What Happened to Daniel Wesson's Gilded Age Mansion?

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Smith and Wesson has been a staple of American Culture for over a century, but how much do you know about the man who pioneered the industry?
Location: Springfield, Massachusetts
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Music from: Epidemic Sound
Photos from: tm01001, Ron Groleau

[@kellingtonlink956]

I love discovering the history of these significantly influential American industrialists… through your videos. Thanks.

[@jamesparciak5387]

Oh. Ken. I can't believe your showing this house it was just down the street from me, makes me said it's gone. It was one of the grand houses of America. I have 1883 Victorian with 23 rooms. I LOVE old houses THANK YOU for showing this I hope your doing well.

[@patriciamason9884]

I bet your home is beautiful too! Victorian homes are my favorite.

[@patk1254]

Oh, Lucky You ! We are looking to buy, and that would be the dream…….but we could not handle the taxes I’m sure, not to mention paying the help.lol.

[@christopherkraft1327]

It's sad that another opulent mansion was destroyed. Sadly, these huge homes were so expensive to maintain that few could afford them. Thanks for sharing another interesting video!!! 👍👍🙂

[@jerrys9226]

A friend of mine who lived in Springfield was able to get the finials that adorned the the roof. I believe he belonged to that club. He told me that it was an exquisite place and it was such a shame when it was demolished.

[@roncross1945]

Your comment, “nothing lasts forever “ is soo true. Would that we all should consider this fact each day. Thank you for such an insightful series of videos. They are so much more than history.

[@michaelplunkett8059]

But such craftsmanship is irreplaceable.

[@ganymededarling]

Wow the building that now stands in its place is so depressing compared to this beauty. What a sad loss.

[@jamesslick4790]

True. It's just a box. Like almost everything else built today. Then again, a hospice IS depressing and by nature HAS to deal with sad losses.

[@rosalalie6417]

The mansion was gorgeous! What a shame that it went on fire. Thank you for sharing this amazing home with us

[@anthonycalbillo9376]

It is a nice house, but I heard elsewhere that these beautiful homes were just too big to maintain. It is nice to have seen this video.

[@suet.r.4815]

Its a literal castle and all castles take very much wealth and lots of hired help to maintain.

[@JJ-vy2rh]

Others like Henry clay frick put money aside for upkeep

[@sherriianiro747]

Many of them are around today because of smart people that manage them.

[@JJ-vy2rh]

@@sherriianiro747 not that many are around

[@sherriianiro747]

@@JJ-vy2rh Fortunately there are more being saved now than there were back then is what I meant.

[@sharksport01]

I immediately thought Wow! The man who invented Wesson oil got rich!

[@jenniferk7953]

Lol. Same

[@Donald_Shaw]

Fantastic story and fascinating house. Thank you Ken for highlighting 'This House'.

[@marthav2772]

Oh it was gorgeous! What a shame its gone.

[@patricialevenson2912]

Great video. Wesson also had a home in Northborough Massachusetts about a 1 hour drive east of Springfield. It was called White Cliffs and was a restaurant and venue for years before closing. It is still standing but in some disrepair as the town figures out what to do with it.

[@pmn2821]

So sad to have lost another one.

[@jamesslick4790]

I have two Smith and Wesson revolvers. One that I bought new in the 1980s, A Model 13, and my grandfather's duty weapon (He was a cop from the 1930s until the 1970s) a Model 10. My choice of the Model 13 was a DIRECT result of his Model 10. He taught me to shoot with the "10", The "13" is the SAME but is in .357 S&W Magnum whereas the "10" is .38 S&W Special. (The "13" can fire both.) An upgrade with no "learning curve", LOL. My grandfather's gun "shows it's age" (he got it in the late 1950s) with tons of holster wear, But the bore is immaculate. and the action feels as smooth as new! A good example of a weapon that was carried a lot, but never "used". In his almost 40-year career he had to draw many times, but never had to shoot! (Except at the range, naturally) Cops today have it worse and they need way more than six rounds. S&W still makes fine firearms (Not "just" revolvers, But I love my "wheelguns"). A great American success story! My grandfather always said you can count on TWO things: a Smith & Wesson and a Zippo! LOL.

[@rutheliz75]

Beautifully proportioned exterior and a unique offset stair case in the main hall. Thanks for posting.

[@jared1870]

Sad that a fire destroyed that beautiful house. I suppose that makes it's demise easier to handle than to have had greedy developers buy it and tear it down.

[@paco7992]

Or just watching it rot and collapse in on itself as these types of structures are doing all over America.

[@eriksebelius6381]

This is none of the more visually pleasing gilded age mansions I’ve seen.

[@TJTHEFOOTBALLPROPHET]

I love this channel so much! I think it is the best channel on KZbin! It's done with so much excellence so much history, so much thoughtfulness. When you take on the African American topics it's done with so much respect and class that I fall in love with every video. Thank you guys for all of your hard work and when you come to New Orleans I got some gumbo for you. ❤️

[@sherriianiro747]

Interesting it seems like so many of these grand estates are lost by fire, Rockefellers in Cleveland included. Makes you wonder with no expense spared why it's pretty common compared to the mainstream century homes.

[@davinahunt5084]

This house is absolutely stunning!

[@janedee6488]

What a loss.😢

[@ticker1ch]

Truly among the more comfortable efforts of the era. What a gem! 😎

[@silencedogood5766]

Great video thank you I love smith and Wesson. So sad this mansion was lost!

[@nancymcgee4776]

Gosh, about makes you sick to think a home that exquisite, just poof, went up in flames! Would e neat to know where the peices/parts that survived, are today!

[@Matityahu755]

Thanks Ken for another fantastic video.

[@ML-xi2rt]

Excellent as always!

[@The_Smith]

Any idea where that wrought iron gate and fence ended up? It was beautiful.

[@LJB103]

This looks like it must have been spectacular. Wesson's summer house in Northborough, MA (White Cliffs - with some modifications from when it was a restaurant) is still standing and up for sale. The home he built for his daughter in Worcester, MA (Bull mansion) is still standing and is also a restaurant. Excellent video. There's another mansion of an arms manufacturer near by: Samuel Colt's Armsmear in Hartford, CT; but I'm not sure if there are any interior photos from the Colt period.

[@garywait3231]

Yes, the Colt mansion (Armsmere) in Hartford, Conn. still exists, and is in excellent condition. It has been subdivided into apartments for "pious women of limited means", as provided for in Mrs. Colt's will. One may visit the public rooms by appointment; and on two occasions I have had, as archivist for one branch of Colt descendants, the privilege of ascending the building's observation tower. Interior photographs of the house during Mrs. Colt's residence -- she survived her husband (1862) and lived in the mansion until her death in 1905 -- do exist. Subsequent to Mrs. Colt's death, some changes were made in the exterior of the house; but most of its features survive to this day. I think the house would make an excellent subject for a This House episode. Hartford also is home to the Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe houses, both of which are open to visitors as museums.

[@LJB103]

@@garywait3231 While I've been to the Stowe and Twain homes (which would also make a good video for this series), I've only seen Armsmear from the outside. Thank you for your information.

[@garywait3231]

@@LJB103 : You're most welcome.

[@georgensal]

WOW, I feel like crying knowing that all that magnificent woodwork was lost to fire!!!

[@davidbrims5825]

A French inspired chateau to be replaced by a concrete glass box, just great !

[@albertmyers7176]

Your vids are great. thank you

[@jeanfranklin7918]

Gorgeous home. What a shame for end. Do people, today, build homes of this grandeur??? Thanks Ken.

[@davidbrims5825]

Just looked up Bruce Price and he designed the landmark hotel chateau Frontenac in Quebec.

[@jimwiskus8862]

Amazing home! So sad it fell to the wrecking ball because of a fire. Something that could’ve been totally avoid.

[@patriciamason9884]

Such a beautiful old home. What a shame it got destroyed.

[@mrs.g.9816]

It was like a whole 'nother world when the old building and all the green space around it was there. The picture of what replaced it is so sterile and harsh.

[@jamesd755]

Loving this channel 🖤

[@rjr1227]

Sad....this was a stunning house

[@kristopherhunter105]

Can you do a story on the Greenwich mansion that was in Savannah, GA?

[@mrknoch]

😢 So many of America's palaces are no more.

[@margaretrodham6815]

What a sad ending to this beautiful house.

[@jamesparciak5387]

Hi. Ken Maybe you would be interested there is a large 1884 Victorian mansion here in my neighborhood I'm friends with the owner it ones was owned a very long time ago by the Gill family who owned the Peerless handcuff co. It's very beautiful they have many old pictures. If your interested let me know I could give you there contact information. Thank you for another great presentation.

[@veldasorrentino4216]

Such a shame to see these huge historic places lost in history 😢

[@jasoncasey6667]

He was millionaire and his kids couldn’t maintain the House? What a waste

[@andrewbrendan1579]

A tragic architectural and artistic loss but the important thing is that no lives were lost in the fire. Compared to a human life the house isn't that important. Interesting to learn about the Smith & Weson .38. I own one!

[@lindavirgilio4225]

Very sad that it is gone.

[@jacquelynkerrigan5218]

Thanks!

[@ThisHouse]

Thank you so much for the support! Cheers! -Ken

[@StamperWendy]

I live in Mass and I've been to Springfield but didn't know S&W were from Mass! Too bad the house had such a sad fate. I think basketball was invented in Springfield bcz the basketball hall of fame is there.

[@annelefevre9457]

What a shame. I can tell you our world isn’t near as pretty w/ the modern day buildings of today. Nothing like those old homes, even though they were crazy w/ their embellishments and excess! It seems like most of the time something bad always happened to them!

[@lestersloan2758]

Really wish you would do an episode about the Whitney mansion here in Detroit 😍🤩

[@rickwilliamson1417]

Tragic end to a mansion it looked beautiful

[@tonysinvention44]

The Gun in some ways can be described as a form of "Fire Power" so its not surprising that the house came to its end in a blaze of "Fire Power" aided by the Power of Nature which made it so cold no one could put the flames out!

[@lisariggs8947]

It's a sad end to a beautiful work of art and detail, but still here today, gone tomorrow, may not be as sad as slowly rotting away,?

[@lawrenceflynn2447]

Thanks Ken…..too bad the house did not survive but excellent video! ❤

[@paco7992]

Yeah, that nurses building... great story and I think it speaks volumes about our society that we could not build this structure today, at any price. The skilled labor and Artistic vision simply no longer exists. Even when you see modern buildings built with "no budget" you still end up with a structure that looks like the ugly cousin to this grand lady. So sad we have let things degrade to this.

[@richardboyle3366]

I asked my father who was fire chief of Spld. Mas. 1958 to 1970 what was the hardest fire he fought .He replied the Colony club that was originally Daniel B. wesson's!!!

[@maerten9517]

What I think about the video is I am glad you make them, and they are great. But I find it (them) extremely depressing that they all seem to get destroyed. Any happy stories?

[@aaron___6014]

What a sad ending. Hopefully the Powerball winner buys one of these old failing masterpieces or supports the channel 😉

[@CW0123]

You gonna do more home tours?

[@megfuchs9425]

Sad story all the way around! What a shame! What a boring, modern office building that took the house's place. Should be illegal! It just goes to show though, that all these things that we own, can literally be gone in the blink of an eye.

[@JimmyCall]

A recent horror movie was made on the family house. The story is propaganda of sought.

[@sharksport01]

Was that the Remington house?

[@JimmyCall]

@@sharksport01 arr maybe my mistake.

[@sandysimmer1279]

They were both born in 1825 and both died in 1996. Wow!

[@lizlittle1641]

It's really beautiful but why would anyone need all that. I don't think it's necessary.

[@seb7dagreat]

Wow. Just astonishing. Sad how a boring building is now in its place

[@paulbrunelle1444]

Very sad of the fire and the inability to save the home due to the cold weather. The new building is of such a poor design.

[@francymurphy2887]

What a sad end

[@judithcatlett8518]

Sad ending.

[@jamesparciak5387]

Hi Ken I sent you that message about my neighbors house I didn't hear back from you are you interested? It's is Springfield Mass.

[@leahtv7778]

That office building is really bad.

[@richardflores4560]

What a shame

[@portaltwo]

Every time with one of these videos I think, "It probably burned down", I turn out to be correct. Sadly.

[@lanaj1107]

Just to look at that ugly building that replaced it makes me irrationally angry. I could do better, and I'm not an architect.

[@jeannetruitt7176]

Look there's chicken

[@xxzcfdxc]

It looks cursed

[@t.j.m3987]

For all the people killed with those guns

[@garywait3231]

A house as ugly as its owner's product. Sorry: I love your posts, but frankly some of these grand houses make the Addams Family mansion look downright comfortable and friendly by comparison. 🤫🙄🤔😉