kitchen that is still partially standing, and a stable. Judge Krekel decided to relocate from St. Charles County to Jefferson City shortly after his appointment by Abraham Lincoln to the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri in 1865. While in Jefferson City Judge Krekel was instrumental in the founding of Lincoln University, where he taught law and other subjects. He was a great benefactor of the University. Judge Krekel also opened a new bank in Jefferson City and served as board member and chair. Before being appointed to the Federal Court, Arnold Krekel had a lengthy list of distinguished accomplishments. In 1865, he served as President of the Missouri Constitutional Convention and officially signed emancipation legislation for the state of Missouri. In 1860, he was a Lincoln delegate to the Republican National Convention in Chicago. Judge Krekel was anti-slavery and a pro-Union member of a group called the “Radical Unionists” who met at Henrietta Bruns boarding house (where the United States Post Office and the old Federal Court House is currently located) and very much a leader of the large German Community in Missouri. There is a lot of local lore about the old mansion and the secret tunnel that led from the basement to the river, as well as a few ghost stories. We look forward to sharing them with you. Cliff Manor Bed & Breakfast Inn A Designated Jefferson City Historical Site Member Of The Jefferson City Area Chamber Of Commerce. |
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