The Albert Bishop Chance House is a museum and garden open to the public

The Albert Bishop Chance House in Centralia, Missouri.HornColumbia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Albert Bishop Chance (A.B. Chance) House in Centralia, Missouri was built in 1904. It’s both a historic home and garden for the public to view with its unique and elaborate chimney. The house was purchased by Chance and his wife, Frances Gano Chance, in 1923. Chance was an American industrialist and inventor.

This is a two-story house that faces south. It has a raised basement and a full attic. The architectural style has been described as Queen Anne Revival or Queen Anne Victorian. There is a porte-cochère to the east.

The basement is semi-finished and is reached by a descending staircase from the kitchen. It is constructed of brick and concrete and runs under the entire house with the exception of the attached garage. Here, the original workshop and tool room of A.B. Chance is just as he left it with his notebook. Tools and implements are carefully arranged in a myriad of small varnished drawers which line the walls. (Source.)

In 1937, formal gardens were added that are open to the public. The house is operated by the Centralia Historical Society Museum. The Chance Foundation provided the house to the Centralia Historical Society, Inc. in 1974.

In 1979, this building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Chance House in Centralia, Missouri.HornColumbia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Chance Garden is located to the north. It was constructed in 1937. There were tons of native stones transported in to build the garden area. There were unimaginable varieties of plants and flowers located in the garden which had to be reconfigured in 1970 due to decline.

Stone horseshoe arch in the Albert Bishop Chance Gardens in Centralia, Missouri.HornColumbia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

A.B. Chance

The house was originally constructed for Robert L. Hope and his wife in 1904. Hope was a pharmacist who opened a pharmacy in Centralia. He and his family were in the house until 1908. The next owner was Charles Early who was also the president of the Bank of Centralia. Early lived in the house until 1923 when it was purchased by A.B. Chance. Chance and his family lived in the home until 1949 when he died.

Chance was a remarkable citizen in his community and now what Chance initiated is now the Albert Bishop Chance House and Gardens which is a tourist attraction for Centralia.  From 1954 to 1973, Chance's company used the house as a guest house.

Chance is recognized as the inventor of the earth anchor which is described below if you're not familiar with the term.

The main purpose of geotechnical ground anchors is to prevent horizontal movement, while stabilizing retaining structures, including sheet pile, bored concrete pile and steel tubular walls. (Source.)

Albert Bishop Chance (b. May 26, 1873, d. Feb. 8, 1949).Find-a-Grave (uploaded by member E.T., 2019).

Chance is said to have designed the earth anchor after his parent’s telephone company lines came down in an ice storm in Centralia. But that’s not all he’s known for. His horticultural attraction was built in 1936. It served as a measure of thankfulness to his community for supporting his own company. When he took a world tour in 1927, he drew on his inspiration from the gardens he saw so he created his own.

The garden was designed by Kansas City landscape architect, Maude Dawson Taylor. It displays an oriental influence. Two of the features include the large stone arch and wishing well. The Rose Garden, a 1995 addition, is next to the Museum. Just imagine the abundance of blooms in the spring and summer. From May through October, you can tour the Museum and Garden from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free and donations are welcomed which help to operate the Museum.

Chance's father, John A. Chance (b. July 22, 1849, d. Mar. 3, 1934), was the founder of the first telephone system in Centralia in 1896. His father moved to Centralia from Illinois in 1881 and was one of the oldest businessmen in the town. The Chance Telephone Co. operated until it was sold to Bell Telephone Co.

Centralia was established in 1857. According to the 2020 census, the population of Centralia is 4,521.

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