Some great carving

[longbarrel50]

I'm been a member for many years and really never contributed much. I have been the recipient of the vast knowledge base here. So I thought I would share some photos.
A little background. Buffalo, NY at one time had more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in the USA. With the building of the Erie Canal, Buffalo was the gateway to the west. Shipping came in via the Great Lakes and many large business's and Banking opened in Buffalo. Because of the influx of large sums of money, many Mansions were built, mostly on Delaware Ave. Sadly, many were torn down when the original builders passed. Those that remain are owned by institutions or business firms and typically they are closed to the public. A few times a year, some are open for limited tours. My wife and I were lucky to be able to go a few weeks back. These places are amazing, especially the carving. The carving was extensive throughout the mansions. I can't imagine the time or cost just for this. Attached are a few photos.
I hope you enjoy.
Chris
Goodyear Mansion


This fresco is carved from granite. It was set in place and the room built around it.


Butler Mansion

[Arlin Eastman]

Chris

That time period and earlier really loved wood and everything that could be done with it.

It is a wonder what money can buy and if people with money knew today what value wood like that would be in their houses now if they would do so.

I want more wood in our house but my wife loves sheetrock and paint.

I love the warmth of wood and how it brings quality to the house and living conditions.

If I had $30,000 to up grade the house I would do so in wood.

Arlin

[colibas]

I enjoyed the pictures. I think the staircase is my favorite.

[hbmcc]

" If I had $30,000 to up grade the house I would do so in wood.

Arlin, I am afraid that you "might", that is might, be able to trim out interior windows and door openings with decent, not great, stain grade trim for that money.

It cost me $500 in material (cheap hemlock) to trim a bedroom and short basement hall; plus four doors. I salvaged much of the old trim for the hall. One passage door is 34 linear feet ($30+) in trim surround, if you can find 2 of 14' and one 6'. I found some 20s and actually cut them to 17' because H. Despot charged per foot. The usual is 8' and throw away gobs of money in little one-foot, 18-inch scrap.

That's just the wood. Finish is a fortune.

I did my own jambs and bought crappy sheet doors--they finished flesh color due to glue showing through the veneer skin. Oh, I know where you can get Doug fir stock for rail and stile and panel doors at 8.5-cents a square inch, 10-cents per running foot by inch. That's cheap! I refused to pay $300 to $500 a hinge frame for basement doors.

Dom may have a tighter budget handle. We had the same floods. I just closed my eyes at the checkstand and cried. For a year.

After 30 years the rest of my house needs a refurbish. Stain grade will be several thousand dollars in trim wood. The doors will be refinished. One thing few consider is how ugly hinges look. You can clean up brass but any others ....

I think the modern day equal to the above Buffalo interiors is George Lucas headquarters. They had to buy some old railroad trestles for the Redwood salvage. No modern equal off the stump.

[JR1]

Thanks, beautiful work

[AHill]

Amazing craftsmanship! I wonder how many craftsmen it took and how long to build that home?

[TomFromStLouis]

AHill said:

---

Amazing craftsmanship! I wonder how many craftsmen it took and how long to build that home?

---

Don't know the answer, but I remember Hearst brought in Italian carvers when building San Simeone to carve.....ready?....the gutters. There aren't very many one percenters going to that level these days.

I just visited the original library at a local university - probably 100 years old - and the woodwork was equally impressive. It is not hard to appreciate this stuff.

Thanks for sharing the pictures.

[Paul K. Murphy]

Those are all very beautiful photos!
Thanks.