I Bought an Abandoned Victorian Mansion! House Tour Time.
2020 ж. 6 Жел.
3 891 874 Рет қаралды
Heres a house tour of my beautiful abandoned Victorian mansion. Built in 1889 this 3 story Second Empire will after restoration be my forever home. With so many original details this house deserves to be preserved. I can't wait to make this my period correct Victorian home!!
#victorian #abandoned #mansion #tour
P.O. Box
The 2nd Empire Strikes Back
PO Box 2601
St Louis, MO 63116
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do houses like these come with ghosts?
no, those cost extra.
Nope. There’s no such thing as ghosts.
@@Carman-bx2lo Uh yeah, yeah there are.
Ohhh 🍯 ghost are sitting right next to you they mean no harm they're probably your relatives. They will give you signs if you simply ask
Yeah! Chippie the squirrel! 🐿🐿🐿
The ghosts can’t wait for you to finish renovating the place
😂😂
@@nataliemesbah1639 it’s inevitable 😂
@@nataliemesbah1639 that’s how it starts...
What’s with you Americans and ghosts?? Anything older than like 100 years and all I ever see you guys saying is “ghosts”
@@tiko4621 look up the cure homes in new york those are cess pools of ghosts some places over 200+ ppl died in those homes
This house just hit the lottery - a new owner who loves it and wants to bring it back!
Absolutely right.
You mean the junkies hit the lottery after they strip the place out again.
@@eroesslr98 Ultimately this is what is known as gentrification - the junkies win only if the neighborhood decides the junkies are more worthy of protection than the housing stock. As soon as policing steps up for theft the junkies will flee to easier pastures
I just love it when someone appreciates the old beauty of a historic house & wants it restored. It’s truly a labor of 💗
Cindy Bogart I agree with you, you can see the beauty of this house, the right people have bought it, and when they finch this labor off love they will love it even more, I hope other people will follow suit and do the same thing with other house’s in that area. Good luck to these young people.
This is absolutely epic! I love seeing houses that aren’t straight up boxes lol, so cool to see “older” architecture like this, absolutely beautiful.
I agree..
Epic really? No it’s a old house that wood be a nightmare to cool in the summer and extremely expensive to heat in the winter. The foundation and basement were always a problem. Water,damp,musty. Think about all the asbestos in this house and lead base paint. Extremely expensive to remove and fix.
In my city they keep gentrifying everythingggg. All the unique houses with history, culture and detail are being demolished to build “plastic town” (what i like to call it) and those ugly, boxy, plastic things won’t last 20 years, let alone 20 decades. Its really really sad! So yes, happy to see people buy and appreciate the real, sturdy, historical homes with a passion to fix em up, rather than sell them to a shady developer.
@@maxssister1985 which architecture is that?
@@codyflowers8758 Depends on the insulation of the house - those radiators are probably pretty strong as are old fireplaces (they put out a lot of heat!). The transoms above the doors is to allow for cross-ventilation of air. I grew up in an old house that didn't have AC until the 1990s. People just closed shades in the day and opened the windows at night plus a monster attic fan that pulls hot air up and out of the house, which would work really well with the open staircase.
I love how you’re restoring the house back to its original Victorian design. It would be nice if you could eventually do another tour of the furnished Victorian interior!
Hey guys. Love this restoration program!
There's a difference between restoring an architecturally designed antique home and restoring a home to appear as restored. I'm pretty sure that this guy appreciates the way things were built correlating to how they look, work, and feel as a home for a lifetime.
@@faetura1 restoring a home to make it appear…..as restored. 🤔
The ghost in the corner watching you decorate: “that shade of grey is sooooooo 1821”
Mm
Stop XD
@WGTOW not sure what your implying lmao
Hehe
LOL
I'm always so sad when people buy old Victorian-era houses and then just turn the inside that is so full of history and memories into modern mess. I'm happy that you're going to restore the house to it's former glory, and keep it as it was originally, as it's a piece of history to be preserved
Yesssssss I feel this all the time like WHY ARE YOU RIPPING VINTAGE SINKS AND DOORS OUT WHAT THE HELLLLL
If you haven’t heard of her, Farmhouse Vernacular is a really cool channel. She’s a stickler for original restoration and does an amazing job with it.
Same, honestly I feel like there should be a law or something in place
I prefer to buy them and then tear them down to the ground and build something nice instead ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@@jeff-ramos lol and to set those ghosts free. (Shame on you though)
the way it should be....I get physically sick when I see these beautiful structures being demolished to make space for crappy apartment blocks....on the other hand I love seeing people with integrity and a real appreciation for all things old bring these houses back to life...nursing them back to health if you will....this is something I'd love to do....
It’s so good to see a younger generation have the love n desire to keep history alive. You found yourself a awesome house n it’s absolutely gorgeous. I’m so glad to see that they didn’t paint all that ornate wood n doors. I’m so thrilled that you want to put as much as you can to the original house. It’s going be a beautiful home to live in. This my first time seeing your video n you found yourself a follower. I’m definitely excited for you n can’t wait to see more. ♥️♥️😊👍👍
Please subscribe. I upload a new update view every week.
Yes its perfect
Spoiled brats with rich parents lolb
They don't make houses like that anymore. The craftsmanship is so beautiful.
Thanks God! Other wise you couldn't by a house today
@@laz5590 only boring boxes nowadays! Yayyy
They also don't make them to last anywhere near as long as most of this house has too, sadly.
They fortunately do make them to last in my country:) and preserve the ones already here.
Weird dome in the basement Is part of a bird bath I have a few of them myself.
The fancy room in the maid's section would have been the children's room. That is why it's fancy and since the maid or nanny would have watch of the kids makes sense. The nook you have in the master bedroom would have been the sewing area/craft area for the wife. Hope that helps. I lived in a 1800's Victorian home for 26 years, it was a family home of my ex-husbands family. His great grandparents home, than his grandparents home and then his and mine. He still owns it and it still has all original wallpaper in it. Enjoy your new home.
interesting details on use of space - thank you.
That’s so lovely. Really nice your family were not slaves so you can have memories like this.
@@shellyt4095 really gotta go there. play nice.
@@shellyt4095 My father's family were Ojibwa (Native American). Also the house I was speaking of belongs to my ex and not mine. I have not lived there since the divorce.
@@shellyt4095 What in the name of God does this video have to do with that? This man found an old dilapidated house that nobody wanted and probably got it cheap because it was in a sad state of repairs. He is going to make it his forever home. What's stopping you?
Hi, I’m from the uk and have worked on plenty of Victorian and Georgian homes. In my experience the servants quarters were always at the top of the house which makes sense in your home as the cadre lined closet would have been the linen store for the entire house so the servants could change bedding and air freshly washed clothes etc before restocking the owners closets etc. the room you called the maids room looks more like a nursery to me. Big enough for a crib and a sleep in nanny. It’s right next to the bathroom which is normal for a nursery plus it’s not as ornate as the two main bedrooms. I hope this helps.
You are correct on all. We are in New England and have been in many homes like this and agree on the linen closet area and the nursery if there were live-in servants they would have lived in on third floor in a “walk-up”. Many people in their economic demographic would have had a cook and one to two domestics who would have had very long hours but did not necessarily live in.
I don’t have a victorian, I have a pre-civil war colonial that’s been “updated” 😒 and we are trying to add back character. We bought it and they told us it was built in 1914. Then we started repairing things and as we opened walls over electrical concerns we were super confused that our home had no nails in it which makes it super difficult to find studs sometimes. Not even the old square head type. It was built using mortise and tenon. It had 4 layers of exterior siding, the oldest siding was hand hewn timber. So I started digging and my towns oldest map was 1863 and my house was on it! So it was built some time before 1863. The foundation beams are all hand hewn as well. With more current beams (1970’s if you figure whoever signed the basement cement 74’ did the beams too) along side them to support them in some areas. I wish I had all this character in my home. I love my home, don’t get me wrong. But doing stuff to old homes is NOT cheap or for the feint of heart. I salute you sir!
all of these houses are much older then they told you 😉
When I see old houses like this, I just imagined the old generation people who use to live in that house like a flashblack. I can't explain but it's magical for me rather than scary. I can't wait to see this beautiful house once the renovation is over! ❤
Same. I have those flashbacks too!!
Same. I get so nostalgic thinking about how they lived in these houses...🥰
@@tasnimtrisha2 yaaa imagine those happy memories they had in this house!
I'll try slip you a penny thru the door
I know right? It's just so fascinating!
FYI. A veterinarian surgeon and his family lived there in 1940. His name was Joseph T Jennmann born in 1875. His wife was Elizabeth and two daughters Marjorie (born 1908) and Celeste (1910). I work on genealogy for fun and thought I’d pass this your way. When the Brown family lived there in 1900 their servant was a 21 year old named Katie Hemminhaus. The Brown family in 1900 was Charles (age 47) wife Sadie (age 44), Lillie, (age 18), Charles junior (17) and Alfred (age 13).
The Family bought the house in 1915. his 2 daughters never had children and sold the house in 1965. makes it harder to find interior/ family photos because there are so many dead ends from the first 2 families. Charles S. Brown's Daughter Lillian is my only hope as she had children who survived and procreated. waiting for the 1950 census to be released next year to explore further. A History video is in the works and good digging!
@@The2ndEmpireStrikesBack amazing! I’m working on their tree and I’ll forward anything interesting I find along my way.
This comment should be pinned to the top :)
@@The2ndEmpireStrikesBack So are you gonna do some renovating? I really would love to see how great it would look if tons of remodeling was done.
@@calvinhouston5015 restoration, yes - remodeling, no
Imagine the world we could have lived in were there only more guys like this
I feel like the room near the maid's room was probably a nursery. Close to the help, but made with the fancier details.
This was my thought as well.
Ding, ding, ding, ding!
There's nothing more disgusting than these homes being destroyed and people that make them modern; it should be a crime. This home is so beautiful
Its appalling that they tear down something so beautiful to replace it with something boxey and modern. Its like they are jealous that the previous era had craftsmanship and skills and are jealous cause they lack such skills. Just like New York, its truly disgusting the shit they tear down like Penn Station.
@@shorty332 couldn't agree more. It's just sickening
SICK HUH?
@@Stolzilla I hear you. Yes, it's better to save the home. However, you can still keep in the period without making it too modern. For example, my home was built under 1929. There was some remodeling done to make it more modern and it doesn't fit the house. They used slate on the fireplace and other tiles in the bathroom and kitchen that didn't fit in. I redid the bathroom, kitchen and fireplace and made it look more period. For example, I bought an old mantel and used marble on then fireplace and then used marble and subway tile in the kitchen and bathroom.
@@RosettaStoned462 The lack of modern comfort is why people bought new homes in the suburbs and left these communities behind in the first place. What's more likely to be kept over many more decades? A house that serves our lives today, or a cold & dank hot & humid museum piece? I'm not saying strip it out and furnish it from IKEA, but people willing to commit to something like this generally care in the firs place.
This is the side of KZhead that I live for
I so agree with your comments. Others have commented it’s so wonderful that you are reviving and putting back the soul into the house and not dear I say that dirty word - making it into flats. I applaud you 👏👏👏🇬🇧
Yes. I agree. So many old homes have been broken into flats merely for their owners to become landlords and make money. Unfortunately, it takes money in order to make money. Many old homes are abandoned and Old Man Time declares a long withering war inside and out. It amazes me every time I see fireplaces, newell posts and woodwork literally ripped from walls and staircases, but it is what it is. I pray we are kept up to date on this old Missouri relic. I will be watching. Take care.☯️
All the woodwork, tiles, huge fireplaces,and high ceilings are amazing in this house! So glad to see people who appreciate great woodwork and history and don't just want white, modern everything.
I enjoyed the video, how are you I do hope you’re safe from the virus?
I just love that there are young folks understanding the need to restore these old wonderful homes. Bless them all!
The homes really are wonderful aren't they ma'am
So glad this old Victorian Lady found someone that is going to bring her back to life. It is going to be a ton of work, but in the end, she will shine again. It is a shame that across the country we have not done a better job in saving our architectural heritage and that we have lost and destroyed some many of these beautiful old houses. We will never see this kind of craftsmanship or design again. Thank you so very much for saving this beautiful example of what America was at one time.
Hear!Hear!
I agree with the sentiment, but still the video’s clickbait title makes me wary. It’s neither Victorian nor a mansion.
@@hopegold883 I agree it is not a mansion in today’s standards, but in the time it was built it would have been a mansion.
@@hopegold883 Not Victorian??? On what do you bas your assessment?? The Victorian era was 1840 to 1900 or so, and this house definitely fits into that time frame. Mansard roofs were also very typical of that time. That house looks to me to date from the 1870s decade. To modern eyes, it is a mansion. We don't see this kind of opulence any more. I will grant, however, that it doesn't seem to have any land to speak of, and definitely grander houses were built. Be it as it may, it's mansion-y enough to my taste.
@@christinelavoie2644 Mansion🤗 Then and Now! Year built, style, etc. Opulence, yes, then and if it were in ,"just built" condition today who could afford all that craftsmanship (woodwork, tiles etc) today. Northeast they were built so close "you could fill your neighbors coffee cup, while he reads your morning paper." Or when plumbing arrived "pass you TP" many made their $ in fishing industry or import/export and the wives and families didnt want vast acreage during cold New England winters while husband's were away. Much easier to build mansions up to show off your finery then deal with feet of snow, servants just to cut trees, haul it back, keep fireplaces lit 24/7 in multi large halls & rooms. Let alone "sleigh it" miles to town thru 5ft of snow for "afternoon tea." New England has gotten 👌 on the ball to preserve these beauties at opulent prices and within historical guidelines (yea!) I just won't be buying one in this life. An 1800's farm house with wild life & work OR a needy Queen Anne/Victorian one day maybe, but not in New England. Makes me so happy everytime I see one of these restored 💗 to its former beauty without the outhouse. Can only imagine these shingle to shingle homes on a hazy hot and no wind humid day with one to three out houses outback. TGFP-lumbing.! The virtorian I loved living in as I child had those cushioned bench glorious bay windows. Best part was the drawings I could make in the inside frosted windows with my fingernails with a roaring 🔥 in several rooms with fireplaces and oil heat. If mom was at work guaranteed we'd be collecting wood from new builds or at the owners horse/dairy farm cutting down trees to clear his land wood for him. wood for us. As a kid life couldn't get any better.
We found 1800’s clothing, bottles, post cards, letters, a wedding ring, pieces of a clock and other stuff in the ceiling of our house when we removed the falling plaster off the ceiling in the kitchen.
You find history.
I know they would put shoes under the floor boards to bring them good luck i found one under the floor boards when ripping up the attic floor.
My dad tore out some walls when renovating a part of our home and found old alcohol bottles from workers in the 1890s when it was built, a journal from someone in the 1880s, and a book given as a Christmas gift to someone in the 1880s (enscribed on the inside cover).
What city is this please ❤️
Loooooove to see that!
As the son of a civil engineer, all I can say is that I hope you're either EXTREMELY handy; or that you're sitting on around 1.2 million... because that's what you're going to need if you want to restore that house back to its original character. You're looking at A LOT of custom work, requiring skillsets that most tradesmen haven't known in decades. But I wish well... and I truly hope you make it... that could be a gorgeous home. 👍
Take your time. Remember you can always get ... This OLD HOUSE to help. They'd love to get there hands n 🔨 on it. Lol. Seriously. Doesn't hurt to ask.☮️🖖
As a son of an anarchist ........ I wouldn't do anything!!!!!The house is perfect 😜😜😜😜 I've seen fight club👻👻👻👻🤣🤣🤣🤣
As the son of an Iraq war veteren, The old saying is, "If my grandmother had wheels, she would've been a bicycle. What does one thing have to do wuth the other?
@@chrisserrific It means that through my father's experience and my interaction with his life; I have a basic understanding of construction and the costs involved. See?
They have something your dad probably never had: a monetized KZhead channel.
We need more people like you in the world. People who will restore and preserve instead of modernize and destroy our historical homes and buildings. Thank you for this!
Don’t forget to remove the hidden bodies from the walls. Lol
😆
Haha 😂
Attack on titan?
The house is hunted and now will Hunt you for the rest of your life
That is scary to imagine haha
Having grown up in a house from the Victorian era I will say: have fun hearing footsteps when you're completely alone and watching doors open themselves for no apparent reason.
Me watching this video: “maybe I’ll buy and restore a Victorian home!” Me after reading your comment: “mmhmm maybe not” 👻
@@megano6612 My house (England) is between at 250-300 years old and I've never had a scary experience - you'd be fine ; )
I've lived in several houses. 2 of the "mid-century" (1950s?) houses were... interesting. But the 1 Victorian, 2 Craftsman were fine.
I live in a huge 3 story early craftsman from 1890s and while sitting alone one night while everyone slept I heard a woman call out my name. Sister has heard music and laughter like a party going on. Pretty amazing!
Why is it always Victorian homes hauntings can happen in any home
I absolutely LOVE the fact that someone your age is so excited about this gorgeous home and you can see past the damage and dirt and appreciate the antiques and the gorgeous woodwork. Thank you for restoring it.
As a huge fan of the show Rehab Addict, and Nicole Curtis, I highly recommend watching her shows. She shows you how to do a lot of work yourself, a lot of restoration yourself, and places and ways to find the antique parts that you need, that are relatively inexpensive. That house is in phenomenal shape for its age! The woodwork is absolutely beautiful and you should have no problem finding a lot of the replacement items that you need. Your biggest biggest expenses are always electricity and plumbing. Good luck!
You've got just the right attitude towards historic houses - keeping the old fusebox and servants stairs -even though you don't need them. Perfect!
John Eastbourne ...Why wouldn't he keep the servant's stairs ??? Just higher some servants ...... I don't get it....
@@jamiemorgan4146 * hire
@@jamiemorgan4146 😂😂😂😂😂
The details in this house probably couldn’t be duplicated. The modern homes do not have style. Just four walls. No detail, no thought. Squares, angles, harsh.
Agreed. I absolutely hate the "modern" style. While some people like that kind of thing I get angered with open designs. Give me my little nooks and cozy rooms and I'm good.
I've lived in a house with doorframes like that before.
Modern movement destroyed architecture. You should look mexican modern buildings, although durable, they're so square, simple and small. Horrible.
@@soaringsky4416 YES! The "open concept" that is all the rage at present can be cheaper to build and brings an easier sale. Personally, I prefer the orderly compartmentalization of old homes! Also allows areas/rooms to be shut off to make for lower heat and AC costs.
We bought an old house (1920) and are looking at older style things as we renovate. Wanting modern convenience while keeping old character. There's actually a lot out there that looks older style. Modern houses could be built to look older if you hire someone instead of buying cookie cutter houses and look for older style molding etc. Its not a completely lost art.
Absolutely beautiful! The craftsmanship is outstanding! There is so much attention to detail - built-in shutters for the windows - genius! The tile - ah, so pretty! Everything is lovely. That sturdy home sheltered many, many people and watched them live out their lives, shared their ups and downs, their joy and tragedy. It is a noble act of kindness to bring her back to life. Thanks for doing that and thanks for sharing.
Watching this brought back so many memories of my childhood in the 1970s in Brooklyn, in friends’ houses with similar interiors, all unrenovated. We’d drop small things from the top floor down the narrow staircase space between the bannisters and have a point system: 100 points if it made it all the way down to the parlor floor, and diminishing points if it veered off onto whatever stair tread on the way down. Thanks for the memories! ❤️ -Eugenia
Me: The house is gorgeous. My brain: Are f*cking nuts. Its haunted.
Lol ghosts are not only from the Victorian period 😉
You've watched too many movies :)
Haunted that’s nothing... but the money to fix it! That is haunting!
Great then your never alone.
It’s haunted by the mummy squirrel
I am SO glad to hear you say “no white paint”! So many people buy these beautiful old gems and the first thing they do is rip out all the windows, beautiful woodwork, pocket doors, etc. and replace everything with modern ‘junk’. Then of course the gallons of white paint follows. Trying to get folks to understand the difference between restoring an old home verses renovating one can be daunting.
white looks great on these homes
We sold the house we had built in 1997 in the rural MO Ozarks. I spent many weeks sanding, varnishing, cutting & nailing up beautiful native black cherry wood trim around the doors & windows. When I went back for a visit 6 months later, they had painted all the cherry trim white along with all the walls. They said it was too dark in the house.
@@BC-wz7rq But not on the trim.
Not on the heating radiator like in the bathroom!😂😂😂
@@brushcreek42 I think I would have insisted on having them sell it back. Otherwise I'd fallen to my knees and started crying!!!
Magnificent house! The original builder/owner would be well pleased with your restoration endeavors. That millwork throughout, just wonderful! Italian marble fireplace surrounds? I think your entire home has a very pleasant feel to it. Enjoy your journey, I'm looking forward to see how you come along. My grandfather was born & raised in Kansas City...
There should be more grants for people who are willing to restore these architectural gems. They add so much character to any town.
The room close to the maid’s room on the second floor was probably a nursery, and the maid was probably a nanny, as she had to be close to take care of the children. The other maids would have stayed on the third floor.
I was thinking the same! 👶🏻
I was going to say this as well!
That's what I was thinking, especially with the more intricate woodwork in the side room, which would have been the nursery.
@@ronievans3436 exactly as a brit Maids top floors nursery would be more ornate than the nursery.
Absolutely was a nursery! And that was the nannies room 😊 if they had any additional live in staff they would have stayed in the basement 😅
Just asking...have you applied for a grant from the historical society to help restore it?? If not you should. We did it's a wonderful help. It's a beautiful home cant wait to see it finished.
He's working on getting historic tax credits from the state of Missouri and the US government.
It might be a good idea to understand all of the ramifications of becoming a "landmark" if that is what you mean by a grant from thee historical society. I worked for a guy whose old lady was into that kind of stuff. He had his business building (a historical brick firehouse in East Oakland, CA) declared a landmark. By the time all the paperwork and crap went through, there was no money left to grant him for work on the building. No big deal, building was serviceable enough for the job nothing new for years. Then, the Loma Prieta earthquake hit and seriously damaged the building. It was declared unfit to work in and would have taken loads of money to repair and retrofit to earthquake standards. I think they braced it up on the inside with structural steel beams in the interim and secretly continued to work there for awhile. Finally, he gets another building and the "landmark" has to be demolished. Guess what? The city didn't want to let him demolish it because it was a landmark. He had to tear it down per their specifications, clean all the old bricks and offer them for sale and agree to put a plaque on the site explaining what once stood on the site.
@@reginaldsmithers3468 thats good. It's about preserving the past not destroying it. If he couldn't afford to do it he should sell it. Even preserving the bricks is huge.
@@reginaldsmithers3468 yeah, I don't see a problem with that. The bricks should be reused and what's wrong with a plaque honoring what once was? We are too quick to destroy the past.
@@bellona6356 You are right. I am wrong. It should be the financial responsibility of a person who foolishly applied to a historical society for financial aid (which they never got) to pay for the disassembly of a building including the labor expense of cleaning the bricks and the marketing expense of making them available to people such as yourself. In addition to that, it makes a whole lot of sense to put a plaque of non-ferrous metal in the middle of a vacant lot in East Oakland, California, USA since the governing board of the historical society didn't know what "ferrous" means and generously adjusted their requirements of a bronze plaque to an aluminum plaque because somehow, that would be a ferrous metal. It is interesting that what is a problem for the person getting stuck with the bill is the correct course of action for the person performing fellatio on a politician. Mmmmm chug that ejaculate cupcake, chug that ejaculate. I don't want to be too quick to destroy your comment. Let us all enjoy this exchange.
This house is SO lucky to have you! I wouldn't be surprised if after you've restored it to its former glory, that it becomes a protected part of the city's history. I just found your channel. This is the first video that I've seen and that you posted it just over a year ago. I'm excited to see what you've done with your house so far!
Welcome aboard. We're happy to having you watching.
It may sound strange, but I had a blast touring this home with you! Hearing someone with so much enthusiasm over Victorian craftsmanship made me giddy. I liked how you actually showed the transition from one room to the next and didn't do a whole lot of editing to show only certain angles or whatever. Thanks for showing off your Victorian home!
How lucky this house is to now have an owner like you who respects it’s history! Without all this “open floorplan”-let’s rip out everything-nonsense that everyone will regret in ten years time ‘cause it leaves no privacy. Congratulations!
I ripped out all my walls in my old house 10 years ago. Ive since added back walls over the years. But where I wanted them. Just like this house didn't orginally have restrooms, neither did mine. When I was younger, I didn't understand the need for separation.
So that's why I got it in my recommended - thanks Restoration East ❤️
This Victorian house certainly has some lovely bones. It will be exciting to see it brought back to life with residents who will love on it as well as appreciate some of it's special history. 🤓It's complete hogwash to make restoration all about copying the past. It's asinine bcos most of us don't live quite like that any longer. Most of cannot afford live-in staff. Most of us enjoy modern plumbing. The reality is most modern homeowners living in a house of this magnitude will want a glorious kitchen in which to produce fabulous meals. Kitchens could be dingy in the old days bcos the help alone worked in them -- and had to make do. Seems a crying shame in 2020 to keep a dreadfully pokey kitchen bcos that was original floor plan. Besides, unless you remove the bathroom to restore the pantry. A stately home of this kind requires a butler's pantry. In this case, it might've seen double duty as a regular food pantry. It also needs to retain that glorious root cellar that is designed to store produce at better temperature for all seasons. Most cooks would kill for that alone. If you're going to serve ppl in that grand D/R in anywhere near the style in which those guests were accustomed or deserve today, you need proper storage for the required dishware. Also the storage needs to accommodate bulk staple food supplies (oatmeal/porridge, flour, dry beans, yeast, sugar, coffee, etc.) of that original era. In the old days, they didn't shoot off to the supermarket every 5 minutes for something. They kept adequate supplies to feed the entire household, staff & guests. They usually had a separate breakfast room in the "back of stairs area." In more informal households, this is where the family could break their fast in a cosy, slightly more casual fashion. The staff alone would dine in that space before or after the family. The fancier room upstairs would be the nursery with a smaller rooms next door for the nanny|governess & maid. What he's calling the maid's room is too large for someone of that lowly station. It would be for a housekeeper|cook. Likely, she was married to the butler|chauffeur|groundmans. You might have to double duty in a house of this nature in those days. Otherwise, some staff would also need to live in the basement. It's fine to do an homage to the past. Also to restore the beauty of all those finishing details. You also need to accommodate those actually living in this century.
Eh. I'm on my third house - 1912, 1983 and 1966 - and I'm approaching 50yo. I have removed walls in each of my houses and still think they were good decisions. I have a young family (second round) and, before the pandemic, we entertained every weekend. An open concept home facilitates our lifestyle. My eldest son lives in my first house (1912) and he prefers the improved traffic flow, as well.
...where pocket doors come in, making it possible to make it more open or to close off the rooms.
This house has an amazing LACK of destruction for one of this era.
Yeah usually all the good woodwork, tile, stonework, glass work, is stripped and sold off.
I agree completely. What a forest of UNPAINTED original woodwork!!
@@irishhiker54 Yeah, lots of those types of homes in Philadelphia and Baltimore. Sadly they have been stripped of that stuff long ago. I lived in both cities and would have loved to have had one of those places. After those fell out of fashion many were converted to duplexes or apartments.
I just watched the first episode of the second season. Had to go back to the beginning and subscribe. This has always been my dream since I was about 9 years old, to restore an original Victorian house. I became disabled in my midthirties and that put an end to that. I am enjoying it vicariously through you now. Love to see this beautiful old grand lady get the treatment she deserves!
The period furniture should be kept and upcycled. Such a beautiful house. I think the making those two first floor bedrooms into an Air B&B is great. Very stylish in a grand way.
Not upcycled, kept exactly as it was.
The house is amazing. Having recently completed a very similar house, I would estimate the cost of the restoration to be around $300k - $500k. It took me about 12 years. But this place is going to be well worth the struggle. I would love to see it when finished. Just some of the things that I experienced: The house will test the strength of your relationships with friends and family. Contractors don't care about the noble vision of restoration of a piece of history; they are struggling to make a living. Most of them will overcommit and underdeliver. Never pay anyone in advance. Reputable vendors will typically represent factory seconds as pristine merchandise. There is no code of ethics in this profession so don't trust anyone to do the right thing.
Phil Blane yuupppp.. and that’s why my boyfriend and I have chosen to do all of our own restorations or at least everything we can manage ourselves which he’s taught me a lot. We’ve only had to hire for plumbing, electrical like redoing some of the wiring, adding in more wall outlets, and then we got help with solar power and roofing today. Everything else we did outselves. He taught me to do stone masonry which o love doing now. We made the wooden planks for the flooring from scratch. Dry wall, fence building, insulation... all that stuff, I really enjoyed doing
@@bunnylacy2097 Fantastic that you know how to do so much of this stuff. I wish I had that skill. And you must have saved a fortune doing the work yourself. I spent about $300k!
Wise words. 👍
Congrats! Do you found any paranormal activities? Just curious 🧐
How did your home restoration test your relationships?
The small room off Madame's bedroom would have been used as a nursery. The rear bedrooms behind Monsieur's room would have been Nanny's and a children's bedroom. Fabulous project, I can't wait to see the progress!
came here to say just this!
I was going to add that fact about Victorian lovely homes.... The nursery room off the lady of the homes bedroom- would have been shared with the infant nurse until no longer needed. Front bedroom was the Gentleman of the home. I would be willing to bet that there was once a carriage house that would have housed any staff. The house isn’t really set up for live in help. It’s too small. This is a lovely family home on 3 floors. Could the more decorative parlor floor be the formal? The service staircase (not maids) staircase from the kitchen was also used to for general household traffic(kids) to keep the formal front staircase free especially when entertaining. I would make that fabulous tiled basement area a proper kitchen (summer/prep) and please keep the root cellar. It will serve you for years to come. I grew up in a home built in 1880, with additions in 1900 and 1925. Enjoy the journey.
I too thought the two rooms at the back on 2nd floor it would probably used as childrens bedroom and smaller one for the nanny
Maids or staff would be relegated to the 3rd floor...
@@BrightHardDay I doubt small house like this would actually need a maid to clean it, even it does maid would probably placed in one of the room down in the basement, her work would be requiring cooking as well and that would be called "maid of all work"
I appreciate that you're willing to take on the monumental task of a restoration of this magnitude. So many wonderful historical buildings have been demolished and their history gone forever. I worked & lived in St.Louis for awhile (Ninth and Pine) prior to Y2K, and there are tunnels under the city and so many surprises to discover. I wish you the best with everything you do.
Newer homes cannot begin to match the beauty that the detailed woodwork has. The beautiful wood just screams look at me and save me. Thank you for your determination to save this beauty.
I grew up in a house that was built a little after Victorian times but very much Victorian inspired. No where near as fancy as this house at all though ahaha. It was also in this condition when my parents first got it in 2000, but it was even worse because people had been using the house to grow weed and cook meth! My parents got super lucky and got the house for 50k, we've been really poor all my life so that's the only reason my parents were even able to get a house at all. They worked tirelessly the first few years getting it back into shape, but eventually my dad's body wasn't able to take the workload so a lot of projects were never fully finished. My childhood bedroom had practically no insulation and holes in the ceiling that let in a draft. I'm actually literally surprised I never died from hypothermia. It's such a cool house though and lately my mom has been painting and finishing walls and stuff. I want to inherit the house when they die and continue the work because it would be a huge shame if that house were to fall into complete disrepair...
No insulation?.
Ur dad has to stay on it. For his family if nothing else.
Great story x
Hope you do it - so special 💛
Why do you have to wait for the inheritance in order to work on it? Can't you work on it now instead of waiting for parents to die. I bet your mom would appreciate the help while she's alive.
As an electrician this house gives me cold chills for reasons entirely unrelated to ghosts haha
Because of all the old electricale wires and other old parts of the system?
@@stefan-ox8qs definitely lol that place is probably full of junction box surprises 😃
He also said the whole house still has knob & tube. He said "I do not think that it would pass code". hahaha
For real! If this guy is using ANY original wiring for power, he needs to full stop immediately. It will absolutely catch fire. There's a close example of that with the YT Channel Ghost Town Living. The guy uploads videos of his living experience on the old Cerro Gordo mining site in California. Anyway, the several buildings on the property were all 1800's era, filled with historic bits and bobs as well as other artifacts. The nicest building he had was the hotel/bar. Absolutely beautiful, very well preserved by the dry desert environment. What's the guy do? USE THE ORIGINAL WIRING!!!! It 100% burned to the ground one evening. Total loss. Literally an ash pit was all that was left.
As a hobby historian, specialising in Victorian times, the wiring (and the gas fixtures for that matter) give me the heebee-jeebees 😰😰
I love this house! I am so, so happy that you are saving it. The room that you said you were not sure what it was used for, on the second floor, I believe it was the nursery with the painted woodwork.
This is a beauty. A house that large would have had 2 servants. Head housekeeper/cook and a general maid that serves. One's status in the house was reflected in the wood work.
The arch way where you said the coat hanger would go is actually where hey would keep a mirror. A very large mirror. A family that wealthy would always make sure they were “beautiful” or “handsome” before going out
And nowadays, people use the cellphone screen and a beauty filter as a mirror.
Good observation, would have never thought of that
It was a doorway connected to the other houses during the construction, and at some point closed off. At least that was the case of another very similar building, with an alcove just like this to the left of the main entrance. kzhead.info/sun/ar5wZrGhiKhmrZ8/bejne.html
@@98Zai Looks like this house is not connected to one next door tho. I had a look at your link .Liv Tylers house is stunning. She explained the archway yes. A mirror would look amazing in this home!!!
@@omiluna7362 irl, nothing replaces a mirror. It’s like the wheel - timeless! 🤗💜
I'm glad you are going to restore this house. Too many of them are left to rot away.
Or made into modern houses. When they are flipped or resold, you can be sure the realtor's ad will mention all the "period character", meaning they might have kept a couple of ceiling medallions. And buyers gobble up that pap. Meanwhile the house is destroyed.
I love that you're seeking to keep as much of what you can salvage from its original condition and design and even recreate it by uncovering what's original even if damaged and replicating it. This is so awesome and heartwarming. My heart is happy because of you today ☺️
That's a beautiful house, it will look amazing once it's restored. I love whwn people keep the original features of a house 🏠
You have to appreciate the craftsmanship and artistry that was put into houses during the Victorian and Edwardian Era’s.
I do appreciate it, but I also understand why you don't see it any more. Back in those days, all that craftsmanship was labor intensive and time consuming. Nowadays, the price of labor would make it prohibitively expensive. So the only time a modern building has "craftmanship" is when it can be mass-produced by machinery. You see that ceiling medallion with the beautiful roses around the center? That's one of 12 hundred thousand, available at the Home Depot.
@@uncaboat2399 what was expensive to make back then would be very easy to do now, thanks to machines. What made houses expensive back then was the land, materials (i.e. bricks, lumber, carpentry etc), labor cost (lots of manual labor) and decoration. What makes houses expensive today is again land, materials (e.g. solid wood is still very expensive) and labor. But what is cheaper today is decoration.
I had no idea Victorian and Edwardian were used in the United States to describe architecture or a period of time. Assumed it was just a UK thing due to our monarchs. Great video by the way. The Best of Luck.
@@MM22333 Yes, America uses the term and idea of Victorian. My whole city is filled with homes that look like this. My house is newer (1970's) but it was built to mimic this style so it would fit in. I have the tile around my real fire place, some woodwork (yet not this grand), and all kinds of older touches to the point where many people think it's as old as the other homes in the area but it's a clear fake to me as the point the other person made. That tile is 1 in 12 hundred thousand. At the same time I don't mind my insulation, modern electric, and other modern blessings. As I need to make updates I am looking to learn how to keep my updates look old or actually be older. That is a strange thing for an American to say. Few would restore a home, many remodel every 15-20 years with WHATEVER is trendy. It's nice to see that this person is trying to restore and not paint all the wood BLUE and walls yellow like your at an IKEA! That really is a thing to do right now. 😬
@ A H it still exists, that kind of housing was for the wealthy. I doubt people are lining up to check out the average victorian working class coal miner's shitty apartment.
I love your appreciation and gratefulness of all the little things that make an old home so special. So happy that you and this house found eachother because you seem like you will give her the respect and love she deserves!
Thank you so much!
I absolutely love it!! Please keep us posted on your restoration progress. I'm so happy that you're restoring it to it's original beauty!!
The nicer room next to the maids room might have been used as a Nursery. Close to the maid/ nanny, yet still "apart" of the family
That's was my first thought .
Exactly what I was about to type in the comments also!! Great minds (Mommas)think alike!
I was murmuring, "Nursery. Nursery. No, a nursery," over his commentary, hahaha.
Same here!! Lol. I kept wanting him to zoom in on the wallpaper. & look to see what was under it. Definitely a nursery I'm thinking. Well said.. close to the Nanny/Servant but far enough not to have the baby wake them up in the middle of the night. Lol. Or perhaps a room they rented out, to lodgers. My great grandmother had that.
I thought perhaps the maids living room and dining area. They wouldn't have been allowed to eat or rest with the owners. The through door from master to second bedroom had me think that that room may have been the nursery. Access for the lady of the house and seperate access for the maid.
This guy sounds pretty happy with himself... And why wouldn't he be, what a beautiful house
The problem is it's depreciating surroundings.
@@JohnRohoboth I don't see people, only unkept and desolate surroundings. Where's this black folk you see?
@@JohnRohoboth Who are you to speak on what we do or do not care about? What facts do you have besides the BS you’re conditioned to believe about my people? Yes there’s plenty of black people who don’t care but please believe there are plenty of other types of people who are the same way. Don’t single my people out and act like you’re stating facts. You haven’t proven anything but your ignorance.
@@Alpha-1Livewire buy low sell high buddy
@@27management The intention here will not match the result without better scenery...which could happen if...
Wow! Just found this video and began the whole series. A beautiful relic - so glad you are restoring her! Can't wait to come tour and/or stay there.
Just want to say good for you for buying a neat old place like this to keep it alive. You're obviously sacrificing a fair amount for unique, tradition and beauty, and it's brilliant to see. I'm so glad people like you still exist.
Thanks for that!
Thank you for restoring the beautiful mansion..Wish there were more people like you who appreciated the beauty of the past.
What??? You are not tearing it down and building a cheap condo?????
@@brucetrappleton6984 that is shit.
Saint Louisian here. I knew this house had to be in town as we have so many 2nd Empire houses. First off the room with the "deck" wasn't a deck. It was a sleeping porch for when it was too hot to sleep in the house in the summer. And the Standpipe water towers, there are only 9 or 10 left in the country. We have 3 of them, two of which you pointed out. The white one is the Grand Ave water tower and the darker one is the Bissell water tower. I look forward to seeing more of the restoration work done on this amazing house.
I've never heard of a sleeping porch. I learned something!
I had a good idea where this was located once I saw the arch and the towers... I got pretty close without looking it up.
Fellow St. Louisan here and I got so excited when he started because I just knew that was from my town! I am curious which area of the city it is in, I suspect from the views it may be South City area but I'm terrible with that sort of thing. I know there are a ton of those type of homes still all over the city. I'd love to own one someday!
@@moflygirl If you pay close attention to the videos, especially the drone shots, you can figure out where it's located.
I knew this was a St Louis home too born and raised there as well
Amazing house. That woodwork is incredible; especially knowing the builder made the machinery which profiled the moldings.
I know exactly where this is! I can't wait to see what you guys do with it! There's so many abandoned houses with a lot of history and character here!
Would be cool if you hired a butler when the house is ready!
i could do that ,,,hee hee
Oh I need a job
Reminds of kuroshitsuji...
I think xD there won´t be any money left when this house is fully back. But my god, this house is great !
Oooh! He should do a tour acting as the butler! Yaaaasss please?
You are so lucky that most of the wood trim and doors have never been painted. I can't wait to see how it comes along, will be amazing I'm sure
Yes, it really bothers me to see that so many renovation projects involve painting perfectly beautiful wood or brick. It's not like paint is easy to remove at some future date when the paint goes out of style.
Love the fact that you're saving this home ,Bless You all.
I'm happy you geeked out on this , was afraid it would be someone who would refurbished the whole house. It's nice to still keep it's history an victorian architecture. My mom has a love for these things I'm not to crazy about it figured there's something out there for everyone can't have everything lol but I do enjoy learning an find historical buildings an things fascinating.
"Weird glass domed thing" could be a Wardian glass, popular in the Victorian era for housing ferns and other plants. Very appropriate to find in a Victorian home!
I think the bell dome is a cloche.
I could not stop laughing while I was watching this. He sounded just like me when I got my Victorian 4 years ago. I was so excited & I probably sounded like I was bouncing off the walls...I was like look at this, no look over here... 4 years later I'm finally finished & I'm not laughing anymore. Yeah she beautiful with all the wainscoting & crown moldings & just the wood work in general. But it took years & A LOT OF MONEY TO FIX her back up to her formal beauty. When I was finished all the big stuff I would be fixing something small & it would ALWAYS turn into something huge like tearing a wall down. I just sold mine a couple weeks ago & made 100 grand profit out of the deal. But I don't know if it was worth the years off my life. Who knows? They sure are pretty when fixed up. So much character. But it's just one hell of a ride getting there. Blood, sweat, tears. On the flipside maybe it's cause I did all the work myself. I couldn't afford to pay professionals to do the work. Anyway best of luck to ya lol
If there were no people like you, we would lose all the beauty. I am grateful for anyone who decides to renovate an old building even if it were more convenient to just demolish it and built some modern cheap ugly box 🙏 Bless you
Bet he isn't laughing today, with the cost of materials going thru the freaking roof!
We are never owners of these old buildings, just the caretakers. It was absolutely worth it
$100k profit after four years isn't much.
I love your story:)
I just fell in love with old things and Victorian houses recently. Sad to see a lot of old houses are completely modernized and lost their original characters. Great to see people out there who are willing to save them!
Cedar is a repellant of moths, so that closet would have been perfect for storing Victorian era wool and other natural fiber clothing. 👌
when he told us that the closet was made of Cedar, I took in a deep breath and imagined how amazing a WHOLE Cedar closet would smell!
@@kyliepechler smell new, I don't know the half live on that smell but it's likely below 10 years... Leaving a century old wardrobe smelling like new boxes or so
I grew up in a very well-built home. * blue print ~ c1937 My bedroom had a walk-in cedar closet with a 3-step walk-up staircase. * I was enveloped floor-to-ceiling in cedar. 💝 It retained the same potent aroma 💖 in 🍂 autumn, 2010 🍂when I regretfully sold it to the estatic young couple to whom I handed my key. 💞
@@mykingdomforak9 why
@@mightyobserver12 Are you inquiring as to why the scent stayed strong decades later? If yes, it's likely because the walls in the home were very thick, equally so was my cedar-closetlike room. 😊 Merry Christmas, Rosh! ☃️
That's such a beautiful home! My uncle in Romania, who recently passed away, was a master woodworker in a little town close to Ukraine. However, he travelled all over the country taking orders and delivering exquisite masterpieces. Everything he crafted was done beautifully by hand and each piece was unique. I'm so glad I got to see them in person, and even in the room I stayed in, before his passing. The stunning craftsmanship in this home reminded me of him. Thank you for being so pasionate about it's lovely history!
I appreciate woodworkers so much their work is gorgeous
Sorry for your loss. Sounds like he was quite the cool guy
Hi! I’m Romanian too ! Was your uncle from Sighet? That region is well known for their beautiful wood working and ornate wooden front entrance gates. My dad was raised in Sighet and we’ve often visited.
@@Forest14449 I remember passing through there! He was actually from Suceava, in Falcau. So more to the east of where your dad grew up. But Sighet is very beautiful, I'm jealous you were able to visit often.
So sweet. Thank you for sharing
This is a beautiful amazing home. Your extremely lucky to still have the neat wood work and the medallions on the ceiling I mean lovely. I am sorry for the loss of the fire place’s surface
Thank you for sharing your awesome, amazing journey. I’ve ALWAYS been enthralled with Victorian Houses since I was a child. Your heart is as big as the World. You are saving a piece of history and bringing it back to life for many to experience and enjoy. I wish you all the very best.
When you get around to having your wallpaper made, there's a hand manufacturer of reproduction wall paper in California called Bradbury & Bradbury that might be interested in seeing your pattern for reproduction. I visited their factory 20 years ago, it was amazing.
I’m so happy to see someone buy a house like this who wants to bring it back to its full potential. When I see these old houses where someone has painted all the woodwork, it about kills me. You have a jewel, without question! Wow!
Thank you. I really have a huge amount of love for this place and its history. Im just bursting at the seams every time i walk through the door.
I feel the same way about beautiful wood being painted. It can be stripped, but it will never be the same as when original. It's difficult to get the paint out of the grain. But, with determination, he might find a way to somewhat restore it.
You have a really beautiful home. So glad you are saving your beautiful homes.
I went down that street about 5 years ago and had the same idea but was utterly broke. Plus I was told that it's a "bad" neighborhood. I'm glad you did this; those homes deserve to be treated well.
I have restored many victorian homes. Its a labor of love man. Good for you!
This house is actually in decent condition considering how much original is in it. Love that there’s so many original details too. I would love to own a house like this. Alas, I live in California, and there’s almost no Victorians in my area, and the ones there are are super basic. 20s and mid century homes are more realistic.
Same here, aside from the fact that victorian homes aren't common out here I also dread the prices one would go for. Definitely would be way more costly than other states.
in my area of california there are A LOt of victorians, it’s an older area, do you live in a newer area?
@@tuileriesantiques9057 Central Valley. In the city I’m in, there’s....a handful. There was a major earthquake here in mid century that might have contributed to us having significantly less. I should have also added - the few available are notoriously expensive.
@@tuileriesantiques9057 also, the whole street in this video is beautiful....like all the houses there....just stunning.
@@jasminlobasso8460 very very true, a lot didn’t survive, but where rebuilt, our town a lot survived. it’s a historic town, a lot of them. it’s just this area- it’s disgustingly expensive, our 2400 sqft house is nearly 2 million now, as to when it was purchased it was a fraction of that. the victorians are a mark up, and with strict protection guidelines ou need to follow (which i support because i hate modernization) but i can’t afford it, ours is a 1950’s ranch (or was a ranch home) . that’s why i won’t live here, lol.
Wow! What a beauty! I've just found your channel and I cannot wait to see how you restore this gorgeous home. Thanks for inviting us along on the journey. 🙂
Thanks so much! 😊
Thanks for let us see your beautiful house. I am glad that you want to give it back it splendor.
Subscribing because i want to see this project to the end. You, sir, are a beast.
Same
Me too !
Ditto
About the wallpaper, it still is produced called Lincrusta
Very cool house. It's been waiting for you to come along. So much original detail. The house seems designed for air flow: the adjoining rooms, the sight line from first to third floor, the transoms over the doors.
Wow, what beautiful property this is... preserved inlayed floors, told gorgeous windows & frames, light fixtures, stairs & rail, wainscoting, gorgeous ceiling plaster medallions, rare floor tiles... so much to mention all... unbelievable features! Amazing original fireplace in the bed - room❤
There is nothing like living in an old mansion, my family did for many years. I envy your Adventures! GOD Bless..
You should do a Victorian styled garden on the roof, chill area green and lush.
I am so happy to see what y'all are doing. Please keep doing what you're doing. Y'all are perserving history. Love and God Bless
Gorgeous house! Reminds me a lot of my grandparents 1880s home, especially the rolling doors on the living room and the maids stairwell, which looks very similar to what we have. They just don't make homes like that anymore! This house is gonna look so pretty when returned to its former glory.
The room next to the maid's room could have possibly been a child's room/nursery. It would make sense since the maid would likely have been the one taking care of the baby/child.
Maybe a library?
@@joyreno1034 Thinking the wet nurse.
The value of what you are doing by restoring this house cannot be overstated. What a treasure!
All the detail in the tile, wood work, medallions are just dreamy and very thought-out. The quality of homes made 100+ years ago is just astonishing. We must protect this house at all costs. Thank you to this rare human that appreciates antique architecture and is willing to preserve this victorian home! It's all so so dreamy and lovely! Also, I need some ghost stories asap! :)
Turns out that I needed to watch the whole video to get an answer to my immediate questions! Just came across your channel. What an incredible project you have going on! Such an interesting and unique house, thank you for the tour and I hope your plans are successful!
I have a 15 room circa 1870s house. I always say that I really don’t own it, I’m just the caretaker.
Could not agree more. Jay Leno has the same philosophy with his car collection. What is amazing about Caleb's house is how much of the original elements are still there. Our house is a fieldstone farmhouse circa 1860 and we realize we have the privilege of occupying it for our time. It will be around long after we are gone. We are not purists, though, our house is decorated to 1890's because we like Eastlake furniture.
Must be beautiful.