One particular of Stamford Connecticut’s most attractive historic luxury households is Marion Castle designed in 1914 by Frank Marion, 1 of the very first early motion photo pioneers. This beautiful waterfront Neo-French Renaissance chateau at One Rogers Street, Shippan Level exemplifies the period of Stamford’s emergence in the early 1900’s from a farming group to the yr-round residences of rich New York people.
Marion Castle was designed by a single of the very first correct movie moguls, Frank Marion, whose Kalem Firm generated some of the earliest 1 reelers revealed at nickelodeons and silent film houses across the nation. His initial large strike was Ben Hur in 1907 that was fifteen minutes in duration focusing generally on the chariot race. The movie was shot at the seaside with firemen as actors employing the horses that generally pulled the hearth wagons pulling the chariots.
Ben Hur was a single of the most common novels of its working day and the film was an fast success. Frank Marion proved himself to be not only a fantastic businessman but also getting a social mindful when he lifted the daily wage of actors to five bucks a working day – forcing the rest of the emerging movement photo industry to do the similar.
Even so Marion was on the chopping edge of what at the time was the emerging know-how of his working day. The publisher and estate of the author of Ben Hur took the company all the way to the US Supreme Court docket and proven the initial copyright precedent that although the film only centered on the chariot race that was a pretty small portion of the ebook, motion image producers ought to to start with acquire legal rights to printed operate right before they can develop a film based mostly upon that get the job done.
Undaunted, Marion’s Kalem Enterprise upcoming built movement image record by sending a crew to Eire in 1910 to make what was the 1st American movement photograph to be shot on spot exterior of the United States. Two decades later on, he despatched a digital camera crew to Palestine the place From the Manger To the Cross was filmed.
These movies have been quite thriving, he sold the firm immediately after 10 decades in the motion picture business enterprise and built Marion Castle as his retirement residence for the satisfaction of his spouse, son and 4 daughters.
Marion Castle was designed in the design and style of a French Renaissance chateau by the famous New York City based architectural company of Hunt & Hunt who had created this fashion pretty well-liked on Fifth Ave at the switch of the century. Marion Castle is a composite of a number of Loire Valley chateaus.
It attributes a steep slate roof with copper crestings growing significant above the primary body of the mansion. The entrance deal with has large dormer home windows with superior pediments bordered by finials. A gabled wing that faces the seaward side has a huge triple window with mullions and transom bars and steps top down to the grade.
On the north side of the dwelling, a extensive half-timbered bay projects from the primary wall foremost up to a circular turret offering it its distinctive “castle” glimpse. The interior incorporates a balconied major hall and nearly 30 supplemental rooms of various dimensions and employs.
Frank Marion designed and occupied Marion Castle until eventually his loss of life at 93 in 1963. The home was then offered to Martha and David Cogan, an inventor and leader in the advancement of radio and television who assisted develop the 1st shade television tube. Martha was broadly renown and revered for conserving many children from Hitler through Earth War Two.
In 1978, Jay Kobrin and Gordon Micunis bought Marion Castle and were being pretty influential in getting it positioned on the Countrywide Sign up of Historic Areas in 1982 – the only construction in Stamford’s Shippan Position listed in the Register.
Given that 1998 Marion Castle has been owned and occupied by Thomas L. Wealthy, a properly recognised Stamford genuine estate developer. Mr. Rich has permitted the residence to be utilised thoroughly for non-financial gain situations these types of as the Shippan Stage Association’s yearly community social gathering.
These days, the beautiful waterfront historic luxurious home of Frank Marion is a single of Stamford CT’s most unique landmarks. Possessing been owned by many ground breaking civic minded business owners, Marion Castle continues to be the middle issue of lots of of the town’s important community and social activities.
