Stranahan Manor House 1999
by Jack Schultz
Title
Stranahan Manor House 1999
Artist
Jack Schultz
Medium
Photograph
Description
In the 1930s, R.A. Stranahan and his wife Page invested their vast fortune on a lavish estate and mansion. Constructed during the heart of the Great Depression, their over 30,000 square foot dream home was surrounded by 750 acres of forest, orchards and farm land. The residence served as a business venue for Champion Spark Plug, a familial retreat for the large Stranahan family and an elegant backdrop for elite social gatherings.
The couple spared no expense on their new home and spent around $350,000 building the Georgian Colonial style mansion. A local architectural firm, Mills, Rhines, Bellman and Nordhoff, Inc, designed the home and around 100 local workers erected it over a two year span, 1936 to 1938. To ensure its longevity, the Manor House was constructed of concrete and framed with steel beams.
The comfort and entertainment of guests and family served as the home�s primary purpose. The Manor House offered spacious guest rooms; each complete with a full bathroom, fire place and walk-in closet. An elevator transported guests to every floor in the home where they could enjoy various amenities including target practice in the shooting gallery, refreshments at the family�s bar, or meals in a formal dining room featuring antique French wallpaper and an English chandelier. Designed to impress, it has been estimated that when fully furnished the price tag of the residence approached $1 million.
While the home was important, Stranleigh (as the estate was known at the time) was designed as an intricate estate and utilized the surrounding countryside as well. In the large front yard, the Stranahan�s installed a 25 by 75 foot in-ground swimming pool with high and low diving boards. A 9-hole putting green and clay tennis court helped satisfy the family�s love of sports. Finally, horse riding trails were established throughout the estate and used for recreational riding and the occasional fox hunt. More formal riding shows were performed at the estate�s indoor riding arena.
Uploaded
October 22nd, 2015
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