Lost America
The Henry Pearl Talmadge Mansion was a flamboyant work of art designed by architect Douglas Smythe and built in 1887 at a cost of $45,000 on 714 Belvidere Street in Plainfield, New Jersey.
Mr. Talmadge was the head of a respected New York banking firm, as well as numerous other successful endeavors.
When he commissioned this superb 92″ long by 62″ wide edifice with a 48′ rise to the tower balcony, many looked at the design with skepticism, but no one could deny its grandeur.
The exterior was comprised of Belleville stone and shingles. The tower, servant’s rooms and two-story family veranda boasted lovely views of the valley and mountains.
First floor rooms were large and included a billiard room, library, dining room, parlor and grand entrance hall which was finished in antique oak.
At least three people have been known to have died in the house. Henry’s wife Lucy died in the home in 1933, and Henry died in the residence four years later. Private services were conducted there by the Reverend Robert B. Rock. The couple had five children, but it was the eldest son, Henry Talmadge, Jr., who lived in the home until he passed away in 1968.
Covered in vines, neglected and abandoned at this point, one year after Junior’s death, on May 19, 1969, the Talmadge Mansion burned to the ground of suspected arson.
Sadly, valuable crystal, statuary, hand-carved wood and antiques were destroyed with the mansion.
The property was subdivided and high ranches were built on the site, a far cry from the design of the Talmadge Mansion, a design that so stimulated the imagination.
