The Historic Hopkins Manor in St. Clair, MI stand on a hill overlooking the St Clair River in the town of St. Clair.
The mansion was originally called “Rio Vista” and is one of two grand homes built in 1880 by the wealthy Hopkins family in St. Clair, Michigan. The family’s fortune originated from Mark Hopkins, one of the “Big Four” co-founders of the Central Pacific Railroad, whose death in 1878 resulted in a $5 million inheritance for his brother, Samuel Hopkins, a St. Clair resident. Samuel, along with his son Mark, erected matching Second Empire Victorian mansions on North Riverside Avenue overlooking the St. Clair River, demonstrating their immense success and establishing a significant architectural legacy in the city. The homes were built for opulence and security, featuring one-foot-thick solid brick walls, 12-foot ceilings, and black walnut woodwork, including a large safe in the butler’s pantry for the family’s silver service.

Rio Vista, the focus of the historical narrative, later became the summer residence of Samuel’s son, William Hopkins, who had also invested his inheritance into local St. Clair businesses like the Diamond Crystal Salt Company and the luxurious Oakland Springs Hotel. The home was originally capped with a mansard roof, extending its height to four stories, and featured an architectural curiosity: a tunnel that ran between the two Hopkins mansions and continued out to the river, providing private access to the family’s yacht.

Next time you pass through St. Clair on M-29 look for the big brick mansions that stand on the hill just north of downtown.

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