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Recently while on the English Heritage website I saw intriguing photos of Kirby Hall and remembered it from the 1999 movie of Jane Austen's " Mansfield Park ". I've always been intrigued by ruins so I asked my penpal if he had ever visited the estate. He responded with these pictures from his 2009 visit. From a distance in the newly relaid gardens the structure appears as a normal Elizabethan house; as if the owners had just stepped away. However it has laid abandoned since the 18th century when the owners walked away and only in the past few decades have portions of the interior been rebuilt. Kirby Hall began construction in 1570 for Queen Elizabeth I's Lord Chancellor and close friend, Sir Christopher Hatton . Many claimed he was actually her lover (particularly her enemy Mary, Queen of Scots) as they were very close personal friends and he benefited financially from their relationship (obviously). Some things never change with jealousy and  mud-slinging! The f...

Hardwick Hall should really be called "New Hardwick Hall" because as with many great British estates it was built to improve upon one which already existed, Old Hardwick Hall is seen below. Built for Bess of Hardwick, the Countess of Shrewsbury, in the 1590s by architect Robert Smythson , the house is more glass than wall. This may impress us even today but imagine the effect this would have had on guests 500 years ago; the saying was "Hardwick Hall more glass than wall"!. It was also built 'upside down' in effect as the main entertaining spaces are on the top level to take advantage of the views. In Elizabethan times it was also popular to dine on the roof - we weren't the first ones to have rooftop decks! Much of the interior paneling found inside came from Old Hardwick Hall, which was kept as a ruin for scenic effect.  Trees were even planted inside the old house in the 18th century.  The Hardwick coat of arms is seen above the fireplace in the entry...

Last week I had the pleasure of touring the Carnegie Institute of Science with our local branch of the ICAA (these lunch time tours we offer are my favorite aspect of the ICAA).  I have been walking past this building on 16th street NW for as long as I've lived in Washington but never knew the glories that were inside! The old front door facing 16th street is seldom used (it is solid bronze and weighs literal TONS) which is a shame because the detailing on the front porch is phenomenal. The original building (located on 16th street) was completed in 1908 by architects Carrere and Hastings for Andrew Carnegie (click the link for more projects by Carrere and Hastings featured on this blog).  You can see the front facade in the first photograph of this post and the side elevation (on P street NW) below.  As the institution grew the need for more space was accommodated by a large addition by the architects Delano and Aldrich in 1938 (click the link for more projects by D...