An Extraordinary Life: Joliet man works hard to make son’s dream of a Victorian museum come true

JOLIET – Since the sudden death of his son Seth Magosky in 2007, Pat Magosky of Joliet had one ambition: convert the former Hiram B. Scutt Mansion on Broadway Street in Joliet into a Victorian museum.

That project was Seth’s dream, said Serena Magosky, Pat’s daughter. But after Seth died from complications of Marfan syndrome, Seth’s dream became the purpose of Pat’s life.

Unfortunately, the museum didn’t have a budget for the mansion’s mortgage and repairs. So Pat – a master craftsman, Serena said – assumed the financial burden and did the repairs himself.

“He was very good with his hands and very good at figuring out what something would cost,” Serena said. “He’d say, ‘OK, I can do this right now’ and then wait a month to do another project.”

Because Pat crushed his knees at work when Serena was 8, Pat never had a pension, Serena said. His income came from Social Security and from the apartments he owned and rented, she added.

As a landlord, Pat often refined his skills by taking home improvement courses, Serena said. She recalled her father taking her to jobs to assist.

“I did drywall, roofing, plumbing and maintenance work with my father,” Serena said. “I’m very proud that he taught me to be a little tougher. He didn’t want people to take advantage of me.”

Serena believes her father’s survival spirit began at his parents’ Canadian wilderness resort, where Pat spent much of his youth. In high school, Pat worked as a hunting and fishing guide. During his off hours, Pat did other work.

“He helped build an airport, a church and my grandpa’s gift shop off the side of the road,” Serena said.

That resort stayed in the family until Pat’s father died in the early 2000s, Serena said. Pat, a licensed pilot, once flew her and Seth to the resort before Pat had his accident.

Although Pat sold the airplane after he hurt his knees, Serena said he never lost his strong work ethic, especially when it came to the museum.

The building is named after Hiram Scutt, a Civil War veteran who later became Joliet’s first barbed wire manufacturer. The red brick, Second Empire-style mansion was entered in the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. It was built in 1882 by James Weese, one of Joliet’s first architects.

“He moved huge cabinets by himself,” Serena said. “He’d take carpet, put heavy furniture on it and drag it up whole flights of stairs.”

Andrea Magosky of Joliet, Pat’s wife, said she was 16 when she began dating Pat. She liked his sense of humor and his ability to have fun, whether they were ice skating, dancing, watching a movie or inviting her younger brothers to join them for ice cream.

“He was always doing things for other people,” Andrea said.

A lover of history, especially local history, Andrea fully supported Pat’s efforts to convert the old Scutt mansion into the P. Seth Magosky Museum of Victorian Life and Joliet History.

To raise money for expenses, Pat drew on Andrea’s love and knowledge of local history and wrote two books: “The First 35 Years of Joliet” and “Historic Impressions of Shorewood.”

A third was left unfinished. In 2012, Pat fell 20 feet from the museum’s cupola and broke his back in two places. After the accident, Pat’s health declined. Pat was 72 when he died May 6.

In the years before his death, Pat and Andrea had switched roles. Andrea became Pat’s caregiver, Serena said, a role Pat assumed for Andrea when her health was not good.

“My dad was always the strong one,” Serena said.

• To feature someone in “An Extraordinary Life,” contact Denise M. Baran-Unland at 815-280-4122 or dunland@shawmedia.com.