The Gwinn Estate, home of William Gwinn Mather designed by Charles A. Platt c. 1908 in Cleveland, Ohio, with landscaping in conjunction with Warren H. Manning. Mather was the head of the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company and has a bulk freighter named after him, now the Steamship William G. Mather Maritime Museum. Click HERE for more on the Gwinn Estate and HERE to see the home on bing.
Photos from Architectural Record, 1909.
11 comments:
Looks remarkably intact even down to the formal gardens, gazebos and greenhouses. Spectacular lakefront setting in a nice neighborhood. A very fine story about the family and their contributions to Cleveland.
Best of the best, no doubt.
I have long wanted to visit Gwinn, mistakingly thinking it was open to the public. Has anyone seen it?
I too have long wanted to visit Gwinn. I believe that visits can be arranged by special arrangement. There was a marvelous book "The Muses of Gwinn" published about ten years ago, which I highly recommend. Various chapters taking one through the entire development of house and estate, intelligently written, marvelous pictures.
I too have long wanted to visit Gwinn. I believe that visits can be arranged by special arrangement. There was a marvelous book "The Muses of Gwinn" published about ten years ago, which I highly recommend. Various chapters taking one through the entire development of house and estate, intelligently written, marvelous pictures.
Beautiful.....!!!
I take it all back. Nothing is sacred. I thought the property was still, as it was a few years ago, under the stewardship of the Ireland family. It turns out that they sold it, and it is back in private ownership. This is depressing news indeed, for it was one of the best preserved and most important estates surviving from its era. Apparently there was no effort on the part of the Ireland family to transfer it to a public foundation or museum, despite the years they made the property available.
It's sad. Unlike England, we do not seem to understand the importance of keeping some of these properties in public ownership in original condition. Even more depressing is this clipping---showing the great Paul Manship vase created for an important spot on the drive axis, now sold from the estate and on exhibit at the Winter Antique Show.
http://www.cleveland.com/arts/index.ssf/2010/01/paul_manship_vase_conceived_fo.html
The Dilettante is sad. I thought Gwinn was one of the lucky few saved for posterity.
Hey there,
I work for a company that is working on the 7 million $ restoration of the Gwinn Estate. I've been through the house and it is still breathtaking.
Unlike England, the US does not support the public preservation of estates like Gwinn. Maintenance of them is left to family and private non-profits which only sparely can support such enterprises. Gwinn was held in trust by a foundation for 50 years. 50 years! It paid for the superior maintenance of the house, the restoration of the garden and the extremely costly renovation of the lakeside breakwall and grounds, all the while providing free use of the house and gardens for non-profit groups in need of meeting space.
To return the house to private ownership is a nothing short of a dream-come-true.
Hi I am a reporter for the Plain Dealer, and I would love to write about the Gwinn House. If anyone knows how I can arrange this, please email me at jwashington@plaind.com. Thanks!
Photos of the Gwinn estate by : Catherine McManus can be seen on flickr at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/catarionna/albums/72157626298843249
Photos of the "restoration" are also on flickr at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/124958390@N04/
History and historic photos of Gwinn at: http://mrmhadams.typepad.com/blog/2012/01/gwinn.html
Why one would see the return of the home to private ownership as "nothing short of a dream-come-true" as remarked above is, hard to figure out. This monument to Cleveland's industrial age, it's architecture by Charles A Platt and gardens by Warren Manning, both of national significance, is now behind closed doors and forgotten. Its future preservation is now beyond the reach of public accountability and its significant art and furnishings are dispersed.
One famous art object, a monumental vase conceived for the gardens of Gwinn by Paul Manship was sold.
I suppose the Ireland family, who inherited the estate, simply decided to sell out and cash in. It's the sort of lack civic mindedness characteristic of old money in Cleveland (perhaps most clearly demonstrated by Art Modell.) They care about Cleveland only so far as it benefits them and the first thing they cash in on are historic properties. The shockingly cynical and offensive "Legacy Village" built on the demolished Bolton-Blossom estate makes no effort to cover up the truth. It shamelessly celebrates demolishing history and cashing in on it.
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