This once-grand mansion was built at the turn of the 20th century by one of the premier architects of the Gilded Age, and belonged to the family of a railroad magnate and his Army officer son. Since its construction, it has also been an orphanage for girls and a nursing home, before its inevitable abandonment after almost a century of continuous habitation.
The years and the elements, not to mention vandals, have not been kind to the house, which is one of the most badly-decayed large abandonments I've ever set foot in. Ceilings hang precariously overhead, having shed their plaster and a distressing portion of their framing, and the floors in areas have the consistency of a soggy sponge.
Nevertheless, and despite the institutional renovations that the house has seen in its long history, and the nearly complete lack of any remaining artifacts from any of its past lives, the beautiful architectural elements added by the designer shine through in the multitude of fireplaces, parquet floors, and the grand staircase. It takes almost no imagination to picture this place as the sight of lavish parties a la "The Great Gatsby", tended to by dutiful servants filed away in the attics and back addition.
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