Built on the Backs of Children: Inside the Unsettling Avalon Mansion

[@SpanishEclectic]

This sort of thing went on all over the world, and still does in some places. Some of my ancestors and their families worked in the Lace Industry in Nottingham, England, in the mid-1800s. It was a bit of a shock to see the age of my great-grandfather's little brother, who was a Threader (I think it's called), working all day with very dangerous machines when he should have been in school. We love to look at these beautiful houses and appreciate the designs and lifestyles reflected, but more often than not, the wealth that allowed them to be built was made on the backs of the disadvantaged. A stark reality we must factor in. I recall the comments on videos you featured recently, where the owners of the home treated the builders very well, and made huge donations to philanthropic causes. People seemed so happy to learn about it. We can't undo the past, but I appreciate that you include both sides of the conversation. You are a kind person. :)

[@111Phoenix777]

Very well said.

[@Automedon2]

I'm in the US, but my family originated from Brechin, Scotland. In doing ancestry research using the census, I was amazed to see that kids as young as eleven had occupations listed. They were all workers in the linen mills.

[@missylearned9821]

Absolute facts conveyed very well! We want to apply today’s standards to yesteryears and we can’t. We just have to know history and keep from ever returning to similar times.

[@joananthony6323]

Many of my ancestors were Buckinghamshire lacemakers When my grandmother died my grandfather threw all the tatting materials away and said it was slave labour They had to work from dusk to dawn to earn a pittance

[@theresebortzfield188]

Ethics, respect for humanity

[@kimcarter7567]

This story should be a movie

[@StevenTorrey]

I think American Experience (PBS) has made a program about the woolen mills and the child labor that made them so productive. Another incident in American History is "The Triangle ShirtWast" fire of 1911, that saw the death of some 147 mostly women die. I believe that too is a part of the American Experience programs.

[@kimcarter7567]

Thanks! Will look for it!

[@magneticpupful]

I have watched you since WAY back now (my husband died week before last and I’ve been reminiscing) him and I, being a gay couple… we sorta turned the KZbinrs that we constantly watched our family because you all were there with through so much … and I find myself wanting to say something only realizing you have no idea who we are …. So now I’m sitting here on my birthday and I needed something to occupy my mind so I decided to write this anyhow to let you know that John suddenly died and Joey is trying to manage… thanks for all of your hard work and amazing times you spent entertaining and teaching us!

[@valeriefimple1209]

@uvexme I'm so sorry for you loss, may you find peace and comfort and by the way Happy Birthday. ❤❤

[@brandyjean7015]

Be gentle with yourself, dear Joey.

[@ThisHouse]

I am so incredibly sorry for your loss. It's heartbreaking to hear about the passing of your husband, John, and I can't even begin to imagine the pain and grief you're experiencing right now. Please know that your KZbin family is here to support you through this difficult time. Your message is a testament to the beautiful bond that you and John shared, and the way you two found solace and connection through the content creators you watched together. You may feel like we don't know who you are, but in a way, we do. Our community is made up of people like you, who find joy, comfort, and a sense of belonging through our videos. And that's what makes it so special. It's an honor to have been a part of your lives and to have brought some happiness into your days. As you continue to navigate this new chapter, I hope that our videos can provide a source of strength and distraction when you need it most. Remember that you are not alone, and we are here for you. Wishing you all the love and strength on your birthday and in the days ahead. May John's memory continue to live on in your heart and in the moments you shared together. - Ken & Dalton

[@daradoe9415]

​@@ThisHouse Beautifully said.

[@Maliceless100]

Sorry for your loss, and agreed on the value of these videos.

[@Silknswift]

I very much appreciate your effort to place the houses within a broader historical context. How mansions were staffed and where resources to support this lifestyle came from is very well done especially in such a short amount of time devoted to each property. Bravo

[@tresalamb-5906]

I remember my dad telling me how he pick cotton during the depression. The sacks filled was longer than he was tall. How he hunted to have something to eat. How they got food from the woods. We've forgotten how to do this.

[@roncross1945]

Greed continues to plague mankind. Thanks for this look back into history. Sadly, there are still places in the world where child labor is being used. We should do everything we can to stop it.

[@cassandraralph5906]

This kind of child slavery still continues today in India, Asia, and the Middle East. What an awful way to treat the workers at these woolen mills. Thank you for this most interesting and educational video.

[@michaelplunkett8059]

Uighur children in China.

[@LotsofLisa]

Absolutely correct. If you count the (underage) human trafficking, every country including the US is guilty.

[@cloudchaser907]

Also in Kentucky

[@whyaminotoriginal]

And arkansas...

[@joecesa]

This is history that needs to be talked about more often, not less. Within the last month, Arkansas just eased child labor laws for children so they can work more dangerous jobs including mining! Really, in 2023. We clearly learned nothing whatsoever. Perhaps I am foolish but I never believed that being a capitalist required being reprehensible. You can be successful and fair at the same time. I'm reading a book about the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire in NYC in 1911 currently, and again I see that we're not learning from history. I love the architecture and the stories of the owners and architects, and I like to hear the dark side, too. I want the full story. Thanks again for doing a great job.

[@barbarabobb3406]

So did Iowa. Shameful.

[@HORSEYANIME2024]

Pls continue to upload more new videos on historical mansions

[@lauriehall1249]

I love seeing ALL the homes, and hearing about their history is a lesson about this country, good, bad, and otherwise. While we are still pulling ourselves out of some dark times, I look forward to learning more on This House.

[@dreamcatcher5502]

Not much has changed except kids work in fast food now. I did. I worked 40 hours a week at age 16, 17 and 18 all while in high school. I left that and joined the Air Force. I became an Air traffic Controller and after 4 years in the A.F. worked for the FAA and retired at age 38. I made a promise to myself that I would get out of work slavery. And I did !!! How dare that Mayor issue orders to kill anyone who tries to leave the town. All of them should have gone to prison. So much for the "LAND OF THE FREE" This is a story of how the rich are the most UNAMERICAN citizens !!! 🤑🤬

[@anncrow3340]

It's the real story of the American labor movement, every hint of union talk was met with violence, even murder. It's why union are more important than ever, and why big corps will always use whatever means they can to control workers. JS

[@furtim1]

The concept of "child labor" didn't exist until this time period. Why? Because for the first time there were families, common families, who didn't need their children to work to survive. Up until this point in history, it was normal for everyone to work all their lives from beginning to end. Children as young as 2 or 3 were working 40+ hours on farms or hunting tribes in centuries prior, they just weren't paid in cash - but on the increased chances of survival through the next season. "Retirement" didn't mean anything to any but the wealthiest families until the late 18th century. As bad as this was, what allowed it to end was all the wealth generated by "work slavery", fossil fuels, capitalism, and liberty (when it was defended, rather than crushed, by governments).

[@LJB103]

Excellent video. Frederick also built a still extant mansion on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston that was designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany (the only one that Tiffany worked on from it's inception, not just a reworking of an existing home). His son-in-law was General George Patton.

[@SpanishEclectic]

This is really interesting! It was really a small world back then, for people who moved in those circles.

[@LJB103]

@@SpanishEclectic It wasn't that the world was small but that the social circles were.

[@joshuamontgomery4992]

Huron mountain club, he is a big part of upper Michigan history. The club is super secretive and acts like just a club but is a major part of American history and Federal government. League of nations/u.n., CIA, FBI, Manhattan project.

[@davidbrims5825]

There was a Sean Connery film ‘The Molly Maguires’ about this subject, how bosses mistreated their workers, paid them a pittance.

[@SpanishEclectic]

I was just thinking about the Molly Maguires. The original story was written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and is one of the longer Sherlock Holmes mysteries. It's called The Valley of Fear.

[@lifeslittlesweets]

Ken, I grew up in Lawrence, MA, on Tower Hill, there are a lot of historic, old homes there. So glad you are talking about some of the history of that city. I moved away when I went to college (I went to Architecture School, and was influenced by the grand homes and mill town architecture). I remember riding by the big clock tower at the mill every day to go to school. That city has gone through a lot of upheaval over the years but it has a rich history. There are a lot of historic gems (homes, parks, monuments) there and I've wondered about their history of them. I worry a lot of it will be lost to time. For those of us who care about historic preservation, thank you for sharing these stories!

[@mstsp9546]

It was a beautiful house. I have lived close to the textile mills set on the Merrimack River, they are really beautiful, but their history is similar to the story. Some of the windows are even painted black. Eventually, laws were put in place, such as Worker's Comp. Interesting story and a part of American history.

[@conneaness]

That was an interesting 🤨 story. Thanks you for sharing your report. ☮️

[@honestmom1958]

Thank you for the sharing the history of this beautiful house. How compassionate, though, when children' mandatory hours were cut from 56 hours to 54 hours a week.😢

[@StamperWendy]

Crazy! We have a town in Massachusetts called Ayer, good grief, now I know why. Thanks, Ken!

[@heatherjones6647]

Should be shown to every US lawmaker rolling back child labour laws in the current state sessions. For shame.

[@rosezingleman5007]

Also to those whose EVs rely on forced child labor in Africa mining for cobalt etc for the ridiculous disposable batteries.

[@kgreene460]

I was just about to comment the exact same thing, thank you for saying it for me. The fact is, illegal use of child labor is on the rise in the U.S. and a large percentage of them are in extremely dangerous agricultural sectors working with heavy equipment in farming and meat processing.

[@kenj.8897]

They are too concerned with Trump derangement syndrome . That all the left possess

[@rosezingleman5007]

@@kgreene460Yes, it’s estimated that 60% or more of the children crossing the southern border will be trafficked for labor of one sort or another-but most typically the kind of work which makes easy abortions very necessary. We are naive if we think this is unusual. What went on in the mills of Mass looks like a convent school by comparison.

[@carolynnixon7095]

Seeing this would only encourage those lawmakers who want to go back to the 'good old days'.

[@drwindsurf]

I love seeing these beautiful houses and hearing your stories that accompany them. I would like to hear more stories like this one that discusses the true cost of these homes.

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

Ghastly story. It is not unlike the story of King Leopold who grew fabulously rich from the Belgian Congo. Thank you for the video. Tragic story.

[@johnmiller8975]

I went to university in the American south during the early '80s. many of my friends had worked in the mills as children (12-14), which means of course that the child labor laws were being circumvented as late as the mid '70s

[@ladyhonor822]

It's an architectural icon❤🎉🎉🎉 You couldn't pay me to live there, I'm just HAPPY. RIP Angels AMEN 🙏. Philadelphia USA 🇺🇲☦️🙏😇❤️

[@ladyhonor822]

RN CCRN THAT'S ALL

[@ropeburnsrussell]

Hard to believe that happened in the 20th century, in Massachusetts no less.

[@kareemsmith1632]

This hits close to home. My dad and his siblings were raised in the city pant town of Woodward, Alabama. I’m sure the Woodward family that owned the company and town had some palatial situation while the works toiled away.

[@jennyjatkola7094]

It's amazing how much you can learn about history & architecture in 6½ min. Thanks for all the research & an interesting topic.

[@kays749]

I always mourn the destruction of historical buildings no matter who built them.

[@Automedon2]

At the beginning, I thought you might be talking about Holyoke Mass. They used a lot of workers from Ireland and Quebec, Canada. Many of the old mill buildings are still standing - empty now, of course.

[@ginibauer2088]

Thank you Ken. I love your videos & the history lesson with them. Keep up the good work my friend!!!😊

[@susiefairfield7218]

UVEXME 🎈🍰 Happy Birthday So glad you're apart of the This House Family ❤

[@edwardzarnowski5558]

Same thing happened in the coal mines in Northeast Pa

[@firecracker3911]

Infuriating! Thanks for sharing, even though hard to accept.

[@kissmet4154]

Thank you for this, my parents are from Lawrence and I grew up in Methuen (1 town over). I thought I recognized the clock tower. I did not know the story of Mr Ayer

[@PeterCombs]

As an aside, You should have mentioned Ayer's daughter married General Patton.

[@111Phoenix777]

Very interesting story, and history lesson. I do love these old homes/mansions, but those were definitely different times. Hard to imagine someone having the artistic aesthetic to appreciate fine architecture and landscaping being such a horrible person, and caring so little about his or her fellow men and women, but I'm sure that was the norm back then.

[@monkeygraborange]

Don’t kid yourself, that’s still the norm today.

[@johnmiller8975]

Not so different and don't think it's confined to "overseas" either. Ever wonder where all those migrant kids disappeared to on the border during the Trump administration? THOUSANDS "lost".

[@barbaracarpenter1260]

It's the norm today sadly

[@edgarsnake2857]

Most of the world's great fortunes were developed through exploitation of workers. Not all, but most. I hadn't heard about the Ayers, yet company towns, unsafe work places, child labor, low wages, brutal working hours, etc., etc, were and are cornerstones for building extreme wealth. Thanks for another fascinating video.

[@anncrow3340]

I really enjoy your videos, you've got such a great voice! Thanks

[@janetmaurer2888]

LOVE your channel! I subscribe to alot of channels but yours is one, of the very few, that I also hit the notification button. I loved this video. You very tactfully exposed greed while being respectful to the victim workers.

[@chesterthawkins7510]

A grand house but his employees had to work under appalling conditions.

[@tresalamb-5906]

Children began working as soon as they were big enough. Families were desperately poor & needed all income possible. Wages were terrible then. Owners took advantage of desperate people.

[@paco7992]

Does this town still exist? Is the company still in business in that town? Good episode. All these industrialists have some shady pasts, but it's not the mansions' fault. I'd still happily live there!

[@becky4728]

Exactly! Not the house’s fault. That includes murder.

[@lawrenceflynn2447]

Thank you Ken…great video ❤

[@anthonypopola5773]

Interesting story Ken, one small point, Calvert Vaux died in 1895 and Frederick Law Olmsted passed away in 1903…. Keep up the good work!

[@ThisHouse]

I can’t believe I didn’t catch that. I just reread through a portion of my source material and double checked the site plan. It appears the landscape was designed by the duo for the prior mansion which was torn down to build Avalon. My apologies for the oversight. I will submit a correction to the video. Cheers, Ken

[@claudiamann7111]

Thanks so much for another interesting video. What a shame that it was torn down.

[@rickyt3961]

so sad… thanks for sharing

[@arthurthompson8676]

I knew this house well, and was lucky enough to crawl over it. It was quite a place!!

[@FirstLast-dy4gt]

I’ve been looking for someone who knew about it… can you give us details about its history to you? I can’t seem to find a single recentish photo

[@katb.6132]

I live right next to Lawrence. This was fascinating.

[@Justice4547]

They’ve always used children to pass laws. Most of those kids went to work with their mothers, which was allowed in those days. They might’ve helped their mothers some but it wasn’t their job. Kids played together while the moms worked. I wanted to work to make money when I was 14. Children shouldn’t be forced to work or have to work long hours but a little work never hurt anybody.

[@StevenTorrey]

While the owners were becoming millionaires , the workers were making $7/week (or less) or $364/year.

[@UncaDave]

Maybe now they are shoveling coal into the devil’s furnaces. Amazing how so many industrialists of this time had no feeling at all for their workers especially in the coal industry too.

[@cmjGemara]

I feel this is the world we live in

[@VideoDotGoogleDotCom]

This _really_ reminds me of the film The Haunting (1999, starring Lili Taylor, Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Owen Wilson), which itself is loosely based on the 1959 novel Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. In the film, there is a huge mansion that had been built for a textile mogul that abused children in his factories. He had also burnt some of the children in his large fireplace - not sure if the same applies to the Avalon Mansion... Thank you for another interesting video. It's too bad the mansion was torn down, regardless of its history. They don't make 'em like that anymore. BTW, subscribed now. I thought I already had, but apparently not.

[@missunderstood8028]

I'm born in 1972 and remember my grandparents still having hard feelings about the wool company.

[@pauldc1066]

Important history...thank you

[@maizie9454]

you can make the argument that a great part of the industrial revolution was built on the backs of children. Andrew Carnegie started as a bobbin boy, when he was just a boy. as to the house, it's gorgeous.

[@Imlookingover007]

Short but gripping

[@stpat7614]

Those who work in the factories should own the factories.

[@katgrey6239]

Very interesting 👌

[@cjmiller2037]

It's still happening in China at Nike, and many Companies owned by American million/billionaires, sport "stars", etc. Sickening.

[@janedee6488]

Horrible treatment of the kids. Glad they tore it down.

[@DowntownChris]

Good riddance is right. Despicable people. As beautiful as it was I would have liked to have been there as the wrecking ball swung.

[@cjmiller2037]

56 to 54, oh how nice of them.

[@suetaitporcaro2481]

the mills were in my hometown of Lawrence, Massachusetts....but where was the Avalon Mansion?

[@lordnelson2.069]

Sounds like mining for EV batteries today

[@365kps2]

Crazy how so many old mansions are torn down for new subdivisions. History gone. Sad for awful conditions. 6:35

[@SeanSalas]

Does anyone know where exactly this building was at in prides crossing? Seems like a very upscale neighborhood

[@jeanberard2078]

Glad is turned into a neighborhood.

[@MB-nn3jw]

As much as I like these old houses, and wish more could have been preserved, in this instance, perhaps it is fitting it was demolished to make way for a residential estate. Allowing more people to live in their own homes. Good video, nonetheless.

[@kbrown5218]

Times were horrible back then. The money made to show off is a sin. Big cities with industry used children in various trades. And a lot of them were Irish. Today's federal govmint is doing it again but this time from unaccompanied minors who are crossing the border. Who's making money off those children? Mansions like this needed to be torn down as they represented greed.

[@esteban1487]

Again, the first rule: Be born into a wealthy family.

[@suzstokes5382]

How tragic. I am angered!

[@michaelwalter3399]

This is why we had unions to defend workers' rights. Unfortunately, we now have free trade policies, which allow manufacturers to send jobs to Third- and Fourth World countries, where these conditions persist to this day.

[@lkmsl]

Ah the good old days ! When work ethics were enforced !

[@monkeygraborange]

Massachusetts has always turned a blind eye to working people as long as there’s a profit to be made.

[@arslongavitabrevis5136]

It is not Massachusetts only; let's be realistic, is the whole world because greed is part of human nature. In some eras and some countries things were/are worse than in others.

[@hewitc]

Nothing unusual about Massachusetts. Slavery in the south was far worse.

[@elizabethmcglothlin5406]

Dear heavens!

[@nafisahg.6509]

Did he say the “house” was torn down and an entire neighborhood fit in its footprint???

[@SMtWalkerS]

Wow, terrible! This story is repeated over and over. I recall visiting a place in Montana, where a mining company flat-our murdered a large group of striking miners. I appreciate your history lessons; fascinating..

[@janbentzen6814]

Here l thought it had something to do with Catalina Island where there town of Avalon is.

[@danieldumas7361]

And, thank's to the Republican Party, this hiring practice will be renewed! MAGA

[@ABerCul]

Big ben is the name of the biggest bell in the clock tower not the name of the clock tower. Name is The Elizabeth Tower.

[@whereswaldo5740]

Returning I’m afraid.

[@joshuamontgomery4992]

They supplied uniforms for the military I believe it was up to or they the Korean war. Guy started Svalbard coal company in Norway. When Michigan got the U.P. he dredged a canal and got a crap load of land, they started the Huron mountain club. They still have companies up here in upper Michigan. His partner was John Munro longyear, that guy has a interesting history and house story. The Huron mountain club has lots of secrets. U.N., CIA, FBI, the guy who redesigned d.c, Manhattan project. Pretty sure but not positive that David Ayer the director and writer for fast and furious and training day is related. Channing Tatum was at the club like 8 years ago.

[@asylumlover]

ARE YOU SURE THESE WERE NOT "FORCED LABORERS"????????????? HOW COULD A THING LIKE THIS HAVE HAPPENED IN AMERICA????????????????? WHERE WERE THE PROSECUTIONS AND PRISON SENTENCES????????????????

[@doreeseglassel1057]

It's still happening here

[@skpjoecoursegold366]

the truth..........................should be known.

[@Joy-TheLazyCatLady2]

They tore it down? I'm not into spending that kind of money on crap I don't need but I respect history. The architecture is amazing. Do we really need another neighborhood? Think of all the homeless you could house in that mansion. Oh well. Everything happens for a reason, I suppose.

[@johnbernasco3772]

Checkered floor

[@awofstlkr8500]

Greed begets greed!

[@RickNelsonMn]

I'm not a fan of developers owing to massive gentrification and greedy rent increases. There's not enough quality housing for the near poor, let alone the poor! Losing that mansion as a historical landmark is part of that gentrification. Keeping it as a museum isn't thought highly of anymore, which again shares the mindset of powerful developers, who are an upper class of their own. Now too often including massive foreign investment or even control by proxy.

[@andrewyoung2796]

Did the mayor end up in prison?

[@jws1948ja]

I hope there is a hell for that family.

[@YALPE]

4:47 full time from 56 to 54 hrs a week 😫😫😫😫😫😫😫

[@jrgnc1]

Greedy rich treating labourers like slaves.

[@cjhoward409]

14-18 year olds are not children. Up until 50 years ago or so, kids always worked. My grandparents both went to work at age 9 to help support their families. We need a little of this now. “Kids” today (teens) are too soft and lazy and expect everything handed to them on a silver platter. I’m 57… I was babysitting at age 11 and working fast food at age 16. No biggie.

[@andyross4856]

What horrible people

[@petersimms4982]

He did look a bit loopy though 🤪

[@jamesslick4790]

The opposite of George Westinghouse in every way.

[@michellel564]

The American woolen company I hope is gone. ??

[@jillatherton4660]

👍

[@kenj.8897]

14 isn't too young to work

[@StevenTorrey]

Not at a job that could get the child killed or maimed for life.

[@joshuamontgomery4992]

Volunteered habitat for humanity 40 hours a week during summer I was 12 & 13, first job I was 14 building houses for a construction company. $4.75 hour. Must been 1997

[@StevenTorrey]

@@joshuamontgomery4992 Read the part again for the first time about a child being killed or maimed for life!

[@hewitc]

56 hour week means no school. Or anything else.

[@MDavidG1]

First!

[@michaelplunkett8059]

Too much Lawrence, not enough house.