(c) all rights reserved · Doodads · fauna

Doodads — road trip — Felt Mansion

msjadeli
This photo comes from the website. The rest of the pics are mine.

Yesterday I took a road trip to The Felt Mansion.  Although I had JUST put new batteries in the camera, AND the camera was a trooper until the end of my walk around the property, when I looked at the pictures, only 25% or so showed up.  This is a major disappointment because most of the shots of the exterior of the house didn’t show up, and neither did the giant butterfly bush that was swarming with monarch, swallowtail, and other butterflies, bees, etc.  They also have a large solar array in the field nearby.  I also got a few great shots of a row of swallows on a power line that never showed up.  They say the place is haunted, and when the camera with new batteries is acting normal but pictures don’t show up I have to wonder.  I got only one picture of the house, from a distance.

Felt Mansion is said to be haunted.  The family came from Chicago, their fortune made on one of those new-fangled adding machines.  Mr. Felt had the home built as their summer place.  His wife’s room overlooks the pond because she wanted it that way.  Unfortunately Mrs. Felt took ill and died shortly after the home was built.  In later years the mansion was turned into an orphanage and the kids slept in a giant room upstairs.  After that it became a state prison for awhile.

The first time I saw it was years ago.  I’m not sure how I first heard of it, but back then only a couple of rooms had been refurbished and the rest was in a state of neglect and disrepair.  They were still giving tours back then and we went on it.  When we walked through that upstairs great room, my scalp started tingling.  I never saw any ghost in there, which is fine by me.  No thank you.

Somewhere funds were found, and today when I went I was amazed at not only the house but the several improvements that have been made to the grounds.  Buildings and tent-like party tents are dotted around it, and it has become quite an event site.  There is also a small church that’s been fixed up and the landscaping is very nice (before nothing but dirt, scraggly grass, and a slope with a garden of prickly pear cactus — the cacti are gone now, which is a shame.)

OK, on to the photos!  If you click on the caption it should open pics in a new window (except for the next photo.)

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Taken with my phone on the way out.

 

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I hit the jackpot on frogs today. The “cement pond” circumference was lined with them. Most of the pics were taken before I stepped inside the wall (around the gate that couldn’t keep me out.)
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The only shot of the house I got on the camera that didn’t mysteriously vanish. The upstairs windows on the left are for Mrs. Felt’s room.
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very cool effect on the water, yes?
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most of the pond was cleared of all vegetation (why not a couple of water lilies at least!) but this froggie found some greenery
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These little guys were so plentiful they were easy to get pictures of.
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blurry but to me it is impressionistic and beautiful

 

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decorations. Where they have spared no expense on the house, they have left the pond pretty much alone, not sure why…
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this is what the low wall around the pond looks like
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The working fountain that rests in the center of the concrete pond.

 

 

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Isn’t this gorgeous! That flimsy gate didn’t stop me from throwing a leg over the low wall and walking along the walkway into the middle and around. Nobody was around so no hassles.

Published by msjadeli

mother, gardener, retired government worker, observer, reader, learner, bicyclist, woman who runs with the wolves, lover of music!

29 thoughts on “Doodads — road trip — Felt Mansion”

  1. Dorr Felt was a self-made millionaire, made famous by his invention of the Comptometer, which performed basic math functions that allowed businesses to improve their bookkeeping skills and speed. My mom knew how to work that machine and she used it in her job as a bookkeeper.

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  2. Interesting history of this house. Nice photos of the frogs, house, and fountain. Nice to have it restored for events and all, but sorry your photos were missing. Probably ‘something’ was making sure they didn’t show up for some reason. 🙂

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    1. Thanks Barbara. I went walking with my son today (he’s trying to help me get motivated to get in shape) and we were talking about it. He said certain areas on the earth have weird electromagnetism that might have done something to them. Ghost and Steve aren’t on vaca are they 😉

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      1. I don’t know why…things like that never bothered me as much…I don’t know why. Maybe that is the reason I have never seen one .
        I love frogs…Martha decided she would put one in her mouth like the bird… didn’t work out too well…she got that taste…their defense and I dont’ think she will do that again…the frog was fine.

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              1. She gets the “zoomies” and starts running amuck as hard as she can…that wears her out. Having a small horse do that in your house is a sight!

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    1. I also forgot to bring the address to a labyrinth up that way and was not able to find it. Of course this means I have to go back (with more batteries for camera and monitoring whether images are “sticking”.) The reflection of the trees in the water and the breeze did a good job of creating my masterpiece 😉

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  6. I’ve got a photo somewhere of this little frog when I was in NC or SC… it was around one of the resort pools. It made a big noise for such a little froggie! If I can find it I’ll send it to you. Thanks for the link of the photos and info on the house.

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