We have those 4 photographs... and an ugly hotel. I am constantly amazed that so many of these houses were bulldozed. I'm glad they let people salvage at least before the wrecking ball hit.
It’s hard to think of a nowadays built house, despite our progress in general, to come even close in beauty and craftsmanship of these buildings. Our modern age, despite progress, has diminished to extinction the craftsmanship of those times. People die, and it’s hard but we can’t change it. Such buildings should have been saved, but no one seemed to care enough.
@Cook Outdoor to think that industrious men had paneling and whole ceilings from castles and Chateaus removed, numbered and shipped, reinstalled in these magnificent edifices and sometimes in as little as 14 years it was bulldozer and sent to the landfill! Ken usually tells us if he saw any auctions or salvage from his research into these buildings, and sadly, it was rare. A few stain glass windows to this museum or a fireplace mantel to that college. Most of the time the wrecking ball does its duty. We are left with old black and white photos and our eager imaginations. There is great shame in it. Truly, there is. So many of these men gained their wealth in unscrupulous ways and maybe destroying their most proud possession is, in a way, a Karmatic return but I mostly feel that we are the ones to bare the lost. Each generation seems to always underestimate the accomplishments of the generation before. Discovering far too late that those things can never be replaced. Sad.
Surprised that after their rejection in Chicago that they became so draconian in their own ballroom invites: demanding mandatory appearance or perpetual banishment. Maybe Chicago expected more civility and character? As usual, great coverage. I love all the back stories of homes I could covet, and the human nuances and drama contained in them.
My thoughts, too. I was sort of feeling sorry for them, and was happy they found a social life in DC. But then I realized if their Big Dream was to attend the best balls, they sound a bit shallow. And then when people opened up to them, and forced them to choose "us or them," well, that's just churlish and selfish. They actually sound like horrible people.
I think their reaction was BECAUSE of their rejection in Chicago. In a way I don't blame them. I don't run in such high circles, BUT How I handle my "social life: is very much informed by my past. Rich or poor you ARE affected by experiences.
@@rand503 think their reaction was BECAUSE of their rejection in Chicago. In a way I don't blame them. I don't run in such high circles, BUT How I handle my "social life: is very much informed by my past. Rich or poor you ARE affected by experiences.
Developers greed always destroys history and the most beautiful structures. That eyesore of a hotels could have been built around and above the mansion keeping it as a venue for special events and rooms for elite guests.
Developers are the scourge of beautiful architecture everywhere!!! I live in a university town, and many of the beautiful old homes that stood back when I was a student have been replaced with ugly student slums, strip malls and parking lots. My town finally woke up about 25 years ago when our then mayor (a developer himself) wanted to tear down the original buildings of the university that were now off campus. Current and former citizens and college students protested loudly and mightily and raised enough money to restore the buildings which now house the town’s large library, an art gallery, public meeting rooms and the senior citizen center. The buildings’ restoration has won numerous prizes and have been an example to other communities in our state of why and how preserving our architectural heritage is so important.
@@monicacall7532 You are so right! I lived in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and my neighborhood had so many beautiful Victorian homes and buildings. Even the local armory was a huge Victorian mansion style building with mansard roof. Now, most of the area is full of hideous glass and cement block eyesores. All the damn developers want is to maximize every square centimeter that equates to money. UGH!
I’ve also only just found your channel, (in the last couple of weeks or so). I don’t know why the RU-vid algorithm threw this into my feed, but I’m so pleased it did! I’m loving it. Really enjoying watching your back catalogue of videos 😊 Much love and appreciation from the U.K. can’t wait to see where you go next!
It's sad it's gone. I imagine it took a lot of staff to keep that household going. But when better jobs like factory work came into being, servants didn't want to work for low wages and little time off.
Very good observation. It also shows how obnoxious and despicable were those greedy and vulgar millionaires who could easily have afforded to pay very good wages. They did not deserve the beautiful homes they owned.
@@arslongavitabrevis5136 you don't stay rich by giving money away. They probably got a nice pudding for Christmas and an atta-boy slug on the shoulder as well! I mean, they did get half a day on Sunday to see their children and go to church.
@@arslongavitabrevis5136 I know, it was the ladies that ruined me, I just love to watch them work twice as hard to get to leave at noon. Warms the heart. Plus,... the pudding! Cook stays up late in the evening whipping up that pudding. She's a team player for sure! I've heard that Getty is a pleasant fellow. I guess I'll never know because he refuses to fly. I've heard he's built himself a summer house on some little beach (I think it's called Malibo) but he's never been to see the structure! Oh well, he has put many men to work on it, I'm sure. Their families will have food in their bellies.
Yes, this is a beautiful house, but it can't hold that proverbial candle to the one their daughter Mary became mistress of after the death of her father-in-law: Kedleston Hall (married to George, Lord Curzon). I'm surprised that Chicago didn't accept Levi Leiter considering how they accepted Potter Palmer and Marshall Field (neither of whom came from money or society). Excellent video.
I was thinking the same thing: Chicago was a new town on the prairie, there were no old money families unless they came from elsewhere and I don't think there were. It's odd that the Leiters were shut out. Maybe because they had what might be considered a Jewish name? If you haven't already read it, you might be interested in the book "Mary Curzon: The Story of the the Heiress From Chicago Who Married Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India" by Nigel Nicolson. I read that no American has ever gone higher than Mary Leiter Curzon in English royalty though I wonder if it's more accurate to say "English society" instead. I'm not sure if the Curzons are part of the royal family.
@@andrewbrendan1579 I've come from the other side: several biographies of George Curzon. Her rarefied position was due to Curzon's posting as Viceroy of India making her the Vicereine (stand-in for the queen consort). At least that's the way the British of the time saw it.
@@andrewbrendan1579 Nobody (including the Curzons) consider the Cuzons to be royalty. That said, the family is ancient and has many noble titles - just no royal ones.
Cluttered, fussy, gloomy, out of scale to the lot. Yikes! Ironic that the anti-capitalist Soviets wanted to be associated such an opulent building. The modernist hotel is almost as awful as the mansion. Thanks Ken! This one wasn’t a fav, but your Channel is great.
Ken, it's incredible that you can find three amazing stories and produce a great video for each one without fail. How long can you continue at this pace before running out of ideas? Have you considered reducing the number of incredible videos per week or are you confident that you can continue for many years to come?
Hi Mitchell, Thank you so much! I spend in excess of 40 hours per week researching and writing scripts and can assure you that we have barely tipped the iceberg. There are so many incredible homes that I am excited to share with you and other viewers in the years to come. The question about remaining at 3 videos per week is really interesting. While we would not reduce the number of videos, we might actually increase them. Behind the scenes here, we have been considering the idea of adding in a few bonus videos per month over the summer.
Ken, would you ever consider doing videos on American historical architectural styles (Plymouth Plantation, Deerfield MA, Federal, Georgian, Prairie style etc.) in context with the places, times and materials used to build and furnish the houses besides the upscale homes and mansions that you so expertly feature? Our country has such a wealth of historical architectural styles. I know that you’ve done some videos along this line already.
18 foot ceilings? Be still, my beating heart! I understand that not every gigantic shrine to the craftmans art can be saved or repurposed but to replace such a gem with some hideous Soviet-style hotel is truly a shame.
Letter left a true legacy for the city of Chicago. Each of his properties had a full file dossier complete with picture. This is invaluable for historic documentation and preservation. Once in Washington the Leiter daughters were set up for brilliant matches. However it would be Mary Leiter who would rise to the highest rank, further than Consuelo Vanderbilt as the Duchess of Marlborough. Miss Leiter was married to the younger Lord Curzon who while still a young man was packed off to be British Viceroy of India with Mary as Vicerene where they had more household staff than Queen Victoria. Mary would die in India and has faded into obscurity but she was the haute of the haute of the American dollar princess’
My family home built by my great great grandfather had 10 foot ceilings, they may have been higher, we moved out when I was 10. It was a very well built farm house.
Such a remarkable house and only a few photos to tell of it. At least parts of the house were salvaged though I wonder how many people know today that part of their home may have once been part of the Leiter mansion. It's not a pleasant suggestion, but maybe the Leiters were shut of out Chicago high society (at least a new boom town's version of high society) because they had what might considered a Jewish name. I read Nigel Nicolson's biography of Mary Leiter who became Vicereine of India, but nothing specific was said of the family's religious affiliation if any.
BTW. an earlier (1865) mansion of massive size and elaborate interiors is, remarkably, still standing and partially restored - a story unto itself - built by Treasurer of the New York Stock Exchange, LaGrand Lockwood, in Norwalk, CT. Note: The Lockwood Mathews Mansion is currently raising money to install a fire suppression system and to heat and air condition upper floors to make tours more complete.
Loved this house, ugly hotel I have been in many times for assignations...yet, the house they rented upon first moving to DC still stands at 2001 P St. NW...YAY!!!!
I noticed in the article about its sale that it was used as offices for NACA, NASA’s predecessor. Would be interesting to see how much the interior changed for government use, if at all. Given the government’s propensity to photograph and document, there must be pictures in some archive, probably undigitized.
The house was beautiful, and I'm glad not everything was lost before it was bulldozed. But I hope they got rid of the bear rug, I saw one in real life and it was creepy...Thank you for the video.
The house that the Leiters built was certainly a huge improvement over that second empire monstrosity! (Architecture from 1830 to WWI is generally not to my taste. IMHO it’s too cluttered, heavy, dark, claustrophobic and over the top.) Even so, I suddenly found myself thinking about all of the poor servants who had to clean those coffered ceilings, intricately carved pieces of furniture, wood paneling and all those knickknacks. How did they ever manage to do it??? Three cheers for the overworked and underpaid (my own assumption based on historical precedent) staff without whose tireless efforts this paean to big money and even bigger social aspirations wouldn’t have functioned at all. Ken, I always look forward to new episodes on your channel. I fell in love with all aspects of architecture when I was young (4th grade) and would often pore over my family’s World Book Encyclopedias’ entries about architecture/decor and have been fascinated by the subject ever since. Bravo for you and your marvelous and well researched videos! (BTW are you an architect or architectural historian?)👏
I could never live in one of those "Gilded Age" mansions. So much going on. Way too busy with wood, marble, wallpaper, large furniture, art.....I could go on. While, in this case, the hotel in its place is ugly, the mansion, to me, was also.
By the way, there IS one guilded age (1903?) left on Dupont Circle. The Patterson mansion. I don't know the history, but maybe it could be one for a future video? Thanks for all the house tours so far.
Criminal that they tore it down. If stipulations are not legally binding in Trust, then things of this nature will happen, simply bcz they can. Idiot-proof in hard language is the only remedy.
The money has to come from somewhere. Historic preservation of a building takes a lot of money sometimes. It’s not magic. In a town like DC, where every sixth or seventh building has historical significance, there aren’t enough wealthy individuals willing to put up $100k/year to maintain a property. If there’s no tenant, or buyer, that’s it. End of story. “If only” doesn’t pay for a new roof etc.
@@rosezingleman5007 Very True, so a Trust of some sort to assure building preservation has to be in place. They'll sell it to the Deep $tate like they have most of Philadelphia. American is now owned by others, not its Citizens, sad to say. Obama sold off some of our national parks too.
These This House videos almost always have a sad ending. No fault of theirs...I just can't imagine slamming a wrecking ball into a house like this. Like there was no place else to build that ugly hotel.
The house was another ugly Victorian horror, but the hotel that replaced it was ugly as well. The hotel should have been designed and built in the Art Deco style of the 1930's. That was a beautiful style of buildings.
