Imagine keeping a secret so large
that you need an architects help to keep up the charade. Hi everyone,
Ken here, welcome to This House!! Richard Upjohn, a British-born architect who moved
to the United States in the early 19th century, played a significant role in shaping
American Architectural tastes. While he might be best remembered as cofounding
the American Institute of Architects, or perhaps for his designs, including iconic
churches, he was also a proponent of the Italianate Style which gained widespread
popularity around the US in the mid 1800s. In 1858, an Alabama plantation owner and cotton
factor by the name of Edward Kenworthy Carlisle wrote to Upjohn asking him to design a modern
house that would stand out from all the other plantations. Carlisle did not want a house rooted
in tradition as he saw himself as a modern man going against the grain. He wanted something
that reflected his values and made a statement. Carlisle was publicly against slavery and
advocated for abolition. He vowed to never purchase or sell another human being, but was
happy to make a fortune off of plantation owners who used slave labor to produce their cotton.
When his wife inherited dozens of slaves, instead of freeing them and sending them
north, as he had previously advocated, he decided to keep them and labor them on his
own plantation. He amassed a fortune playing both sides with no one being the wiser,
and later on when the Civil War broke out, he made a fortune overcharging both
sides for his services and cotton. Being able to play both sides meant having
an estate that could fool visitors. Richard Upjohn designed a large house where none of the
slaves would ever be seen by guests in the public rooms. In a time when most laundry rooms were
included in the basement, Upjohn strategically placed it as an outbuilding connected by
a loggia. With strategically placed trees, this completely blocked the view of Carlisle’s
slave quarters and cotton fields from the main house, ensuring no one from the north would
be able to call him out on his hypocrisy. As we enter the home, take note of the
wide cross hall and large windows we will see throughout. This was Upjohn’s solution to the
sweltering climate, allowing for cross breezes to ventilate and cool the house through its core.
Unfortunately, the house was only documented twice, so as we continue our tour we will see
a mix of color and black and white photos. To the right of the grand staircase we will find
the octagonal library with its windows facing east to catch the morning light. Turning around,
we find built in bookcases designed by Upjohn, an early example of his transitional
period from gothic to Italianate styling. Next we find the parlor designed with
clean lines and scarce, but effective ornamentation found surrounding the window
and on the upper most layer of crown molding. Towards the rear of the house,
we can step out onto the porch and make our way over to the door
on the left side of the screen. This brings us into the kitchen, though by the time this photo was taken it
hadn’t been used as such in quite a while. Let’s go back outside and follow the loggia
over to the outbuilding. Along the way, we can look off to our side to see the
cistern. Entering the 2 room building brings us to what was originally
the washing and ironing room. We still have much more to see in
the main house, so let’s cut across the service yard and take the central door
behind the staircase to continue exploring. This brings us back into the cross hall
facing towards the front of the house. Let’s turn around and take the grand staircase
up to the second floor, admiring the newel posts, wood paneling, and decorative millwork all
extensively detailed by Upjohn in his plans for the house. At the landing, the staircase
splits below a large window and brings us to the second floor cross hall. Looking around,
it is easy to imagine how grand it once looked before the plaster medallion eroded with
time and before the millwork was painted. The Carlisle’s son had a spacious
bedroom with large windows and his own fireplace which had been sealed off by
the first time the house was documented. The Carlisles had the largest bedroom in
the house, once again boasting an intricate marble mantel. Through the door on the
left we can see a twisting staircase. From the first floor, the tower staircase
is hidden from the public rooms, sandwiched between a bedroom and the dining
room. This deep interior space is illuminated by a skylight 3 stories above us. This
staircase allowed their slaves to move through the house discretely, connecting to
the family’s bedrooms, but not to the guest bedrooms. Making our way up to the very top of
the staircase we find the door to the tower. This is where the architecture gets
a little tricky, from the outside the tower looks like it is only 3 stories,
but it is actually 4 stories with hidden slave quarters. If we continue up the
stairs we just saw on the floor plan, we arrive at the top of the tower offering
360 degree views of the plantation. Following the Civil War, Edward Carlisle lost a
significant portion of his fortune and the land the house sat on was devalued to less than half
of what it was worth before the war. His family continued to use the property only as a summer
residence over the next several decades, ignoring its much needed maintenance. Even the subsequent
owners had trouble keeping up with the house and through much of the 20th century it sat vacant and
abandoned, becoming a popular spot for teenagers to hangout and vandalize the house. It lost its
elaborate porches, holes were torn through walls, the marble mantels were shattered, and the
humidity ate away at the elaborate plasterwork. Finally, after almost a hundred years of neglect
and deferred maintenance, it was purchased by the Martins who spent nearly 23 years restoring
Kenworthy Hall to its former glory. After sitting in ruin for decades, Kenworthy Hall
has been given new life as a private home. What did you think about Kenworthy Hall?
Let me know your thoughts down below in the comments section. And while you’re there, make sure to hit that subscribe button so you
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