Talk:Edward Francis Searles

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Searles Mansion, situated on a hill overlooking Crescent Beach, is an outstanding landmark on Block Island. Begun in 1886 by the late Edward F. Searles,it took two years to construct, following the "Dream House" design of Mr. Searles, a well-known millionaire architect and interior decorator of New England. Mr. Searles and his wife had many individual tastes and hobbies, so he planned a "twin house." A huge center hall rises in a rotunda to the roof and a wide staircase circles its sides clear to the third story. [Ed. note: See photo page 29 in book, Block Island, Lore and Legends, by Ethel Colt Ritchie, c.1955-56.] On either side of this hall each half of the building is a replica, with great chambers behind arched doorways, perfectly matched floors, tapestried walls, galleries, marble fireplaces, panelling, all in duplicate.

Workmen, expert in their several arts, were imported to the Island to work on the "Dream House" and Mr. Searles personally supervised all the construction to the finest detail. A spacious boardwalk led to an elaborate pavilion on the beach and the grounds were landscaped and laid out lavishly with tree-bordered drives, shrubs and flower gardens. [Ed. note, part of the pavillion's base still remains.]In 1888 the mansion was completed and its proud owners took residence. Island grapevine reported that Mr. Searles and his wife lived entirely separate lives, he on one side and she in the other.

Originally the great square tower now seen on the roof supported a big dome capping the structure, but after this was built, Mr. Searles decided it made his "Dream House" more like an institution than a private home. When it was found to be considerably weakened by the many gales which had buffeted it through the changing seasons, he was very glad to have it taken down in 1898.

Soon after this Mrs. Searles passed away and Mr. Searles abandoned the "Dream House" boarding it up and leaving it to the mercy of the elements while he retired to a hermit-like existence on his large estate in Methuen, Massachusetts, with only his confidential secretary, Arthur T. Walker, as his companion. Later Mr. Searles, then forty years of age, took as his bride the widow of Mark Hopkins, builder of the United Pacific railroad. Mrs. Hopkins brought with her a large fortune which she left to him at her death a few years later. Mr. Searles, with Mr. Walker, continued to live at Methuen until his death in 1920. In grateful acknowledgment of years of service, he left his large holdings to this secretary and companion, Arthur T. Walker.

--Akb4 19:34, 9 November 2007 (UTC)

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