Tim and I spent a beautiful October weekend in the Poconos with Aunt E and Uncle S. On Saturday, we decided to head down to
Jim Thorpe, walk around the town, and take a tour of the
Asa Packer mansion. We were surprised by sudden crowds as we entered the town. Apparently, we came during their "fall foliage" celebration. There was live music playing throughout the town, the shops were filled with people, and the trees were in full color. Being nestled along the river and surrounded by the mountains serves to make Jim Thorpe a beautiful town to fully appreciate the beauty of autumn. In fact,
Yahoo ranked Jim Thorpe as one of the top towns to visit during the fall. The town's celebration added to the "awe" factor and the enjoyment of spending a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Jim Thorpe.
The Packer Mansion is unique among the standard historical hours tours. It is not a restoration, but instead is a true peek into the lives of the wealthy Packer family. Asa Packer gained his wealth in the railroad and built his mansion of 11,000 square feet for $14,000 in 1861. Their youngest daughter then willed the house and all of its contents to the city of Mauch Chunk, now Jim Thorpe, in 1912. Since the city did not know what to do with it, the house sat untouched for 44 years. The house was finally opened to the public as a museum in 1956.
I was constantly struck by the level of detail and workmanship that went into all aspects of the house. The woodworking inside the house is unbelievably intricate. The wall treatments used sand and gravel to create textured "wall-paper" designs that were then painted over. The ceiling of the porches was sloped like the bottom of a boat.
There was a small out-building behind the house that kept ice blocks to use as "air conditioning" during the summer. A large block of ice would be place in the basement and then the windows in the 3rd floor would be opened. All the hot air would rise, and exit the 3rd floor windows, pulling with it a nice, cool draft from the ice. On a hot day, this system could lower the temperature of the house 10-15 degrees.
The Packer Mansion is unique among the standard historical hours tours. It is not a restoration, but instead is a true peek into the lives of the wealthy Packer family. Asa Packer gained his wealth in the railroad and built his mansion of 11,000 square feet for $14,000 in 1861. Their youngest daughter then willed the house and all of its contents to the city of Mauch Chunk, now Jim Thorpe, in 1912. Since the city did not know what to do with it, the house sat untouched for 44 years. The house was finally opened to the public as a museum in 1956.
I was constantly struck by the level of detail and workmanship that went into all aspects of the house. The woodworking inside the house is unbelievably intricate. The wall treatments used sand and gravel to create textured "wall-paper" designs that were then painted over. The ceiling of the porches was sloped like the bottom of a boat.
There was a small out-building behind the house that kept ice blocks to use as "air conditioning" during the summer. A large block of ice would be place in the basement and then the windows in the 3rd floor would be opened. All the hot air would rise, and exit the 3rd floor windows, pulling with it a nice, cool draft from the ice. On a hot day, this system could lower the temperature of the house 10-15 degrees.
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