Friday FACT or FICTION?

TRUE or FALSE:

In Seven for a Secret, the Hughes mansion is based on a real Chicago property.

First of all, have you seen the BOOK TRAILER yet? If not, curl up with some popcorn here before scrolling down to today's answer...

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Answer: TRUE!

The novel's fictional mansion where Lon Ashby and Eva Hughes meet on the staircase in 1925 was directly inspired by the Francis J. Dewes house in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. Located only a block away from the Hampden Court apartment building that likewise inspired the story's Camden Court, this Chicago landmark dates back to 1896. Like the fictional Warren Hughes, Francis Dewes was a wealthy brewer and had his home designed in a German-inspired, lavishly ornamented neo-Baroque style.

"But before Lon could turn around, the great gray Hughes mansion loomed ahead, with some Choice Society stragglers milling around its steps and shimmering like fireflies in the dark. The music of a piano and string quartet floated on the air to greet him as ladies’ giggles popped like bubbles above the notes."

While I lived in a Hampden Court studio apartment just up the road, I walked by the Dewes mansion almost every day--and salivated over it almost every time. I was just like Kate, gawking at the exterior architecture and peeking through windows without shame. Back then, the home was commercially owned, and you'd often see a wedding reception filling its gated garden. Today, this city mansion is once again a private residence (lucky bastards). It is truly one of Chicago's hidden gems, transporting you to the past (and across the ocean) for a moment; so if you ever find yourself on the city's north side, I highly recommend strolling on over to 503 W. Wrightwood (on the corner of Wrightwood Ave. and Hampden Ct.). It's near Lincoln Park Zoo and Lake Michigan, which makes for a lovely day excursion.

But though you can't tour the inside of the house anymore, don't be dismayed. YoChicago provides a wonderful three-part video tour on YouTube. Below is Part 2, which shows you the entertaining spaces where the fictional Hugheses threw their glittering parties, including the one where Lon meets Eva. I took some liberties, of course, but the key features are all there--such as the staircase...

His gaze trailed up the fall of green to see an alabaster elbow peeking through the swirling black and gold-gilded iron. Then, on approaching the landing, he saw a shoulder, a protruding clavicle...a jaw...and a face, turned away from him. [...] Lon stepped onto the landing and walked to the next flight of steps where the woman sat.