Family's $ million medieval-style dream mansion that took three years to build burns to the ground

The Daily Mail ^ | January 10, 2014 | Daily Mail Reporter

[EveningStar]

'There is nothing left': Family's $4MILLION medieval-style dream mansion that took them three years to build burns to the ground

A sprawling $4 million mansion built by an Ohio family has been gutted after a fire broke out on Friday afternoon.

Homeowner Maria Decker, who had only added the finishing touches to her family's dream home last year, was on vacation when the fire broke out.

Plumes of smoke and flames as high as 30ft could be seen as the fire ripped through the 22-room stone-built mansion.

[dfwgator]

It’s mostly jealousy and envy in the comments at the site. If it took them years and years to build they can’t be THAT rich

The Communists' brainwashing of this country has worked.

[dfwgator]

Architecture should sing...be a feast for the eye...and comfort for the body. IMHO.

Or just maybe the people LIVING in it should be happy with it.

[cicero2k]

Mrs Decker's 20-year-old son Chase, left a message on Facebook telling friends they had lost everything in the fire, but that the family's dogs had managed to survive.

Of course the dogs survived.

At least this time, without anyone dying to save them.

[Conservative4Ever]

I kinda thought that’s what I was saying...guess I missed the mark.

[SuziQ]

If I had $4 million to spend on a house, it would be made mostly of concrete and would include a sprinkler system.

Exactly!

[dfwgator]

The statement wasn’t really directed at you so much as the others making comments on what they thought the house should be.

It was their vision and they put up the money to make it happen, got to admire them for that, regardless of whether or not it would be our vision.

[deport]

A 22 room house with only 5 bedrooms. I wonder what all the other rooms were.

—————*****

It was built in 2006, sits on 5.3 acres and has 22 rooms: five bedrooms, seven full bathrooms and three half-bathrooms.

Ten were bath rooms but it doesn’t say what the other seven were.

[ottbmare]

God’s way of telling people not to build such ugly things.

[Cementjungle]

Apparently they had their builders business located there too, so I guess some of the rooms were for offices.

[deport]

True and probably, dining, kitchen, laundy, etc. A loss no matter the number.

[bramps]

Play a mean game of hide and seek in there.

[MD Expat in PA]

A 22 room house with only 5 bedrooms. I wonder what all the other rooms were.

A formal entry room, a formal living room, a formal dining room, a casual family room, an eat in kitchen, a breakfast room, a game room, an in home theater, a gym, a sauna, a craft room, a mud room, a butler’s pantry, a full laundry room, a kids play room, an in-law apartment or maids suite with its own living room, kitchen etc., a downstairs kitchen or outdoor kitchen, a library, a study/office, plus all the bathrooms, hey, it could add up……

[SES1066]

Um, doesn't his [Frank Lloyd Wright] nifty at first "water house" have problems caused by the water?

You could say that and you could say that it cost a lot to fix its problems. "Fallingwater" was built in the 1930s at Mill Run, Pennsylvania, for the Kaufmann Family of Kaufmann Department Stores. Upon completion in 1937, it cost $2.6 million in 2013 adjusted dollars, but when the 2009 renovation was done, that added another $11.4 million. While still deemed one of the best by the American Institute of Architects, it did have significant problems from the damp environment (mold) until restoration.

It is currently owned by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, to whom it was donated by the Kaufmann heir in 1963.

[dhs12345]

Not a good place to live if you are a sleepwalker.

[GeronL]

lol! Very true.

[AppyPappy]

“I call that very bad planning. “

Not if you want the insurance money.

[Nepeta]

This house stood in a town known for grandiose houses. It is not exactly rural, but many of the houses stand on large plots of land. I was surprised that this place burned to the ground since so many fire companies responded; this was not a matter of a house being way out in the sticks with volunteer companies at a distance. Indian Hill in fact borders on the city of Cincinnati.

There was some local live tv coverage of the fire, which looked horrific.

If I built a huge, sprawling house, I would have not only smoke detectors, but a system to summon the fire department automatically. If I had the money to build this kind of place, I would have active fire suppression systems in use, the kind used in industry. We've had cold weather, but yesterday was comparatively pleasant, with temps in the 40s, so fighting the fire would not have been a problem.

I am curious as to how the fire started.

[tired&retired]

“Apparently they had their builders business located there too”

Darn, there went all the tax records..... whew!!! What a blessing... I mean shame!!

[Cementjungle]

Darn, there went all the tax records..... whew!!!

Not sure the IRS would even take that as an excuse. We're getting audited on my MIL's estate, and now they're saying we owe $4K more for some gift tax back in the 1970's. There's no (affordable) way to fight them on something like that... she didn't leave any records that old.

[wally_bert]

I am reminded of a Remington Steele episode in season 5 where he somehow inherits a castle and there are so many past due bills and other high bills he can’t do anything with it.