Inside the Mansion of Railroad Tycoon Leland Stanford: One of America's Big Four Industrialists

[@ThisHouse]

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[@christopherkraft1327]

This mansion is stunning & the fact that it stands today & is open to the public makes it a real treasure!!! 👍👍🙂

[@christopherkraft1327]

@Crazy_Clown_In_Town what is wrong with you?? 😬

[@t.c.2776]

It's a symbol of corruption and criminal abuse of immigrant Chinese labor... if his son had not died making him sad... he would have kept on being corrupt to the end and passing all that wealth on to his son... and it would appear that the running of Stanford College was following in his corrupt footsteps... I bet all those liberal activists that go there have no clue or they would protest and want the college name changed to maybe the Jane Fonda Liberal Arts Place... the same probably goes for Berkley, and all the Ivy League Colleges... and NO, I'm not saying the U.S. and the World didn't benefit from all that corruption... But it's interesting that liberals today blame "those people" for being evil when everything they own stems from corruption of one kind or another... LOL...

[@jelly7310]

Sounds like the public paid for it a long time ago.

[@califdad4]

I live about 19 miles from this and worked around the corner from it. Beautiful home. Leland Jr's memorial window is in. St Paul's Episcopal church about 7 blocks away. Jane was poisoned while in. Honolulu Hawaii. They house was given to the Sisters of Mercy, because their group was who took care of her son when he got typhoid in Europe, the family was Episcopal

[@Donald_Shaw]

Ken, you always do a superb job of showcasing these beautiful old mansions. Thanks for all your hard work putting these videos together.

[@cathyreardon8979]

Beautiful,beautiful, home. Sad that all this money was spent to build this mansion, then a few years later give it up. That huge building behind this is an eye sore as someone mentioned earlier

[@Niababey01]

It's a beautiful home, very intricate, & the contrast between downtown Sacramento and the Stanford mansion is striking because you really do feel like you're walking into the past. California did a fantastic job by preserving this type of beauty. You can also tour the Crocker art museum which is another preserved mansion, that's even more grand.

[@jared1870]

It's too bad it has that ugly, huge building behind it but I am glad that the mansion still stands.

[@alanblanes2876]

Such a terrific episode, Ken. We would not be able to know these details without your research.

[@williamtyre523]

Really interesting story behind this house and the origins of Stanford University, which was an important early project for the architectural firm of Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge, formed after the death of H. H. Richardson in 1886. It is also interesting to note how many instances there are of these big old houses being donated to the Archdiocese in their respective cities. Thanks, as always, for an educational and enlightening video.

[@timsacto1785]

I am so thrilled to see this video. I have been a resident of Sacramento for 35 years, and in my time, this mansion was a girl's home, an restoration site, and now a restored museum. It is magnificent! Thank you for featuring it. It is so different from the Governor's Mansion, with which it is sometimes confused. Both served as Governor's Mansions, but the Stanford Mansion only served in that capacity for Stanford. Both houses remain today and are wonderful examples of the history of our wonderful city. Thanks again!! Maybe you can find information about the California Mission Revival-style house that was commissioned by then Governor Ronald Reagan to be the new Governor's Mansion. It is still in existence on a site overlooking the American River in Carmichael, Ca. I live down the road from this house, and I had the opportunity to visit it a few years ago. It is now a private residence. It was never completed under Reagan, abandoned by Jerry Brown, and eventually completed by a private developer. It is a large house on an impressive plot of land. Maybe there is a story for your wonderful website about this house!

[@Robin-g7q5d]

I can’t thank you enough, Ken! I am unable to travel well any longer and you have shown me some beautiful homes that I never would have been able to see. You give us all the particulars about the owners and the homes, along with some of THEIR associates. I might have to try to get across the country to Sacramento, now.

[@ceilconstante640]

Thank you! And thank you each supporter! I really enjoyed learning about this mansion and it's history.

[@SandraAnnEvans]

You ALWAYS do such a WONDERFUL JOB ON RESEARCHING OLD HISTORIC RESIDENTIAL ESTABLISHMENTS . . . THANK YOU!

[@zuur303]

That such a monstrosity was allowed to be built in the literal backyard is remarkable to say the least.

[@jianhuang0124]

Funny thing is, it's a government agency building.

[@RJStockton]

If you think that building is bad (it's the Department of Water Resources), you should see the mansion from the opposite angle. Across N St. is the building housing Employment Development Department and the Labor Department. It's a brutalist nightmare. One block over is the federal building (800 N St.), which is the single ugliest structure on earth. It was designed by whichever sadist was the architect of my high school. All flat panels, rectangles, and those shades of beige and blue that make you want to commit sudoku.

[@Leo.Lapo_]

@@RJStockton this answer

[@Mod0308]

That’s California for you. Rail against millionaires that built beautiful things by commissioning billionaires to build ugly shit around it.

[@ostrich67]

​@@RJStockton in any city, the ugliest building is usually the Federal Building.

[@califdad4]

The mansion was raised and a 4th floor added after his inauguration as Governor, Sacramento had flooded and he was rowed home in a boat and climbed in the 2nd Story window to get in.

[@diannaloveshenry]

Great video! Love all the details, Ken! The history you tell and the pictures always leave me with a thirst for more❤️

[@StamperWendy]

Thanks, Ken! I hope you had a great holiday...

[@raymondmiller5098]

The Mansion tour is very interesting and worthwhile. I recommend it.

[@cassandraralph5906]

I'm deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Leland and his wife's only son from typhoid, and also the suspicious death of his wife many years later. No amount of money is enough to protect one from the realities of living and dying.

[@stevehaynes7516]

One of the fascinating rooms in the house is an orphanage dormitory c.1940 when the Sisters used the house.

[@joeseeking3572]

Stunning main floor rooms decorated with mostly original things that had simply been put up in the attics when the Sisters took over. Story is that when CA bought the house from the order they offered some paltry additional amount 'for the sutff in the attic' and got - wow, you have to see it. The downside of all this though is that as a working government building hosting dignitaries, photos have somehow been deemed a security risk. You can tour, but not snap. I was there in this October on a beautiful afternoon and was the only person at at time, so private viewing.

[@samanthab1923]

Just watched a story on my local news about mansion in South Bethlehem owned & built by the owner of the Lehigh RR. Total renovation. 🚂

[@johnpotter8039]

The photo shown during the description of the founding of Stanford University is actually the Lawrence Powell Library at UCLA, built in the late 1920s. Otherwise, fine.

[@ThisHouse]

We submitted an edit to KZbin to fix this! It should be fixed within a couple of hours. Thank you for pointing this out!

[@davidjacobs8558]

you must be an UCLA Alumnus.

[@jamesslick4790]

I love this house. The blend of "Italianate" and "French" work so well here. I'd build something much like it....If I had any kind of money!

[@DavidESalyer]

Thes mansion offers a free guided tour and takes about an hour.. It contains 75% of its original furniture. The rooms look much like they do in the photos from 1872. It is well worth a trip.

[@ceceliaclarke]

Would be useful to know more about Leland Stanford's specific contributions to design of Stanford University campus. This campus even in our time now is extraordinarily beautiful. Entrance is lined with date palm trees more than 30 feet tall. Main buildings are Spanish /Moorish style. Very pleasant and spacious inside.

[@mddell58]

What happened to 3:53 - 4:06? Pretty awesome 'story.' 👍

[@IntriguedLioness]

16 month, $22,000,000 renovation and now it's a museum which I doubt is in the black. Sadly, this is why so many of these buildings are bulldozed.

[@andrewbrendan1579]

Well, that was a surprise. Ken, i work at Indiana University where David Starr Jordan was once President of the University. Because of his beliefs about race and eugenics and because of cancel culture, a street named after Jordan has been re-named. The Biology building is Jordan Hall and some people want it re-named. A creek that flows through the campus for many years has been known as the Jordan River (though that may have nothing to to with the former President as it's a Biblical reference) has been re-named the Campus River, again as part of cancel culture. I think this is an example of people of one era putting their standards and beliefs onto the people of an other era. Anyway, I hadn't realized the former University President was quite THAT much of a character.

[@epicshade144]

"I think this is an example of people of one era putting their standards and beliefs onto the people of an other era." This would not be the reason for renaming buildings after problematic individuals, but rather to stop glorifying them. For example, if R. Kelly had donated generously to Indiana University and the school then renamed the Biology building R. Kelly Hall, would you be comfortable having that name remain knowing what we know now? This is really not any different from renaming streets and parks in Germany that had Hitler in them such as Adolf-Hitler-Platz and Adolf-Hitler-Strasse. This is really the same reasoning as "an example of people of one era putting their standards and beliefs onto the people of another era."

[@marquiesriley6479]

@@epicshade144 ….honestly, its just people being offended by the smallest of things…so what if someone’s past actions were found out….removing their name from a building or removing a statue is pointless as we all have skeletons in our closets…

[@RJStockton]

When I worked as a courier, I used to deliver to this house. It's an amazing thing to look at. I got the full story from one of the ladies who works there. Apparently, it serves as the Governor's Office of Protocol, which is an unpaid position each governor gives to the wives of wealthy donors. Real Margaret Dumont stuff. If you like the Stanford mansion, be sure to check out the Crocker Museum and the Governor's mansion. They were all competitive with each other, and they tried to one-up each other for their houses. Try not to think about how many Chinese rail workers died to build the Central Pacific.

[@christopherd.1200]

Hello- though it no longer exists it would be nice to have a video about Stanford's mansion on Nob Hill in San Francisco that was destroyed by the earthquake and fire in 1906.

[@franknavojosky7402]

Where are the pictures of the inside rooms?

[@mulemule]

2:56 Tour begins ...

[@Izzymohammed1]

Hi ken. How about a story of the Aldrich mansion?? From Sydney Australia ❤️

[@alexandarvoncarsteinzarovi3723]

I would prefer we try to preserve as much as we can of these buildings,

[@alexandarvoncarsteinzarovi3723]

​@@crazy_clown_in_town Yes bring a major industry, right near a place with a park. countless other civilian dwellings and hospitals, thank you very much but I believe the Chornobyl crisis & lack of true medical system proves how communism works, we still have people born with one kidney from time to time,

[@alexandarvoncarsteinzarovi3723]

@@crazy_clown_in_town So is cyanide for orphans

[@SmokyMountainBlessed]

wow what a sad life they had even with all that wealth

[@marquiesriley6479]

Its amazing how he built up the bulk of his wealth after becoming governor…lol

[@anderander5662]

Biden...et al

[@EcceHomo1088]

This shows that all you need is a little government help to get a LOOOOOONG way lol...

[@ericanderson1691]

But karma never forgets an address.

[@ekaterinafedotova6913]

The ugly building behind the mansion is just awful 😞

[@kenrowland7864]

I thought this video was going to be about the interior of the mansion?

[@nb-user25]

The photo at 00:29 is creepy

[@jennifernixon563]

His eyes? I don't see creepy

[@glendaanderson4969]

FYI, I got unsubscribed from your channel. I was quite upset when I realized you'd had maybe 10 vids I hadn't seen yet. What's messed up is your old vids were still showing up on my feed. I've watched nearly all of them up to that point of KZbin kicking me off ....so WTF KZbin??

[@rowynnecrowley1689]

Why would you have such ginormous low hanging chandeliers with such low ceilings? I'm only 5'4", and I feel like I'd have to duck in there.

[@bellthandian]

Trust me, they are not low ceilings. Keep in mind with many of these mansions our scale and perspective will be off quite a bit. I've fount place like this to be about 3x larger in person than online appearance. Having visited last year in spring 2022, I would say the ceilings are at least close to 11ft tall. The gasolier/gas chandeliers from this period were designed to be within arms reach so one could reach up to turn the gas valves on/off to light each individual pilot for illumination. Ours are also like this at Heidelberg Hall built in 1876 containing many original gas fixtures. I still need a ladder to switch out lightbulbs and I'm 5'6" lol

[@SagacityLost]

The Campbell house in Spokane, WA is a beautiful home also if you are looking for more to feature

[@brozbro]

Thanks again and again for showing the subscribe button AND telling me to subscribe. Hope you remind me at the end as well.

[@nylanelson8660]

The were the cheaters & scammers of all the people just to get rich

[@nickgibb4687]

sponsors suck

[@JayMuzquiz]

Not impressed!

[@stevehaynes7516]

One of the fascinating rooms in the house is an orphanage dormitory c.1940 when the Sisters used the house.