Hi Neighbor,
Some say their home is their castle. But Gilded Age castles nearby provide a whole new perspective on what “home” looked like to the tycoons and their families during the Gilded Age. I’m a fan of the first two seasons of HBO’s show The Gilded Age, and there’s a third season coming shortly. The costumes and settings are captivating and over the top, so imagining that time-period when visiting these former residences is especially evocative. It was an age filled with innovative architecture, art and history from the 1870s to the early 1900s.
There were many issues lurking behind the eye-catching exteriors (and interiors): immigration, race, women’s rights, working conditions and hours are also on display beneath the glittering surfaces. Some of the episodes take place in carefully selected rooms of former residences from the Gilded Age including Newport’s The Breakers, Marble House, The Elms and Rosecliff.
As a native Philadelphian, I was familiar with a few nearby grand homes evoking the Gilded Age. But I’ve recently discovered so many examples to visit that aren’t far away. Touring these started as day-trip entertainment for out-of-town guests and led to long weekend multi-state explorations. There are also special events and tours offered throughout the year. This is the first in a series of Castles Close to Home. If you visit, hope you have a great time imagining and learning about a time gone by. And check out The Gilded Age also if only for the visual grandeur.
Stoneleigh, Villanova, a local Gilded Age relic, offers group tours of the estate featuring mahogany walls and a 1910 filigree elevator along with world renowned gardens. The 1900’s Tudor Revival mansion was designed by Boston architects Arthur Green Everett and Samuel Mead.
Delaware’s Winterthur is a Greek Revival manor built originally in 1839 and additions were added through 1969. It features the most important collection of American decorative arts in the world including entire interiors of other period homes. Winterthur is surrounded by 1,000 landscaped acres where more than 200 people operated a beef and dairy farm. Tram tours are available with admission. The many fascinating, guided floor tours can be arranged based on your interests. Easy to return many times to experience each of the floors. And Yuletide. Wow. The entire home is dressed up for the holidays.
Chanticleer Estate, Villanova, is a former summer retreat located along the Main Line of the PA Railroad for Philadelphia-based families escaping the city’s summer heat. Charles L. Borie, architect, completed the house in 1913 in the Pastoral style. In 1924 additional rooms were added to make the house a year-round residence.
Fonthill Castle, Doylestown, began construction in 1908. It has 5 bedrooms, 18 fireplaces, 200 windows and steep stairs with narrow, uneven passages. While it’s an outlier in terms of the Gilded Age per se, it was built during that time. It’s a mixture of Medieval, Gothic and Byzantine styles. With its unique reinforced concrete design protecting against fires, it’s unique and interesting. Mercer’s famous hand-crafted ceramic tiles designed during the Arts and Crafts movement are throughout.
Ardrossan, Villanova offers tours through Main Line School Night. They’re filled up through November but consider joining the waitlist. The enormous Georgian Revival was designed by celebrated Gilded Age Architect Horace Trumbauer who created the fifty-room mansion. The Philadelphia Story was based on members of the family, specifically Katherine Hepburn’s character patterned after the eldest Montgomery daughter, Helen Hope.
Willows, Villanova, named by author Christopher Morley in the Spanish Revival style, was designed by Philadelphia Architect Charles Barton Keene in 1910. Self-guided tours are possible by contacting the Willows Park Preserve at info@willowsparkpreserve.org.
Happy Exploring,
Jane
