I must say however, that I do enjoy all the pseudo-medaeval, Renaissance and Gothic hybrid constructions so common in the age of the robber-barons. Some contain components sailed brick by brick over from Europe, reassembled in impossible configurations. Gilded Age architecture does have a certain haunted, yet noble character, particularly in semi-abandoned mining districts in the Far North. A red imitation castle constructed from Jacobsville sandstone overlooking a copper-green lake at the bottom of the ancient mine now overgrown with lodgepole pines is the face of the Lost Cause of the North
How many of those still exist, and where could one find them? I had thought urban Gilded Age architecture had largely been replaced during the skycraper construction boom early in the twentieth century. The mining districts of Lake Superior represent a special case, since they were populated during the Gilded Age and partially abandoned once factories moved overseas. Today, they contain perhaps the best representation of pre 20th century architecture in the American North.
Most of the city palaces are long since gone because of taxation. The tasteful ones like JP Morgan's home remain as museums (his is a library, if I remember right). The country seats are around to varying degrees. Reynolda and Graylyn are both outside Winston-Salem, for example, and are actually quite nice
I must say however, that I do enjoy all the pseudo-medaeval, Renaissance and Gothic hybrid constructions so common in the age of the robber-barons. Some contain components sailed brick by brick over from Europe, reassembled in impossible configurations. Gilded Age architecture does have a certain haunted, yet noble character, particularly in semi-abandoned mining districts in the Far North. A red imitation castle constructed from Jacobsville sandstone overlooking a copper-green lake at the bottom of the ancient mine now overgrown with lodgepole pines is the face of the Lost Cause of the North
many of the Gilded Age country houses are actually pretty nice; the Livingstons were an exception because they got a bit too haughty
It was more the city palaces in NYC that were in poor taste, as they were out of place and too much
How many of those still exist, and where could one find them? I had thought urban Gilded Age architecture had largely been replaced during the skycraper construction boom early in the twentieth century. The mining districts of Lake Superior represent a special case, since they were populated during the Gilded Age and partially abandoned once factories moved overseas. Today, they contain perhaps the best representation of pre 20th century architecture in the American North.
Most of the city palaces are long since gone because of taxation. The tasteful ones like JP Morgan's home remain as museums (his is a library, if I remember right). The country seats are around to varying degrees. Reynolda and Graylyn are both outside Winston-Salem, for example, and are actually quite nice