Barnum House Built
The Barnum House was built in 1875 by Robert Nelson on the site of the current Mather.
This remarkable Georgian Revival style landmark, built in 1931, has been restored to it’s original magnificence. You will feel transformed into a work of elegance and drama.
William Gwinn Mather, president of Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company, with an eye for quality and craftsmanship hired architect James H. Ritchie and landscape architect Warren H. Manning both of Boston to build the area’s finest hotel at the time.
The Barnum House was built in 1875 by Robert Nelson on the site of the current Mather.
In 1879 The Barnum House burned down, and a new structure, the Nelson House, was built in its place.
In 1928 The Nelson House, “Ishpeming’s finest hotel,” burned down, affecting Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company, which now had no place to house important guests.
The Mather Inn was constructed in 1931 and opened it's doors to the public in January 1932. It's construction was made possible by a generous personal donation by Cleveland-Cliffs then Chairman of the Board, William G. Mather, of whom the hotel got it's name.
Members of community bought shares to construct the building, as Mather wanted the public to have ownership over the facility.
In 1954, The Cleveland-Cliffs newsletter noted that "...the Inn is the last word in fine appointments"
In 1956 the Inn provided accommodations for Vice President and Mrs. Richard Nixon during a campaign trip to Marquette County and in 1959 it housed the cast and crew of the movie Anatomy of a Murder during it's filming in 1959.
Other distinguished guests include Duke Ellington (who wrote the score for the movie on the piano that sat in the lobby) Kathryn Grant, Lee Remick, George C. Scott and Jimmy Stewart.
Cleveland-Cliffs sold it’s interest in the Mather to a group of Ishpeming investors in 1967.
In 1976 The Mather Inn was designated a Michigan State Historic Site.
In 1978 The Mather Inn was entered into the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places.
In 1987 The Mather Inn was closed and sold, sitting vacant for many years.
In 2004 Ted Baird purchased the building and renovated some of the upper floors into rental units.
In 2015 Cognition Brewing Company was opened by Jay Clancy and brewers Brian Richards and Kris Thompson in the basement of the Mather building, brewing their beer on site and serving it in the lower-level pub.
In 2022, current owners Bill Anderson and Liisa Petersen bought the building and started renovations, rebranding it “The Mather.”
In 2024, The Mather Lounge was opened for business.