A single of Stamford Connecticut’s most attractive historic luxurious properties is Marion Castle constructed in 1914 by Frank Marion, just one of the 1st early movement photo pioneers. This breathtaking waterfront Neo-French Renaissance chateau at A single Rogers Street, Shippan Issue 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 constructed by 1 of the initial accurate film moguls, Frank Marion, whose Kalem Company generated some of the earliest just one reelers revealed at nickelodeons and silent movie houses throughout the region. His initially significant strike was Ben Hur in 1907 that was fifteen minutes in size concentrating principally on the chariot race. The film was shot at the beach front with firemen as actors utilizing the horses that commonly pulled the fire wagons pulling the chariots.
Ben Hur was a single of the most preferred novels of its working day and the movie was an quick accomplishment. Frank Marion proved himself to be not only a superior businessman but also having a social conscious when he raised the every day wage of actors to 5 pounds a working day – forcing the relaxation of the emerging motion photograph industry to do the very same.
On the other hand Marion was on the reducing edge of what at the time was the emerging technological know-how of his day. The publisher and estate of the creator of Ben Hur took the company all the way to the US Supreme Court docket and recognized the first copyright precedent that whilst the film only targeted on the chariot race that was a pretty small part of the book, motion photograph producers should very first get hold of legal rights to printed operate ahead of they can generate a film centered upon that operate.
Undaunted, Marion’s Kalem Enterprise next created motion photograph record by sending a crew to Ireland in 1910 to make what was the very first American movement photograph to be shot on locale outdoors of the United States. Two years later on, he despatched a digital camera crew to Palestine where by From the Manger To the Cross was filmed.
These movies ended up incredibly effective, he marketed the enterprise following 10 years in the movement photo business and constructed Marion Castle as his retirement dwelling for the pleasure of his wife, son and 4 daughters.
Marion Castle was built in the fashion of a French Renaissance chateau by the famous New York Town based mostly architectural business of Hunt & Hunt who had created this style pretty well known on Fifth Ave at the transform of the century. Marion Castle is a composite of various Loire Valley chateaus.
It capabilities a steep slate roof with copper crestings growing higher above the principal human body of the mansion. The entrance face has big dormer home windows with superior pediments bordered by finials. A gabled wing that faces the seaward side has a substantial triple window with mullions and transom bars and methods leading down to the quality.
On the north aspect of the residence, a long fifty percent-timbered bay initiatives from the major wall primary up to a round turret offering it its exclusive “castle” appear. The inside features a balconied major corridor and just about thirty more rooms of numerous dimensions and utilizes.
Frank Marion constructed and occupied Marion Castle until finally his loss of life at 93 in 1963. The home was then bought to Martha and David Cogan, an inventor and chief in the development of radio and tv who aided build the initially color television tube. Martha was broadly renown and respected for preserving a lot of youngsters from Hitler in the course of Earth War Two.
In 1978, Jay Kobrin and Gordon Micunis bought Marion Castle and ended up quite influential in obtaining it placed on the Countrywide Sign-up of Historic Areas in 1982 – the only structure in Stamford’s Shippan Level mentioned in the Sign-up.
Considering the fact that 1998 Marion Castle has been owned and occupied by Thomas L. Abundant, a effectively recognized Stamford true estate developer. Mr. Wealthy has authorized the home to be utilized extensively for non-profit events these kinds of as the Shippan Issue Association’s yearly community get together.
Nowadays, the lovely waterfront historic luxurious residence of Frank Marion is a single of Stamford CT’s most exclusive landmarks. Having been owned by many ground breaking civic minded business people, Marion Castle carries on to be the heart level of a lot of of the town’s crucial group and social activities.