🎄 Season's Greetings from Meadow Brook Hall! 🏰

Meadow Brook Hall, a stunning Tudor Revival-style mansion, is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Built between 1926 and 1929, it was commissioned by Matilda Dodge Wilson, heiress to the Dodge automaker fortune, and her second husband, lumber baron Alfred Wilson. Spanning an impressive 88,000 square feet (8,200 m²) with 110 rooms, it holds the distinction of being the fourth-largest historic mansion museum in the United States.

What I find truly fascinating about these castle-like American mansions is their unique, almost collage-like blend of rooms and styles. At their core lies the Tudor Revival style, serving as the architectural foundation with its steeply pitched gable roofs, decorative half-timbering, tall, narrow windows with small panes, and prominent brick or stone facades. In the early 20th century, wealthy Americans often went a step further, acquiring original architectural elements, such as chimney mantels, staircases, and even entire libraries, from struggling British aristocrats, adding layers of history and authenticity to these grand homes.

In addition, these mansions often showcase an impressive combination of French Rococo-style rooms and Gothic Revival elements, including pointed arches, ribbed vaults, artful carvings, and stained glass windows. These features evoke a sense of grandeur, romantic nostalgia, and artistic appreciation for the craftsmanship of the Middle Ages and other periods. The blending of such diverse architectural and interior design styles from different places and time periods creates a unified yet eclectic visual experience.

In many ways, these homes are like artistic collages- expressions of wealth, admiration for global art, and a celebration of design innovation. They are versatile and creative forms of art in themselves, combining history, architecture, and personal taste into one magnificent space. While some Europeans may initially hesitate to appreciate the beauty of these "collage-like" mansions, I encourage you to see them for their uniqueness and charm. A visit to Meadow Brook Hall, or similar historic estates, will showcase how these homes reflect a harmonious fusion of artistry, culture, and creativity.

💡 Have you ever visited one of America´s castles?