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Cotton Mansion · Self-Guided Audio Tour
Narrated by Mike Schraepfer, Owner
Welcome to the Mary and Josephine Suite. This is a special feature on our self-guided audio tour, just for those guests who are staying in the Mary Josephine Suite and can’t get enough local history.
Mary and Josephine are the two daughters of Joseph and Selina Cotton. This was their room. There’s an early photograph of this room in the library downstairs that shows this room with two twin beds in it.
When the Cotton family first took residence in Cotton Mansion, the two girls, Mary and Josephine, were just four and seven years old. This would be their childhood home.
Cotton’s children were born into luxury and came of age at the end of the Gilded Era, in the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. The girls were raised following a more traditional Gilded path. The family moved to Park Avenue, New York, in 1916, returning only to Cotton Mansion as a summer home.
Mary would finish private school in New York and spend a year at a finishing school in Florence, Italy, before her debut to high society in New York. Mary would subsequently get married in 1924 to Phelps Kelly, the son of a railroad magnate from Chicago.
They built an extravagant mansion in the affluent historic Lake Forest neighborhood north of Chicago in 1929. You can see pictures of their home if you Google Phelps Kelly Mansion, Lake Forest.
Joseph Cotton was originally from Illinois and spent his last year in Lake Forest with Mary and Phelps at their estate. Mr. Cotton chose to be buried with her in 1940, in Lake Forest, Illinois.
Josephine followed a similar path, also marrying the son of a railroad magnate, Hale Holden Jr. Both Mary and Josephine held their weddings here in Duluth at the Cotton Mansion in the summers of 1923 and 1924, with every option between Chicago and New York at their disposal. A summer wedding in Duluth still won the day.
The new Mr. and Mrs. Hale Holden Jr. family would move to Massachusetts and start and live their lives there.
If you’d like to learn more about the Cotton Mansion, the Cotton family, and early-1900s Duluth history, consider following the main self-guided audio tour. There are 12 stops that take you from top to bottom through the common rooms, and it starts at the QR code on the console in the front foyer on the main floor.
At the Boutique Collection By Heirloom, we believe every traveler deserves a place that feels like it was made for them. Our collection of historic properties across Duluth offers something special for every kind of guest, from romantic suites with fireplaces to spacious accommodations perfect for group getaways. Thoughtfully restored and full of character, each hotel blends timeless charm with modern comforts, ensuring your stay is both memorable and relaxing. No matter where your travels take you, there is a Heirloom Hotel waiting to welcome you.
Rooted in history and designed for today’s traveler, the Boutique Collection by Heirloom offers a collection of unique, boutique stays across Duluth. Each property has been carefully restored to preserve its original character while offering the modern comforts guests expect. Whether you’re visiting for a romantic getaway, a family trip, or a special event, Our stays provide spaces that feel personal, inviting, and unforgettable. With twelve distinctive hotels to choose from, your perfect Duluth experience begins here.
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