Paine Castle Tour
From the Desk of Kathy Sheehan
If you have been watching HBO’s The Gilded Age, you would have seen several exterior scenes filmed of the exterior of the Paine Mansion, standing in as Mrs. Fane’s house. But who were the real owners of the castle?
A native of Troy, John Paine returned permanently to Troy after the death of his wife Julia in 1872. It was no coincidence that he chose the location on Second Street to build his grand house. Julia’s grandparents’ (John D. and Anne Eliza Dickinson), house was just up the street at 19 Second Street. Though the Paine’s permanent residence was in Washington, DC, they traveled a great deal to Troy and stayed at her grandparent’s house.
John Paine had invested in a row of twenty two attached houses near Washington Circle designed by architect T. F. Schneider. Seeing the success of that venture, he contracted Schneider to design his house at 49 Second Street. In 1892 the plans for the house were unveiled. The Troy Daily Times reported that the house would be, “the most elaborately finished private residence in the state, outside of New York City.”
Designed in the Romanesque style, the house is noted for its ornate carved woodwork, stained glass by Edwin Ford of Boston, and beautifully appointed mantles.
After the death of Paine’s son, the house was given to Russell Sage College. In 1951 Phi Kappa Phi became the owners.
The tour of the “Castle” will highlight the extensive restoration work being undertaken as well as to highlight the stories of when the Castle was used in the movie, “The Age of Innocence “ and the current preparations for season 2 of the Gilded Age.
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