Top 10 Must See "Old Money" MANSIONS in MASSACHUSETTS
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- Опубліковано 1 лип 2024
- America’s pulsating heart, Massachusetts, a state steeped in historical wealth and gilded-age glamour, is far more than just the birthplace of the revolution.
Here, tucked amidst the gentle, rolling landscapes, are tons of breathtaking “old money” mansions - legacies of a time when American barons, political insiders, and business tycoons were busy carving out the destiny of a nation.
These regal homes, richly adorned with architectural grandeur, whisper the tales of families whose prosperity outlived them and indeed helped shape the nation as we know it.
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Top 10 OLD MONEY Communities in NEW ENGLAND: • Top 10 OLD MONEY Commu...
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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Introduction
0:55 #1 The Mount, Lenox
2:25 #2 Naumkeag, Stockbridge
3:41 #3 The Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site, Brookline
5:02 #4 The Crane Estate, Ipswich
6:27 #5 Hyannis Port Kennedy Compound, Hyannis
7:52 #6 Lyman Estate, Waltham
9:14 #7 House of the Seven Gables, Salem
10:28 #8 Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum, Lenox
11:46 #9 Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters, Cambridge
12:56 #10 Blantyre, Lenox
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Welcome to a journey back in time as we tour the grandeur and architectural splendor of Massachusetts's "old money" mansions. Set in the historically rich landscapes of this pulsating state, these homes offer more than just a peek into an opulent past-they embody the "old money lifestyle" of the gilded age that helped shape America.
From the aesthetic brilliance of The Mount in Lenox to the timeless elegance of Blantyre, this video invites you to explore these stunning edifices and their mesmerizing stories.
Join us as we delve into the stories of families whose prosperity has outlived them, echoing through grand halls and manicured gardens. Discover the striking French, Italian, and English architectural traditions woven into The Mount and the innovative landscape design preserved at the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site.
Be awed by the regality of Naumkeag in Stockbridge and the unparalleled splendor of The Crane Estate in Ipswich. Indulge your curiosity as we unravel the fascinating tales of illustrious families, cultural milestones, and architectural prowess encapsulated within these "old money mansions."
Experience the captivating allure of the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis and the cherished history of the Lyman Estate in Waltham. Marvel at the Federal-style beauty of the House of the Seven Gables in Salem and the grand Jacobean-style Ventfort Hall Mansion in Lenox.
And how could we forget the Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters in Cambridge? An exquisite blend of history and architecture, where each room reverberates with stories of prominent figures like General George Washington and esteemed poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
So, whether you're passionate about history, architecture, or the "old money" lifestyle, these Massachusetts mansions offer a captivating voyage through time. Each visit is an opportunity to immerse oneself in rich history, architectural grandeur, and an era of unrivaled prosperity and power.
Come, let's step through these grand doors and embark on a fascinating journey through time, exploring the stories, architecture, and irresistible charm of the "old money" mansions in Massachusetts.
I worked as a weekend gardener ( mowed the lawns! ) at the Longfellow House in the late 60’s when I was just a kid. At that point the house was still privately owned by his descendants, who would sit on the veranda drinking beer while I worked. The house was a shambles then, very dark and neglected. Its restoration is nothing short of fantastic.
You should include the James Michael Curley mansion as well as the home of Henry Cabot Lodge,Sr.
In the summer of 1981 I was a guest at Blantyre. The thing I noted most wasn't the remarkable contents or the history of the home. Second only to the character of the home was the inclusion downstairs of an in house Discotheque.
I danced the night away one of those nights and marveled at the fact that no one upstairs was in any way put out about the fact that under their feet a raging, pulsing dance club blasted all the most popular dance music of the day.
Two things: the Crane mansion is a rendition of an house in England. It is not Tudor(Elizabethan) it is Georgian entirely. It is also made up of parts and pieces of dismantled houses in England which was a popular trait of its day. As British homes were being torn down, decorators such as White Alom would swoop in a purchase upper chimney pieces, mantles, carved wood architraves and pediments, even whole rooms…..saving them from the wrecking ball.
Whitemarsh Hall was also designed around “parts”…..several upper mantels were from great houses. They’dve been modified in their restoration…maybe a cypher change had to be made to address the new owners, and once again be utilized to grace a room for the foreseeable future. Whitemarsh Hall is unique because over 600 construction photographers exist from digging an hole to the final touches, and area shots from County surveyor’s who loved taking pictures of the house from 2’000 ft. What a job that must’ve been, what fun.
I’ll look up the British house that Crane House rendered from (not copied). Rendered is the proper word.
Belton House, UK, also a bit of Kingston Lacey (house).
Agree, definitely not Tudor, it looks Georgian to me. Still beautiful though.
Also very similar to Hanbury Hall in England. I think the English would call this Queen Anne style, not Georgian although there are many similarities. I visited Kingston Lacey a few weeks ago. Absolutely stunning and deserves to be better known
@@dhowe5180
The Queen Anne style is from the 1870’s onward as the “Sweetness & Light” movement, and into the Arts & Crafts rage. The Queen Anne style is indeed sweet an light as a quiet protest to the darkened repose of Victorian idioms.
And yes, Hanbury Hall follows the general plan too. So there are no copies as Americans love to call out USA country houses.
You’re talking about Georgian architecture (1714-1830). Federal architecture which has many things in common with Georgian architecture was popular in the US from right after the Revolutionary War until about 1830. The term “Queen Anne” with regard to these Georgian/Federal homes refers to the style of furniture that was popular during the Georgian era. Cabriol legs (gracefully curved) and stylized claw feet plus the absence of fussy carvings and other decorations is a hallmark of this, my very favorite style. Queen Anne architecture is a hallmark of the late 1800’s and is the 180 degree opposite of Georgian/Federal architecture because it has towers, cupolas, irregular roof lines, bow and bay windows and a whole variety of geometric shapes. To me it represents the last gasps of the Victorian era where the desire for novelty in shape and form along with a desire to decorate every square inch inside and outside of the house ruled the day.
For fans of The Witches of Eastwick, the Crane estate was used for exterior shots in the movie. I’ve toured this house & grounds and also The Mount, both worth your time & money.
Another interesting home is Beauport in Gloucester, MA. Hammond Castle also in Gloucester. There are so many - it is hard to make a list of just 10.
They are two of the best and not only beautiful but most interesting! I’ve visited them many times.
Hello; for over twenty years of my life I lived in Massachusetts and visited the House of Seven Gables once. 🏡 I enjoyed touring the witch museum whenever we would have relatives from out of state come for a summer get together. I sure do miss "home"...
Lived in the Boston area and visited Cranes beach often, strolled the mansion's grounds often ..thank you for the background
The Witches of Eastwick
The Witches of Eastwick, based on a novel of the same name, was released in 1987. Starring Jack Nicholson, Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Susan Sarandon, the film follows three women (unknowingly witches) who have their lives turned upside down by the arrival of a strange man in their little coastal Rhode Island town. Most of the filming took place in Cohasset, but some scenes were filmed at the Crane Estate in Ipswich, the Wang Theatre in Boston, and Abbot Hall in Marblehead.
As a MA native and an architectural history nut, I appreciate the well written narration. I’ve been to most of these homes. Castle Hill is a marvel! Some missteps in visuals (the photo of John Vassall 😂?!?) and errors in some easily referenced facts aside, nicely done.
Haha yes our editors are unfortunately not fellow “Massholes”, but we try :) thanks for enjoying! Go Pats!
Beautiful !!!❤️🌹
Im born and bred in MA and have visited many of these homes!
Wonderful !
Sarah Winchester was MAD as a
Hatter! If she wasn’t so rich, she would have been locked up. Her house is a living testament to her MADNESS!
COMMENT: Are you a native of Massachusetts, or, have visited one of these amazing mansions?
Very valuable knowledge. Thanks a lot.
Glad it was helpful!
MA native and resident. Not a big Cape Cod visitor, so I've not seen the Kennedy compound. Surprisingly, I've not seen the Olmstead estate. All the rest I've visited (or drove up to: Blantyre). Good choices of mansions.Pity you couldn't have found room for Beauport in Gloucester.
Beautiful old houses.
Great narration 😊
❤ All of those Mansions were Gorgeous ❤
Thanks for highlighting my beloved home state! (Walth-HAM.)
You might consider doing these as deep dives into the houses or estates.
Definitely working on it! :)
The houses that are Georgian/Federalist in style are my favorite. The lines inside and out are clean and elegant without being stark. The 18th century and Federal furniture styles are classic in every sense of the word. Examples of Victorian and Edwardian architecture are generally decorated to the hilt and have dark interiors due to dark wood, dark colored heavy furniture and rich draperies. I would have claustrophobia in record time if I were to visit any of this type of mansion. The House of the Seven Gables is much different than I expected from just looking at its exterior. The time that I visited Salem it was closed for cleaning.😢
They showed a photograph of “affluent land owner John vassal” who constructed the Longfellow house in 1759. A photograph.
🎥
Cameras have been around longer than people think
@@maggiemae7539 did you see the modern photograph I was referencing.
Grew up in the Berkshires. Some of these "cottages" were playgrounds of my youth, mostly reporpesed or totally abandoned .
I haven't been to any of these yet, went to Hyannis many times and other places mentioned, I lived in Quincy mass. Home of the presidents
The china trade museum and some of the other mansions in Milton
I am a native of Massachusetts. Near Cale Cod MA. About to 30 minutes from the Kennedy House in Massachusetts. No I never visited there.
Wharton and I agree, though separated by a century. American stately architecture ought to derive from the influences as diverse as the times which spanned prior to the establishment of America as well as the merging of architectual styles. This approach really wouldn't have the same quality in England or France.
The American Old Money is the equivalent of the British baronets and lords.
The crane estate is not Tudor revival. English baroque would be a better description.
Baroque??? no. It's Georgian.
@@kenb3552 you could argue that too. But definitely not Tudor revival
Castle Hill is NOT Tudor style house.
Who is the narrator? And does he do audiobooks?
I love Massachusetts and I've been to many of these places. I was a tour guide in The House of Seven Gables. It was so much fun!
Oh wow! So cool! What other houses do you think we should feature?
I’ve been to 3 of them and saw the Kennedy compound from the ocean
A friend & I were walking on the beach right in front of the Kennedy compound & didn’t realize where we were until we saw the compound. In retrospect we were probably trespassing but didn’t know it at the time. There were no barriers blocking us from walking on the beach. This was sometime in the 80’s.
Endicott Estate
Please can you also do for Europe especially Germany and France.
Why on Earth would you leave Elm Court off the list?
The Kennedy's aren't considered old money in Massachusetts.
"Blantyre" in scotland=
Dump
Mel Gibson doesn’t sound so crazy after all………….
The Kennedy's house may be well known, but in no way is a "Mansion".. without the Presidential aura, it's just a big white house.
Not to be rude, but as a Englishman, while these homes are lovely, considering how uber rich the owners were, they're pretty ugly? The interiors are lovely. (Marble mansion is lovely though!) but most of these American "old money" mansions are quite ugly, the insides beautiful but the outsides look really naff?
sorry i don't mean to be nasty but they leave little to be desired, esp when you read how wealthy some of these peps were. I think a lot of the good ones, like in fifth avenue were demolished?
I’ve toured several English country houses (e.g., Blenheim, mapperton, Longleat) and while I agree with you that American domestic architecture in the country house context doesn’t really compare there are a few exceptions (that the video creator left out). Check out High Lawn in MA, and Westover, wayside manor and Monticello in Virginia. Also, the crane estate in MA compares well with some famous English houses like Belton House. Many upper class Americans have built stunning homes that compare well with anything built in England but they are almost always built in suburban neighborhoods similar to the wealthy towns you find south of Heathrow airport. And these suburban houses don’t have any history or a cool name, aren’t surrounded by a thousand acre estate, and are privately owned and not open to the public. Building a plush country seat has never really been a thing here in the U.S. like it is in England. Americans prefer to be close to the big cities.