Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-05-02
THE WIDOWS PALACE.
MRS. MARK HOPKINS AND HER NEW
HOUSE At GREAT HARRINGTON.
The Pos.e..or Of $50, 900, OOO-Leavins .
Million Dollar Residence I'm California
10 Live In = Finer One In MAJ
sachusetts.
New York World /

to Live In Finer One In MAJ
sachusetts.
New York World
A paragraph was published some days ago
In which it was said that Mrs Mark Hop
kins, of California, had determined to build
s., 000, 600 residence at Great harrington,
Mass Previous to that the Boston papers
had published the report that the house was
to cost only one-ffth that sum AMI the
third and last report is that the amount
to be expended is only $4,000. II Is
true. indeed, that Mrs Hopki1, is going 70
build a residence at Great Darlington
1t Is furthermore true that it Is - b, . very
expensive one-the most expensive probably
in Maszachu se.ts, or even Nav England 1t
viii not cost So much a, s., o0), 0)0, but it
will cost mora than 81 0o) O)o Ths plans
are complstsi and have be.a acceptel
They now rest in the hands of New YORK
architects and viii not b, made public for
SOME time. Work on the foundation OF the
! building VIII be commenced tbs coming
spring and Mrs. Hopkins expects To see it
ready for occupancy three years hence.
There is some interesting history woven in
ami about the life Of Mrs. Mark Hopkins.
one Of the five men of California who built
the Central Pacific railroad and msde each
a princely fortune out o; IT. the others
were Leland Stanford, C. P. Huntington,
and the two Crockers Hopkins was the
treasurer OF the company from its organiz,-
ton in 1861 or thereabout, till his death in
1873 lie left an estate that was iuventorie'
al S2l 10). 900
lie die without having made will and
without children. BY the common laws Mrs.
Hopkins would have BEEN entitled to only
one third Of the immense estate The courts
made her the executrix and she took poses
sion. but the two brothers OF her deceased
husband doses AM Samuel or rather Moses
aud the sons of Samuel. for the latter had
7 died, brought suit against her and SECURED
I hef removal from the executorsEip Of tbs e.;
tate, and an accounting Of ii. TIE matter
was finally compromised. Moses Hopkins
, ard the son Of Samuel Hopkins being con
ten. 20 receive together some 81, 0o0,0o ir
( hard cash. Mrs. Hopkins got the remainder,
/ which, as already stated now amounts 10
about So, 1905 ol Thus do We cone to
, know who Mr. MARI Hopkin u an; how slls
became so ricG.
Before Marx Hopkins died he hlilt the
frs: OF those palatial residences that have
since excited tie wonder and admiration Of
/ all who have in the past ten years vieitei
: tho city Of San Francisco II wa. con-
strGctcd Of wood, like all TIE other; II it.
class, hut had about it all the elahorateness
and extravagance of some OF the .ine.t
| English country hou e, 1t was said TO
have cost 81 900, 600, and at that tims tins
/ Stewart residence in New York city was the
only dwelling house in America that had
| cost that sum 1t was the Hopkins mansion
! that made Knob Hill the fashionabls quar-
! ter of San Francisco All have heard Of the
/ splendid residences that Governor Stanford,
| James Flood and other California million
! aires have since built there Since her hus-
bani's death Mrs Hopkins has purchased
1 Meulo park, RalSton's famous country p.acs,
/ and there she has settlei her adopted son
4 James, young man OF 26. who recently
married Miss Crttenden, OK California, a
niece OF Mrs Hopkins
Notwithstanding all these large posses
! sions, not to speak Of Others on the Pacific
4 ilops Mr.. Hopkins proposes ID make her
home in her husbands native town
OF Great harrington, Mass. She has
always had an affection for the place and
comes there because its people and surround
ings are congenial to their tastes During
recent years Mrs. Hopkins has come here t.
spend her summer 1t was there that sh,
l,y d when young girl. and there that she
vas married When she grew rich sh.
addei the porticoes put colored glass III
some OF the windows ant furnished it lax
tirian.ly. The carpets in every room are as
soft a. down the chairs are Of antique ma
hogany upholstered in yellow silk plush
Every bit of pottery, every piece of bronze
every foot stool. every sofa. lounge. chair
-
evidence Of having been selected with cult.
waited taste
The new dwelling that * TO supplant the
OH will be LIS by l4S feet AMI will te built
Of blue dolomit-. 1t is very hard stone, Of
finer grain than granite, and is obtained
from neig At oring quarry owned by Mrs
Hopkins herself. Ths exterior walls ara to
show the stone in rough surface with cut
seams The stables and the coachmans cot
tage are already built They are OF the
same dolomite to bs employed in the con
s;ruction Of the resi- ience and look As though
they would endure through all the ages to
come cannot give a de criptioa Of the
re,dence for the excellent reason that have
not cen the drawings.
The ground upon which Mr. Hopkins is to
Ju,ll her castle extends a hundred yaris
along the principal street and back of it, to
'i'e soath little Is a level msa low valley
that runs off along he shore Of the Hou,a-
tonic and 10 the foos OF the picturesque Berk-
.tire hills on the other side In the midst o:
This smooth meadow fell is an artificial
basin liz which is a fountain from which in
summer springs a stream Of water nearly
hundred feet into the air aad come, down in
q rnist that Is a. soft rs silken veil.
Mrs Hopkins is woman of great strength
| Of character Shs il well fttai t. care Tor
I the vast estate left her. Both 10 appearance
/ and in mental characteristics she is strongly
m2sculine. She is Of commanding apIAar
ance, and che Is always made to feel, when
! in her presence. that she has the unmistak-
abIe elements of superiority. She i thor
oushly acquainted with all the ways Of bu i
ness, has = broad grasp of financial ques-
! tons looks after her vast interests with the
closest m!nuteue>s. and drives bargain with
tact and economy. Her husband was pa
sionately fond OF horses; 50 i, she. Her
stable at Great Darlington Is one of tho com
pietest and most comfortable in tn. country.
| Its inmates ara of the fine,t breeding AMI
movement, AMI are looked after by thsi,
colored master with the greatest care Oar
ing her visits 20 Great Burlington Mrs Hop
| kiIls may be seen ON the afternoon OF every
fair day driving out behind n pair Of fins
trotters, she herself holding the reins She
makes long excursions about the surround
ing country, and every inhabitant. young or
/ old knows her She is the great woman o..
| Great harrington.