History of Collinwood

[BuzzH]

Perhaps its a walk-in gun closet?

LOL, indeed!     I also think you could get to the back door of the place that way because several times ppl would either emerge from there, or go through that door out of the Drawing Room saying either they'd just come in the back way or were going out the back way. 

[CastleBee]

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

My guess was that it as a small sitting area that led to other rooms on that side of the house.  (I thought of the kitchen as being off camera or more or less to the right and straight ahead as you face the fireplace.)  I think that one of the DS books refers to the room behind the louvered doors as being a study.

One thing about both houses is that you really don't see all that much of either when you come right down to it.  It's what is implied and what you imagine that makes it seem so big.  I never thought as much about the Old House but, I've always imagined Collinwood to be almost infinite.  Considering those portals into PT that came later I guess you could make an argument for that idea.
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[Janet the Wicked]

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

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

That's what I think too. There is an episode where Willie is seen carrying a step ladder through that door.

[CallieWL]

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

If you look at that door, it's not really even a louvered door.  (I always thought it was until I got a closer look one time.)  There are slats with a small open space between them, and they're not at an angle at all, nor do they move.

I imagine that the door leads to a servants hallway, the kitchen, back stairs, etc.  That makes more sense than having the basement door within viewing range of the front door, as it was by the time Nicholas showed up.  Like lots of places on the show, they got closer and closer to each other as time moved on!

[CastleBee]

That makes more sense than having the basement door within viewing range of the front door, as it was by the time Nicholas showed up.

That's one of my extreme pet peeves about the Old House - that totally FUGLY basement door which ended up being the focal point of the foyer.  I can't imagine this in an otherwise elegant 18th century house.  I remember at first there appeared to be a long hallway and maybe even a few twists and turns that led to that door - which makes way more sense to me.[/size]

[BuzzH]

That's one of my extreme pet peeves about the Old House - that totally FUGLY basement door which ended up being the focal point of the foyer.  I can't imagine this in an otherwise elegant 18th century house.  I remember at first there appeared to be a long hallway and maybe even a few twists and turns that led to that door - which makes way more sense to me.

ITA!  The way I 'justify' it in my mind is that Barnabas had Willie install that door when he moved back in to keep pesky little boys out of the basement/coffin room.  There's no way in hell that door realistically existed in 1795 (had they even discovered/invented steel by then?).  'Course, now I'll go back and watch 1795 and that damn door will be there, LOL!  

I also think there used to be at least one turn and a longish hallway before the door became visible.  I'm vaguely remembering David walking down this hallway to the door and being caught by Julia before he could get to the basement.  This was before she and Barnabas had joined forces to become the dynamic duo they would eventually become.

Anyway, like you say, by the time of the 1968 plotline you could look out that door's window and see the front entrance doors.  Hard to believe Sy made a mistake like this but there you have it.  

[arashi]

That makes more sense than having the basement door within viewing range of the front door, as it was by the time Nicholas showed up.

That's one of my extreme pet peeves about the Old House - that totally FUGLY basement door which ended up being the focal point of the foyer.  I can't imagine this in an otherwise elegant 18th century house.  I remember at first there appeared to be a long hallway and maybe even a few twists and turns that led to that door - which makes way more sense to me.[/size]

OMG! Isn't that door horrible? I always wondered why the damn thing was SO CLOSE to the front door. It's so out of place, and wouldn't people question why you needed a steel door with bars on it to keep people out of your basement? And for that matter why are there so many damn jail-esque cells built into the house?

[Brandon Collins]

OMG! Isn't that door horrible? I always wondered why the damn thing was SO CLOSE to the front door. It's so out of place, and wouldn't people question why you needed a steel door with bars on it to keep people out of your basement? And for that matter why are there so many damn jail-esque cells built into the house?

No kidding! Ugly door, stupid cells! There are even cells in the basement of Collinwood, if I'm not mistaken. Perhaps these were used to lock away bad-behaved servants? They probably would've just shot them instead.

And on another note, let me just say that I love the way that HODS is shot the same way as the series--they close up on Carolyn so Barnabas can enter the shot. How polite.

[Pansity]

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.

Don't know about Maine, but the mansions from that period in the NY area are much more Federal Style (plain front kind of boxy -- all the ornate stuff is INSIDE).

Your post got me thinking about a few discussion threads on just this topic on one of my yahoo groups (which alas, went dormant due to some fannish stupidity a few years ago, and I am going to make another crack at waking it up.)  ds history vs. melodrama is the name of the group, and we had a really good group for a while discussing the real life history vs what DS shows. (anyone interested in the group please pm me.)

In any case, from what i remember from the posts on this, the size of the house can be explained by the Collins trying to ape the "stately homes" of England of the 16 & 1700s -- I remember Blenheim Palace used as an example.  Folks in those days, especialy the rich ones, needed LOTS of room.  First off houseguests in those days stayed for MONTHS since transportation was so horrible.  Secondly you have extended families (at least it would seem this was Joshua's intent) living under the same roof.  Think of the wings as daughter in law houses and you get the picture.

Thirdly you have the need for TONS AND TONS of SERVANTS.  Especially with a houseful of guests, the guests would be bringing along THEIR servants, as we see with Josette and Angelique.  NOt to mention that in those days food preparation, housework and the other functions of running the house were done with people power not labor saving devices.

[Nelson Collins]

Thirdly you have the need for TONS AND TONS of SERVANTS.  Especially with a houseful of guests, the guests would be bringing along THEIR servants, as we see with Josette and Angelique.  NOt to mention that in those days food preparation, housework and the other functions of running the house were done with people power not labor saving devices.

Gosford Park is a very good example of this: A Huge house just crawling with servants, not only the Master's staff but all the servants brought by the guests.  The downstairs kitchens and laundry etc. is a virtual rabbit warren.

While living in that style may have been Joshua's intent when having Collinwood built, sadly, the events of 1795 certainly cast a pall on those dreams, by the end of storyline [spoiler]the only truly "living" Collinses were Joshua, Millicent (mad), and her brother (?) Daniel, IIRC.[/spoiler]

[Joeytrom]

Yes, [spoiler]there were only three Collinses living at Collinwood after 1795.[/spoiler] Perhaps Joshua hired a new governess for Daniel and a nurse to care for Millicent.  There were the other servants like Riggs, maids, and the cook still in the house.
Ben was probably also there from time to time when he wasn't at his own house/land.

Joshua & Millicent still may have been alive when Daniel married Harriet.  The supernatural seems to be dormant for a few decades before acting up at Collinwood again.  Perhaps there was a pleasant athmosphere when Quentin & Gabriel were children.

[michael c]

i'll throw something else into the time-honored "kitchen/breakfast room" debate(a debate that perhaps exists only in my own mind).

i recently rewatched the early jason mcguire blackmail episodes and the first willie loomis(james hall,who while undeniably creepy,was sort of dirty/sexy where as johny karlen's willie was more sad-eyed-puppy-dog-cute)and the louse enters said kitchen/breakfast room and demands that he be served breakfast.vicki beats a hasty retreat from this room,locates mrs.johnson,returns and reports to willie that she's fixing him breakfast as they speak...in some other room.

so perhaps i'll refer to this space as the "solarium/breakfast room" i honor of that funky greenhouse area.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

vicki beats a hasty retreat from this room,locates mrs.johnson,returns and reports to willie that she's fixing him breakfast as they speak...in some other room.

so perhaps i'll refer to this space as the "solarium/breakfast room" i honor of that funky greenhouse area.

That's probably a perfect assessment, mscbryk. And probably the only reason we see the dinner with Laura take place in the same room is because they didn't have the space and/or the budget to create a dining room set...

[BuzzH]

While living in that style may have been Joshua's intent when having Collinwood built, sadly, the events of 1795 certainly cast a pall on those dreams, by the end of storyline [spoiler]the only truly "living" Collinses were Joshua, Millicent (mad), and her brother (?) Daniel, IIRC.[/spoiler]

Which is why, to me, 1795 is the saddest of all the plotlines!  It's all just so tragic!  Especially at the end when [spoiler]Joshua comes to his senses and tries to tell Barnabas that he DOES love him.  The looks they give each other as they say goodbye for the last time just breaks my heart everytime![/spoiler]