The only reason that estate survived and thrived was because of the Dominican Sisters who bought the estate in the 1930's. It was in complete disrepair when they took over. A nun named Sister Fidelis was an amazing person who dedicated her life for 60 years to the caretaking of this place as a religious retreat for women!! Sister was the most talented, hard working, dedicated person I ever met. She could paint, landscape, plant trees, do carpentry and even drive a tractor! And everything in between! I worked for her and the Sisters for many years with a crew of other guys who worked on every building and every inch of that land keeping it in top condition! We loved that place. Gods presence was felt by all of us. Unfortunately, retreats dwindled and the Sisters had to sell. There were no more sisters like sister Fidelis coming into the order either. Many dedicated people worked hard to preserve that place. It is a holy place to all of us who worked there with and for the Dominican Sisters. I hope and pray it is preserved and loved like we loved it.
The mid sized community I was born and raised in had a glorious mansion like this, built by the town benefactor that employed everyone at his local paper mills. When the family sold the mill and left (for the South of France, of all places) they gave the mansion to the city. The city transformed it into a beautiful city library. Preserved for the long term is a beautiful mansion. How else would a poor boy like me get to walk into a grand foyer with a sweeping staircase and a crystal chandelier leading up to the children's section, which was in the old master suite. The solarium which ran the length of the back of the mansion was turned into a wonderful reading room, looking out at a river and landscaped grounds. Other rooms were available to rent for book clubs and other venues. There are creative ways to reuse such spaces. Whenever I rode there on my bike as a kid, I would feel transformed into a magical world of elegance and grace. I would check out my books and spend the afternoon on the lawn in back of the house reading under the huge oak trees, kept company by the statues of Greek Gods. This is a treasure that should not be destroyed just to reuse the land to create cheap condos or fast food dives.
kindlydude Of all places, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. For a town of only around 15,000 people, there were a lot of rich people who built homes along the Wisconsin River. These were local dynasty families who owned the paper mills and other factories that once provided jobs. Now many of those jobs are gone and the families have long fled, leaving the homes behind for other uses. The home that was the library (last time I was there in 1996) had been made into a museum, since the wealthy family involved donated a ton of money to build a new modern library. Those were the days when the rich cared about anyone else.
Please save this beautiful place! It’s unsure passed, great beauty and American heritage! I think the President would help in restoring and upkeep on these amazing places.. The back story is also beautiful!❤️
The Estate is falling into ruin under the Land Conservancy's watch and they continues to fight for control yet have no feasible way to finance the care of the estate. The Sisters are committed to seeing the estate go into the hands of responsible parties who have the ethics and abilities to preserve the property and its assets. This video is a self serving plea by a desperate man who wishes to remain in control of the Estate. The Sisters will find a suitable owner who has a noble vision for it.
Land Conservancy of Elkins Park did almost nothing to preserve what the Dominican Sisters were able to preserve and use for 75 years. Instead, they left Elstowe Manor with a moldy basement, we had to remove at least five giant dumpsters full of debris, junk and useless stuff. Not to mention all the other historic buildings on the property that were left in a shambles. Now, in 2018, we have resolved all the tax issues in an agreeable way for Cheltenham township. The Dominican Sisters, are posed to close on a sale that will bring new life and energy to this beautiful estate as a destination hotel, event venue, community- focused center and tax base for the schools.
Lin County purchased the old Elkins Mill and Annex my family owned in the 1800s. They built a park and career training center next to Mill and renovated the Mill and Annex making it a historic landmark. Maybe that can be done to the Elkins Mansion. I bet the Elkins Family sold it at Probate so its not been in their possession for awhile.
From the size of the doorways you'd think it was built for Giants or something! Are there any pictures of which Construction? I would love to see photos of the Masons and artisans plying their trades. Thanks for the video!
This is a beautiful building, which should be saved. A thought, why can't this be opened to the public, offer tours, get the tour groups involved, for visitors who travel to see history. To mention, I was never in the area where these mansions are located, but surely, somehow, make this place even more special , let the world class travelers tour this place. When a person travels, most people , like me, enjoy sightseeing, this would be , without a moment of hesitation, one of the places I would go see. Not sure how far out of the city these mansions are located, but this is a stunning keepsake. wish I was rich, I would buy it
Sad to see so much money going to other countries and other things when it should be used to save things in this country. Many many many beautiful and historic places have fallen into disrepair and some to far gone.
The Land Conservancy of Elkins Park is a sham. It has acted like a victim in the battle for control of the Estate. The rightful owners are the Dominican sisters who lovingly cared for the Estate for many decades. The Head of the Conservancy David Dobson has acted as though he and his organization are somehow victims of the legal situation they are in. The truth is Mr Dobson failed to meet any of his obligations to make payments to the Sisters after the initial down payment was made.
This would be a perfect investment for Oprah has anyone ever presented this mansion to her there is a good chance that she would buy it if she saw it and understood the history behind it
It's a crying shame that because of taxes properties like this and millions of others will rot.... and mountains are being destroyed to mine marble to build them. I realize we need taxes, but there should be a middle ground somewhere.
Don't nuns take a vow of poverty? There are so many uses for this building. Look to the country houses of England to see how to monetize them while maintaining their integrity.
'American castle' lol, please explain to me why you would call this a castle? A mansion? absolutely! Extremely large estate? totally! But just because it's big AF doesn't make it a castle.
I realize your post is three years old, but I’d like to respond; The term “America’s Castles’, means just that. The Gilded Age mansions are considered to be the equivalent of European castles. You can choose to disagree, but that’s the generally accepted term.
Dobson is a greedy fool. This needs to be converted into luxury condos a country club and a small hotel. All these mansions need to be brought up to modern times and uses,
ramona2400 ricky it could be used for total immersion holidays, where the guests go back to the time when the estate was built. Complete with servants, lady’s maids and valets for the visitors. Wardrobe supplied, and food and entertainment true to the times. Orientation would include social customs and pass-times, pointers on courtesy and comportment. They do this in some English estates, as well as booking weddings and other special events. Those who live on site full time would live as if the time is now, being interpreters and facilitators for the guests. Even the newspapers would be in period. No need to Reno away its historical nature, just think of immersion experiences.
