Comments by "James Clendon" (@jamesclendon4811) on "Inside Andrew Carnegie's Manhattan Mega Mansion" video.

  1. A happy ending for this house, which escaped the wrecking ball. I think it's significant that it probably survived because it was "repurposed." It serves as a museum, but not just a museum of its own magnificence, but as a venue for the display of some of the Smithsonian's collection. There's a limit on how many mansions can be saved as museums just to show off what one particular millionaire built to show off his wealth--some can (Biltmore House, the Newport "cottages", a few others) but beyond that these buildings need to serve some purpose for the modern day if they are to avoid being demolished as useless white elephants.
    17
  2. I love the look of this house. I hope you will also visit what is to me the most visually appealing of the surviving gilded age mansions--Westbury House/Old Westbury Gardens--on Long Island. It's beautifully maintained and open to the public. If the name doesn't ring a bell to some people they'll probably recognize it when they see it. It shows up frequently in movies and ads as the quintessential rich man's mansion, and I'm sure the fees those appearances generate contribute significantly to its upkeep.
    5