The Mansion Built on Insurance Fraud: Shadow Lawn

Dive into the captivating tale of John McCall, the man who, after exposing insurance frauds, rose to the peak of his career, only to face a shocking twist in his tale. Discover the grandeur of Shadow Lawn, a mansion with an unparalleled history that witnessed the pinnacle of opulence, scandal, fire, and rebirth. Join us on This House as we unearth the mysteries behind this architectural marvel.
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The Mansion Built on Insurance Fraud: Shadow Lawn:
• The Mansion Built on I...
Public Domain Photos from: Library of Congress,
CC BY 2.0(creativecommon...) Photos from: Flickr User: miguelangelnunez
CC BY-SA 4.0(creativecommon...) Photos from: Wikipedia User: Padjoe, Zeete,
Assets from: Envato Elements
Music from Epidemic Sound

[@ThisHouse]

Hey This House Supporters, we are testing a new feature on youtube that allows members to watch videos early. Let us know if you like this new feature.

[@mitchellbarnow1709]

If you were releasing one video per week, then I would like to see it early, but at three per week it really doesn’t matter to me and you have plenty to do already.

[@williamtyre523]

I really like the design of the original house, both the exterior and the main hall, although it feels more like a hotel or club than a private residence. What a shocking surprise about the man who built his reputation fighting corruption, being the most corrupt of all!

[@califdad4]

It did look more like a club or hotel

[@samsmom1491]

The main house was very grand and imposing. It reminds me of the fabulous grand villas of ancient Roman aristocracy. I did not like the carraige house/stable at all. That was an architectural monstrosity.

[@califdad4]

@@samsmom1491 the house looks like something in a warmer climate not NJ

[@deepwaters2334]

I could tell just by the name of his house that he had something to hide! Not a good choice of a name for your house! Evokes a bad reputation!

[@Gman7774eye]

The owner kinda reminds me of Joe Biden

[@rayn8740]

It would have to be the amazing stained glass above the atrium. Spectacular!

[@claireburkus8497]

Love the redo by Traumbauer…he is my favorite architect!!! Maybe the original owner is the reason no one trusts the insurance industry even today!!!😊

[@cassandraralph5906]

I am gobsmacked by this story!!! I love the beautiful stained glass overhead window!!! Thank you again. 😊

[@jerrycomo2736]

Watched numerous videos of the interiors of modern NYC new, super high-rise apartments. The presenter points out a kitchen back splash that is just flat marble slabs. He then tells us where the marble is from and why we should be impressed. In your videos of these old homes, we can see for ourselves the beauty built into the design. We don't have to be told why we should be impressed.

[@JosephStJames2000]

The original house looked like an M. C. Escher drawing --- a bit of a monstrosity. I do like the calm balance of the rehab. Great choice of video.

[@susangerwien1290]

Both my sons graduations were held there. The house is beautiful.

[@janemckee4922]

The ceiling is breath taking!

[@nikmills]

Thank you for great videos. And a special thank you for NOT having an amateurish, unnecessary musical score, which many history videos add for no reason.

[@litamtondy]

The original one, decorated with flags, must be one of the most glorious sights I have ever seen.

[@jefflawrentz1624]

Reminds me of a house that could be used to film a Batman Movie. I’ve never heard of this home before. Thanks, Ken for introducing us to this place.

[@mileshigh1321]

Great idea! This place was monumental until it was "restored" It looked amazing from the outside!

[@BigBearG67]

I went to Monmouth. They use the building for offices and classrooms. There are some nice gardens around the building. Also Annie was filmed there. There was a pool in the basement and a bowling alley but both are covered up. You should look into the history of the Monmouth University library as that is another old estate which is said to be haunted.

[@garygloska7396]

Nothing short of WOW! Absolutely beautiful

[@jimwiskus8862]

I actually prefer the latter rework and expansion by Hubert Parson. It really celebrates the more traditional feel of the mansions. I particularly liked the skylight in the great hall. I assume this structure still exists today? See you in the next episode.

[@jenpink4298]

Wow! I did not see that coming😂 It was so over the top before the renovations that I couldn’t help but love it, but I like it much more in it’s second life. And I love the ceiling that you showed at the end, the windows and the stained glass all around, absolutely stunning!

[@jonrussell1690]

Beautiful!!! They just don’t build them like that today. That was beautiful. Thoroughly enjoyed this one.

[@SMtWalkerS]

I think the original design was graceful and beautiful and the redesign and expansion made it rather stodgy. It is funny that John McCall, a fighter against corruption, was ultimately hung upon his own petard.

[@vickiephilpitt7697]

The original building looked more like a home than the rebuild, which looked too institutional/ business like. When Monmouth Co. acquired it, the building just shouted "college building," 😊 so it was destined to become part of the college all along ( even if it did take a circuitous road). 😅😅😅

[@LJB103]

Not too fond of the original house. Parson's Shadow Lawn (or Daddy Warbucks' house in "Annie") is one of my favorite houses, but then Horace Trumbauer is my favorite architect for these types of Mansions. I've read that he had a big problem in building the new mansion: dealing with the excessive bad taste of Mrs. Perkins. Excellent video.

[@mitchellbarnow1709]

I am so happy that parts of the interior are alive and well today! The interior grand staircase and the the rest of the grand interior is styled very much like the Carolands Mansion In Hillsborough, Califonia. Carolands did not come first, but it’s almost original, including faucets and toilets.

[@caroleinwv]

I like both designs although the first is more original and light. I am very grateful it survived in any form.

[@marcyking461]

Even with all of the splendor in these beauties from yesteryear, I can't help to think of how many people could be fed, housed, and clothed on the monies spent to upkeep these monstrous mansions, not to mention the ludicrous amounts of money spent building these 'homes' to begin with. You could probably build whole city blocks for the cost of one house? Then again, not much has changed between then and now. Some of the richest people, living the most lavish lifestyles, alive today have built their fortunes on fraud, deceit, and the misery of others, especially, Bankers, Lawyers, and Politicians.

[@BorderCollieWithAPassport]

lots of jobs are created building such homes or even homes in general, not to mention all the upkeep and property taxes. it's much worse when billionaires live like misers...........then the $$$ doesnt get a chance to trickle down, even a little lol

[@annonymously331]

You can take comfort in the fact that if the money was not spent on building these houses, it still wouldn’t have gone to feed and house the needy. The problem is that you think that money is finite, and money not spent can on A and be spent on B. In reality, this is often not the case

[@craigtiano3455]

You missed a very important tidbit of history. Parson lavishly spent money on the replacement home, even though he was near Woolworth's mandatory retirement age. No sooner than he finished it, he was told that there would be no exception to the mandatory retirement age, and he was forced into retirement. Left with little cash after finishing the home, he sought out a buyer. The university purchased the home and has owned it ever since.

[@garryferrington811]

Kind of a neoclassical design gone crazy! Odd that the man who exposed fraud turned out to be the biggest fraudster of all. I guess he just couldn't resist it.

[@hughjamesbishop6195]

WOW! What a fabulous interior!

[@StamperWendy]

From 2:12 to 2:16, that picture is stunning! I want one with those cupola-style decorations on top. ❤

[@paco7992]

Have you been saving this one? That was "sweeps week" good!

[@livingdeadgirla]

The original was kind of wacky and a little tacky, but charming in a Beverly Hillbillies sort of way. The furniture was too small and dainty for a house like that. The remodel is more appealing to me. I like that a university acquired it. Interesting video, thanks.

[@jacoballred]

Nice to know that some of the house is still leftover. But thesedays It looks on the outside same as an ordinary apartment building.

[@davisdavis4934]

The house and property which John McCall purchased came from the estate of the widow of Norman Monro- (of "dime" novel publishing fame) [ Norman Leslie Munro (1842-1894) was a Canadian-American publisher] .who died about 1994. His home which was only a few years old was considered the grandest cottage on the shore, and actually part of Eatontown when he built it. On this property there was a 150' tower tall enough to see the ocean from this location about a mile west of the beach. At the time fire was a huge concern and (I believe) he ordered, and installed a substantial bell so that an alarm could be sounded if needed. No images of the tower are known to exist. The bell is documented at the Hudson- Mohawk Museum in Troy NY. That bell was approx. 36" in diameter and weighed in at about 400 pounds- similar to another bell cast at that time for the USS Brooklyn- a battle ship in the White Fleet ( the bell lost to scrap). Noman Monro's home was burned (by thieves it was said) about 1901. The tower survived the fire but was destroyed somewhere along the line. The bell which is 100% identifiable by its size, weight and inscription from the Meneely Bell Foundry in Troy , NY is a one-of-a-kind and I found it at the small county museum in Eatontown, NJ. They report the bell came from a school not far south on Main St. which was built about 1921, and removed from the school by the town when it was sold to private interests. The county curators had no knowledge of this bell other than it "came from the school" which it did- after it was taken from the Munro estate and tower- that is a story that today precedes the remarkable story of John Mc Call and Shadow Brook. Any relation to Shadow Isle??? Now there is a story! 6 10 24

[@barbaraclark9423]

I do like the open concept .

[@singularseeker]

Beautiful..

[@JPKnapp-ro6xm]

Woodrow Wilson was staying at Shadow Lawn when the Lusitania was sunk by a German submarine. Theodore Roosevelt made a very dramatic speech saying that the real shadows at Shadow Lawn were the women and babies who sank under the waves because Wilson refused to go to war with Germany, etc., etc.

[@user-sg6ji2kk3u]

Both incarnations of Shadow Lawn were beautiful both inside and out. But the original owner was about as corrupt as former President Trump . Love the elaborate design and interiors of both and although the original Shadow Lawn burned in 1927 it is good that some of the original was incorporated into the reconstruction . I’m always happy when these beautiful mansions can be saved completely or even partially . Love the beautiful work you do here Ken . Always really look forward to your presentations with great anticipation . ❤👍🏻👍🏻⭐️😊😊

[@kenw1295]

Very Interesting. Any details of the house shown at 1 minute 6 seconds. It almost looks like a vague copy of Palladio's Villa La Rotonda.

[@davisdavis4934]

There is a possibility that Norman Munro may have purchased this bell for one of his steamers he raced competitively on the South Shrewsbury River. Just a thought.

[@brucemenning2086]

All of the streets in my neighborhood are named after estates. I live on Shadowlawn Street.

[@theemarydee1610]

I liked to open concept.

[@mugwump242]

Shadow Lawn was used as Oliver Warbucks' (aka "Daddy Warbucks") mansion in the 1982 film, _Annie_ . Did the video's narrator mention this? If so, I missed it. Oops.

[@bethbartlett5692]

Nothing suprises me when it comes to the "Human Lower Mind, aka Ego Mind, aka Adolescent Mind ". Clearly some make a profession out of it, but, this is why, those called "Old Money" have aquired refinement and instilled practice towards Grace and Charm. They quietly go about their luve like Mature Wise Folks. We all have to experience Ego to grow theough it. How many lifetimes must it take?

[@garryferrington811]

I don't believe anyone knows. Maybe the Buddha did.

[@naomiweaver1855]

Crooks is crooks.

[@NewRon2003us]

The original exterior and foyer , dining room

[@2615ParkAvenueAssociates]

It will be interesting to know if any of these mansions built by millionaires have gone on to still be homes of millionaires and maintained in the grandeur for which they were known.

[@oltedders]

The exterior looks like an Alexandrian Greek temple.

[@phoenixswanson1561]

The statement those houses were making, were to a community that either benefited or contributed to their construction. Walls and hedges have replaced community sentiment.

[@johnlgasper2348]

Love old house but this was obnoxious considering

[@CenturyHomeProject]

I completely agree. The exterior looks like it would be Coco Chanel‘s worst nightmare! She always sit before you leave the house look in the mirror and take one thing off. I think that house would’ve driven her crazy!

[@albertmyers7176]

😎😎😎😎

[@asylumlover]

IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, MAYBE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CALLED SHADY LAWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NONETHELESS, AT LEAST IT'S NOT ANOTHER DEMOLITION, BUT IT STILL IS NOT THE SAME HOUSE. ALTHOUGH WE APPARENTLY STILL HAVE THE NEWER VERSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Walker983]

There is a difference between a spectacular palace owned by a Prince or Hero, vs an Identical structure, owned by a Powdered Milk magnate . . . 😺😺😺

[@andrewbrendan1579]

The original house is outlandish, what I would call a house on steroids. How could anyone feel at home there?

[@johnp6260]

Did not like the original design at all. Did like the rebuild. Thanks for these videos.

[@shirleybalinski4535]

So far ahead of design at the time. Sad story of what goes around, comes around.

[@LawrenceMartinez-fb1tt]

This story reminds me of the new speaker of the house Mike Johnson who will only allow funding for Ukraine if the funds come out of the I.R.S. budget….you see Traitor Republicans cheating on their taxes cannot get caught if the I.R.S doesn’t have the employees to catch them….thus Mike Johnson is defending corruption. The renovation of this mansion should have used the original architecture because what they did is plain & boring. The super high ceiling in the entryway reminds me of how modern day McMansions that do that too.

[@DovZeev]

Of course that nothing of a school Monmouth University got this beautiful building.

[@superdougie10]

Sounds like Trump.

[@ronframe387]

TDS is Strong!

[@williammurray8060]

What??

[@a1wend1l]

Trump derangement syndrome

[@karancarnwright4312]

How in the hell did he heat this monstrosity ,It had to be a fortune in the winter !