History of Collinwood

[Zahir]

Something that always struck me as odd.

The Old House was a very nice mansion, and pretty big too.  Yet it was built in an obscure part of the American wilderness overlooking what must have been a tiny fishing village.  Why?  Remember Barnabas going on and on about the elaborate materials brought to Maine for its construction?  That is mighty weird.  Makes you wonder if there wasn't something odd going on with the original Collins family.

But if anything Collinwood is stranger.  It isn't just large, it is huge.  Built in 1795, when Maine was still a very poor and obscure part of Massachussetts.  More, Collinwood is built in a style that didn't exist until several decades later!

[Brandon Collins]

Perhaps the most obvious reason for the things you have brought up is the fact that the writers where very inconsistant in certain aspects of the show. I don't know when the mansion used for Collinwood was built, but I wouldn't have any other one as my Collinwood.

Maybe the Old House was built overlooking the village because the town is called "Collinsport" which means that the Collins founded it. In LP's The Salem Branch, if I remember correctly [spoiler]The Collinses originally settled near or in Salem, as they were present there in 1692 when Miranda was hung as a witch.[/spoiler] which could mean that since a branch went up to the upper part of what was Mass. as you have said, they were looking to bring commerce to the area and make bank in creating another port farther up. This no doubtedly would bring more settlers to the area because of work opportunities and the new ability to get supplies up there by sea rather than by land. The house was built above the town because, as illustrated many times by Roger, Edward, Joshua, etc, family pride was A number 1 on the list, and this would have told anyone coming into the town "Hey look at us rich folk all the way up here and not down in the dirty dirty dumps that we've created for you nasties to live in." Maybe a little harsh, but something to that effect.

Or I could've just went with the most simple excuse that the original premise of the show was a "Jane Eyre" type story, so a house on a hill was kind of necessary. 

[CastleBee]

I don't know when the mansion used for Collinwood was built, but I wouldn't have any other one as my Collinwood.

I hear you BC - I feel the same way about the old place!  Here's an interesting little run down on the history - it's even younger than I once suspected...

The Carey Mansion ala Wikipedia
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[Zahir]

Yeah,  both mansions are quite gorgeous, but the point is--aren't they really huge (especially the Old House) for a tiny fishing village in the middle of a wilderness?  When Collinsport was founded, Boston was one of the largest cities in North America--and was hardly more than a big town.  Collinsport must have been nothing more than a few farms and fisherman huts.  Yet this PALACE was built there.

Think of it this way--if the Kennedies or Rockefellers decided to built a palatial home for themselves, would they do so in Moose Neck, Alaska with a population of maybe fifty people on an especially busy day?  And with no easy means of transport to and from the place?

[CastleBee]

Think of it this way--if the Kennedies or Rockefellers decided to built a palatial home for themselves, would they do so in Moose Neck, Alaska with a population of maybe fifty people on an especially busy day?  And with no easy means of transport to and from the place?

Ah, yes but, you see a Kennedy, a Rockefeller or even a Vanderbilt has nothing on a Collins for reclusive anti-social tendencies and the ability to come up with weird ideas and schemes. All the other old money mentioned may all have their various skeletons and attic dwelling nut cases but, not one of them can claim a vampire or werewolf as part of their incestry.  Any family that would beget that kind of supernatural offspring would have to start off with an unusual mindset. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Well, the fact that the Collinses built such impressive homes probably says more about them and the image they wanted to project of themselves onto the residents of Collinsport more than it does about the homes themselves.

And as for Collinwood, the original backstory was that it had been built decades later than was established during the 1795/96 storyline. Jeremiah had supposedly built Collinwood in the 19th century for Josette - which explains why it has such an influence of French architecture - and that actually made more sense. But, of course, once 1795/96 came along, that whole backstory was tossed out the window. 

[MagnusTrask]

Now I know the expression "Gilded Age" and when it was.   I wish I knew more about architecture.    In the last year or two I've looked at fronts of buildings and the details, because I wanted to use them in drawings.    I guess Collinwood should have been fairly new when Quentin was born.   It did look wrong in 1795 somehow.     Then, in PT 1692 (?)... !!    Brutus just looked ridiculous sitting there in the Drawing Room.

The Collinses had their business in Maine.    No airplanes, no freeways.     You don't get to be bi-coastal or to even speed down to Boston whenever you like in... whenever the Old House was originally built, or even Collinwood.   They had to be there to make their money.

The size of Collinwood is a mystery... I wonder if Maine has any mansions going back that far.    Come to think of it, that's the biggest damn house i've ever seen in my life, and in any era, only a handful of people live there, and they all hang out in one small room right next to the front door.   They keep both wings closed and just use the middle bit.

[MagnusTrask]

Some problem is keeping us off certain threads at certain times, and a long post of mine just got obliterated.

Anyway, their business was in Maine, and they had to live there.    The size was crazy even for today... they have to keep both wings closed.

[michael c]

that's so true mangus,

collinwood is enormous and yet they all do just hang out in that front room off the foyer.i mean the "drawing room" of course.but at least it's explained right off the bat that much of the house is "closed off" and at various points in time we are privy to the study,the kitchen,the characters bedrooms and countless,unused,spooky east wing/west wing/basement/attic rooms.

over at the old house despite it's massive scale the only rooms we ever see are the foyer/drawing room,josette's room and the basement which seems to alternate between being barnabas' coffin chamber and julia's lab.we never even get to see where that funky louvered door leads to.

[Raineypark]

.we never even get to see where that funky louvered door leads to.

I always thought it was the kitchen.....

[MagnusTrask]

I'll have to look for Barn's funky louvred door now... I don't remember it.   Maybe that's because I'm not totally sure what "louvered" means.  Moulding, or something?  You can see what I mean now about my not knowing much about architecture.

Someone was just nice enough to point out that my longer post posted.   I won't say who because I may have just found out about some bit of Internet etiquette where you aren't supposed to tell anyone about a PM or give the name of the sender, even if there's nothing especially private or controversial in it.    I was just hounded off a board by someone for something like this.   Anyway, thanks.

[Brandon Collins]

Then, in PT 1692 (?)... !!    Brutus just looked ridiculous sitting there in the Drawing Room.

Yes, especially since Collinwood wasn't built until 1796! Even though this is PT, it would absolutely absurd to believe that Collinwood existed that far back. He was probably shown in Collinwood because I think the set for the Old House got thrown out or burned or something so they didn't have it anymore. That sucks.

And I think the "funky louvred door" is the double doors to the left of the fireplace that looks like a closet--where Willie and Barnabas go to time and again to get the gun. Perhaps its a walk-in gun closet?

[Mysterious Benefactor]

He was probably shown in Collinwood because I think the set for the Old House got thrown out or burned or something so they didn't have it anymore. That sucks.

Umm, [spoiler]Bramwell, Josette and Daphne were living at the Old House in 1841PT[/spoiler]- the sets still existed. 

[BuzzH]

over at the old house despite it's massive scale the only rooms we ever see are the foyer/drawing room,josette's room and the basement which seems to alternate between being barnabas' coffin chamber and julia's lab.we never even get to see where that funky louvered door leads to.

Actually, in 1795 we also get to see Barnabas's room, Jeremiah's room, Joshua & Naomi's room (which becomes Barnabas's room when he 'dies'), Sarah's room, Vickie's room, Angelique's room and Joshua's study.

[barnabasjr]

over at the old house.....we never even get to see where that funky louvered door leads to.

I always wondered what was back there, too.