Following a fire at Joliet’s historic Haley Mansion, one couple planning to hold their wedding at the building has changed plans, NBC 5’s Karen Aguilar reports.
Couples who booked a wedding at the historic Haley Mansion in Joliet are wondering what to do next after a fire broke out at the popular events venue this week.
The Haley Mansion posted on Facebook the day after the fire sparked that the extent of the damage was unknown, but provided no information for couples relying on the space in the near future.
"Yesterday afternoon Haley Mansion caught fire. We are grateful no one was hurt. We do not know the extent of the damage and will be working today to assess the severity of this situation," the Facebook post read. "For safety reasons, the power has been cut to the building so we currently have no phone system in place. We will be updating everyone as soon as possible. We have every intention of restoring this beautiful historic mansion. Thank you for your understanding during this difficult time."
Thursday, Katie Edgeworth and her fiancée Mike Doolin stood outside their dream wedding venue and were emotional.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
“We walked in, fell in love with the place," Doolin told NBC Chicago. "It was late last March so yeah it's been a year out and this happens so close to the end."
According to officials, the fire at the Patrick Haley Mansion, located in the first block of South Center, broke out Wednesday afternoon while staff were preparing for an event.
The fire was brought under control within 40 minutes, and firefighters remained on scene for several hours putting out hot spots, according to officials.
Local
Edgeworth remembered how she felt when she heard the venue had caught fire.
“A lot of heavy breathing, hyperventilating, some tears,” she said.
The two said they planned to get married at the Haley Mansion in about one month.
“Went from making table arrangements, the seating chart, to potentially not having a venue in 37 days,” Doolin said.
The Joliet Fire Department said the fire started in the attic. No official cause has been determined, and damage assessments remain underway, but no injuries were reported.
The mansion, built in the 1890’s, is a popular venue for weddings and other events, and Joliet residents say it is an important part of their city’s history.
“Just thinking that about just six weeks ago I was on that third floor having that champagne toast with our bridal party. It was really devastating,” said Erin Sulick, who recently got married there. “I just feel awful for the future brides and grooms.”
Katheryn Balnius and Justin Brady are another couple planning to get married at the venue. Balnius said they have a date scheduled for May 27.
“We do have a little bit of time before the wedding but this definitely turned into a pain in the neck today," she said.
The Grand Ballroom at the Joliet Union Station posted on Facebook that they have received several phone calls from couples wanting to rebook with them.
“It is definitely a bummer because we booked this in the summer of 2021, but I have started reaching out to other venues only because Memorial Day is a pretty popular weekend,” Balnius said.
However, couples are still hopeful the historic mansion built in the 1890s could be fixed on time.
“We are still optimistic,” Edgeworth said.
“It’s a good sign to see the guys out here working,” Doolin said.
But the couple said they have not yet heard from the venue when inquiring about their upcoming nuptials.
Edgeworth told NBC 5 she understands and will be waiting to hear from them.
When asked about next steps for those with plans to get married at the venue, owners of the property told an NBC 5 reporter at the scene they are busy working on potential repairs.
