Mystery solved as parts of Wigan historic hall revealed in US college

Interior features from Standish Hall in the college in Indiana

It was there that the founder of the Indianapolis 500 motor race, Tony Hulman, created two lodges in Terre Haute, and it was the private one which had the historic elements of Standish Hall incorporated into the design.

Originally, though, the features, including carvings and mouldings dating back to the 1600s, had been purchased by media mogul William Randolph Hearst, the model for the famous Citizen Kane.

This incredible tale has now, remarkably, been tracked down twice in separate investigations in the space of a few months.

Parts of the hall which were shipped across the pond date back to the 1600s

Firstly Jim Meehan, a member of Wigan Archaeological Society from Standish, saw several years of research into the hall come to a spectacularly-successful conclusion when he got hold of photos showing the Standish Room on the other side of the pond.

He got in touch with the prestigious Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology which now owns the lodge and received pictures of stunning features including a mantelpiece and wood panelling.

Shortly afterwards Paul Ogden from Standish Voice saw a newspaper clipping online showing the room in Indiana and he also tracked down the institute to find out more.

Jim wrote an article about his findings for the archaeological group and has submitted the tale to Past Forward, the archives’ magazine.

He said: “I was over the moon when I received the photos. It was really emotional.

“Nobody in this country has seen that room for 100 years.

“I’ve been researching the hall for a while but lockdown gave me time to finish off this story.”

Remarkably the interiors of many grand English houses were sold off and taken to America in the 1920s where businessmen with newly-made fortunes wanted a bit of Old World culture and history for their homes.

However, the trade came to a sudden and abrupt halt with the Great Depression.

Standish Hall was auctioned after the last lord of the manor, Henry Standish, died without an heir. The family was already living in France by that time and the hall failed to receive an acceptable bid.

The Standish family had not lived in the house, of which no trace remains today, since the 1820s but it had been leased out to a number of prominent individuals, including several mayors.