House Tour: 1888 Victorian Mansion

[Music] welcome to preservation travels with lane and kevin here on our restoration nation do we have a splendid holiday treat for you today today we're going to take you on a tour of one of the finest examples of queen anne architecture not only in the state of arkansas but in the nation the horny brook mansion otherwise known as the empress of little rock bed and breakfast this exquisite example of queen and victorian architecture was begun in 1881 and completed in 1888 at a cost of a whopping 20 000 the horny brooks immigrated from canada in 1867 and became very very very successful business people in the liquor and saloon business let's take a look at this beautiful example of high style queen anne architecture built by arkansans exclusively from arkansas sourced materials [Music] [Music] construction of the horny brook mansion began in 1881 and took seven years but its construction was the result of a feud between james hornybrook and angelo marie competitors in the liquor business in downtown little rock marie had just finished his famous villa marie that you might recognize as the sugar breaker design firm from the 80s show designing women horny brook decided that his home had to outshine the villa marie in every way and it certainly does all the materials used on the exterior are native to the state of arkansas from the quartz insets from our southeast corner to the slate from our northeast corner the brick fired from arkansas clay and the pine and cypress used to create her decorative wooden elements arkansas artisans were used to create all of the molded glass and the turned spindle work that you see throughout the house this three-quarter porch allowed the horny brooks to enjoy the view of the empire they'd created in downtown little rock one of the most spectacular features of the horny brook mansion is the four-story tower that rises above what would have been the skyline of 1888. even more impressive are the fact that the front doors set inside the tower curved doors with curved glass waiting to welcome you into the horny brook mansion otherwise known as the empress of little rock bed and breakfast [Music] welcome to the horny brick mansion [Music] upon entry you immediately notice that the horny brook mansion is the height of aesthetic period design and style but only a few decades ago this home did not reflect this level of victorian opulence after 1893 when the horny brooks left the home it transferred ownership many times eventually becoming a multi-unit family housing in 1994 sharon welch blair and her husband bob rescued the horny brook mansion returned it to its original floor plan and returned it to its victorian era splendor the beauty you see here today is thanks to bob and sharon another note this is where we spent our honeymoon this front entryway is where you would have been welcomed in as a guest of james and margaret horny brook you would have seen this beautiful mantle mantelpiece with its english mint and glazed tiles [Music] the curved glass with molded colored glass medallions and the beautiful sun burst mishrabia that flanks the space between the entry and the entry parlor overhead pootie fly and welcome you into the glory that is the horny brook mansion all the woods in the house are native to arkansas cyprus from our swamps and pine from our forests oak parquet floors decorate every room of the house this room would have originally been the gentleman's study where mr horny brook managed his incredible liquor and saloon empire [Music] this mantelpiece is extraordinary with its foliage design its original beveled glass and its gorgeous hearth tiles the surround tiles are not original this pier mirror is original to the home and would have been used to bounce light around the space now we enter the first of the formal parlors the pocket doors in this space are splendid as is this incredible mantelpiece corinthian columns support an ebonized eastlake mirror the plaster cornice work in this room is gilded to reflect light by candlelight you'll notice that all the windows in the first floor are almost floor to ceiling to allow easy ingress and egress to the front porch the steinway piano in this room is of absolute significance as it once belonged to john edward bush born into slavery in 1856 bush eventually rose to the position of receiver of the general land office he was the co-founder of the masonic templars of america and was the significant landowner in little rock and its suburbs [Music] next we enter the gentleman's parlor this room features my favorite mantelpiece in the downstairs the height of aesthetic movement elegance with this glorious minton morning glory tile surround we have a set of these tiles and are just waiting for the perfect place to use them a story perhaps apocryphal says that during prohibition this panel was added to hide the liquor that this family made its fortune on the welch blairs used bradberry and bradberry wallpapers to accent the walls of this room period appropriate and beautifully designed perfect for the aesthetic movement style of this home now into the formal dining room where guests would have been treated to all the opulence that the horny brooks could have afforded another magnificent aesthetic movement mantle piece you'll note that all the galleries have beveled glass to help reflect the candlelight during dining blackberry brambles and hounds are accented in the minton fireplace tile surround [Music] throughout the house you'll see raised wayne's coating accenting every wall lynn cresta wallpaper is used in this room to give a three-dimensional effect to the walls my favorite element is the two-sided china cabinet on this side we see the beautiful display of crystal but the other side opens to what would have been the butler's pantry where the dishes could have been cleaned and replaced without the servants having to enter the formal dining space [Music] the original gasoline still hide on either side of the mantelpiece now converted to electric the magnificent showpiece of this home the double staircase can you imagine how overwhelming it must have been to guests to come into this home and be greeted by this marvelous sight the staircase rises up three levels to the stained glass skylight it's a sight to behold even in 2021 almost 2022 but in 1888 it must have been a breathtaking marvel [Music] cypress pine and oak are all used on this staircase and stained in different colors to give a beautiful relief pattern and accent all the design this fan element is one of the most popular elements of the aesthetic period and we see it on both sides of this beautiful double rising staircase and here's the man himself james hornybrook who masterminded the construction of this incredible home his daughter margaret [Music] the current owners have only recently discovered a portrait of the original owner's wife margaret but she's not yet on display [Music] now let's take a look at the treasures to be found upstairs which unlike in many victorian homes are just as grand and glorious on the second floor as they are on the first this home now serves as a bed and breakfast so each of these rooms is a guest room and can be enjoyed by you for a weekend you'll note the beautiful woodwork still stained the transom windows and the high ceilings continue on the second floor and of course the magnificent view of the stained glass skylight don't worry we're going to take you up that little staircase in the corner in just a moment [Music] this is my favorite bedroom on the second floor why because the piece is surrounded by some of the most beautiful hand-painted tile work i've ever seen i don't know this for a fact but i think that mrs hornybrook herself might have been responsible for the creation of the fireplace surround let's have a peek of it and see what you think [Music] who wouldn't want to spend a weekend or even a week in this beautiful room surrounded by these beautiful tiles in a gorgeous victorian half-tester bed this is the tower bedroom as the name suggests the bed is situated inside the second floor of that incredible tower the views out these windows are stunning as you can see in the horny brook mansion every detail has been meticulously restored aesthetic movement doorknobs hinges pulls abound again we have the welch blares to thank for this meticulous level of restoration as when they found this house it took months of research alone just to restore it to its original floor plan each guest room is spacious luxurious and full of the types of antiques that you want to find in a historic bed and breakfast inn so do [Music] while every guest room does have its private bath when built the horny brook had only one bathroom today the original bathtub resides in one of the guest rooms and the original toilet in another so [Music] it's difficult to imagine the scale of this property but it's 7 200 square feet of absolute victorian magnificence [Music] the current owners have done a splendid job of making this a warm welcome inviting place to come spend time while you're here with us in little rock there's that original bathtub still waiting just for you [Music] now the space i know you're all dying to see what's up this tiny staircase on the fourth floor of this incredible mansion [Music] [Music] here it is are you ready the tower room this space was designed exclusively for james hornybrook and his fellow friends they played poker and drank the night away in this space enjoying the incredible views from the fourth floor of the horny brook mansion it said that one of these panels of glass was left clear so james and his compatriots could spot the authorities if they came to bust up their party [Music] considering all that the horny brook mansion has been through in its lifetime it's remarkable that these art glass windows remain intact when you come visit the horny brook don't miss that incredible space [Music] the grounds of the horny brook are spectacular and in the spring and summer they bloom in abundance i think this would also be a marvelous place to have a wedding don't you [Music] [Music] the current owner antonio has converted the carriage house into three large private suites so if you love historic homes but you enjoy modern living these guest suites may be just the ones for you [Music] do [Music] [Music] [Music] do [Music] [Music] comfy cozy and warm these suites are a perfect home away from home for your time in the beautiful state of arkansas [Music] do [Music] [Music] the empress of little rock the horny brick mansion stands as a testament to the horny brooks who built it the welch blairs who restored it and to the current owners who are being diligent and careful caretakers of its magnificent history homes like this are disappearing every single day across the united states and we're so lucky to have such a glorious example of this high style architecture right here in downtown little rock arkansas this building alone makes a visit to our state and our city well worth your time come spend a few days in the empress of little rock and see for yourself the architectural splendor that she still has just for you [Music] do [Music] [Music] so [Music] [Music] do [Music] you

Channel: Our Restoration Nation

Views: 393,887

Keywords: Before/After, Time Lapse, Remodel, Home Restoration, Renovation, Preservation, Historic Home, Victorian Home, This Old House, Magnolia, HGTV, DIY, How To, Laine Berry, Kevin Berry, FOR SALE, HOME FOR SALE, VICTORIAN HOME FOR SALE, REAL ESTATE, REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

Id: epIXT08XE9U

Length: 24min 35sec (1475 seconds)

Published: Thu Dec 30 2021

Reddit Comments

[u/pseudocultist]

Oh my goodness, that’s the Empress, I just drove by her. Just crazy opulent. The mini dormers on the tower just crack me up, so romantic and whimsical.