Friday, March 21, 2014

My Favorite Room -Crosley Estate



The Ship Room,  floors, walls and ceiling are crafted  from  beautiful bent White Oak, masterly done by a ships carpenter. This room is where that master of the home spent most of his time and was his favorite room. It was also my favorite.


The ceiling below shows the color of the room and the Spanish Rose pointer is connected to the Spanish Galleon wind vane on the top of the house. it still works to show the direction of the wind.



the room is acoustically perfect and if you stand on the dowel in the center of the room and speak, the sound reverberates in your head.

Below you can see the round ship room with the vane on top at the far left.


Below is Powel Crosley, Jr and wife Gwendolyn. They married in 1910. Her father did not think highly of Powel's prospects. His father was an attorney, but Powel loved to tinker and was not an eminent student. He was 30 years old and had never made more than 20.00 per week.  
In 1916 he started a mail order business, Automobile Accessories Company and with a few years was grossing over million per year.


He became a well known inventor and multimillionaire. Below is a list of his many inventions and in 1934 he bought the Cincinnati Reds baseball team.


26 comments:

Catherine said...

Wow - just looking at your past posts. That is one amazing home. 21 rooms and 10 bathrooms? Sounds like a lot of cleaning to me. Thank goodness for servants. LOL!
Happy weekend Sandra!
xo Catherine

Ann said...

I want to stand in the center of the room and try that out....lol All that wood, what a gorgeous room it is.

Montanagirl said...

Wow! No wonder he became a millionaire! Love that round ship room.

Miss Debbie said...

I was wondering if they had allowed you to take pictures inside.What a beautiful room...such craftsmanship! Evidently, he was a brilliant man...guess he proved his father-in-law wrong! Sounds like we have many things to thank him for. Thanks for the history lesson!

RoeH said...

I wish I'd lived in those days and be very wealthy and have this house. I also wish for the wealthy part now but it ain't never gonna happen.

Linda P said...

Hope you had the opportunity to try out the acoustics in that room, Sandra! Sounds as if Powel Crosley was a clever inventor of a variety of products.

My Mind's Eye said...

LOL Dad's don't always know best especially in ways of the heart.
OMCs I was so worried I would not be able to come by today.
Our interwebs would not work first thing this morning. Mom said she rebooted it several times. I told her to boot it to the curb...but she left it alone while they went to breakfast and wala it is working.
Hugs Madi

What Karen Sees said...

Beautiful architecture that reminds me of the Spanish style estates in southern California where I grew up. I find it fascinating to learn about how ordinary people find a niche and become wealthy. Many truly do find the 'American Dream'.

TexWisGirl said...

really neat ceiling and windows!

George said...

I guess Gwendolyn's father was wrong about Powel's prospects. I really like that Ships room as well.

Chatty Crone said...

Isn't it funny -I have never head of him - yet I have or know his inventions.

photowannabe said...

I find it so interesting how some people are dreamers and then make their dreams realities.
What a gorgeous home and the round room is my favorite too.

Deb said...

I see why you like that room...so cool...what a smart fellow he was...

jp@A Green Ridge said...

Beautiful tribute to a man who dreamed and created his dreams, although I never heard of him...:)JP

Ginny Hartzler said...

This guy was a genius!!! I want that huge bay window, too. The whole house looks very Spanish influenced.

Michaele said...

I don't know which I am more impressed with - the house or the man. Thanks for sharing.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Great visit to the Crosley Estate... I'd love the Ship Room also... That ceiling is awesome.

Hope you have a great weekend.
Hugs,
Betsy

Gail said...

Beautiful!

I would not want to be the window washer.

LC said...

What a lovely visit spiced with interesting history. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Pretty photos and interesting to see all he invented. I've always loved touring historic homes. The wood is amazing.

Ramakrishnan said...

Stately mansion with exquisite interiors,with sprawling concourse all around and lovely landscape !

Anonymous said...

I never heard of the man neither but I do now.

Wow like the first two pictures.

Scott Law said...

Nice post and very interesting. He was quite the innovator.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Thanks for confirming my earlier thought that Crosley also had his name on the electric radio that in my parents' kitchen for years. I can still recall that it was white with a gold dial and it used to be listened to a lot.

Suburban Girl said...

What an interesting bio. So glad he proved father in law wrong! Rebecca

Debby@Just Breathe said...

Wow, I'm impressed at the inventions he came up with. Also that room is amazing, I can see why you love it!