Patsy Clark Mansion, Part 1 of Many
Finally, The Mansion itself
So. The mansion was finished before the turn of the century, before 1900 [I felt I needed to clarify WHICH century had just turned!]. It was made of the finest quality stuff, and had a huge floor plan and grounds. By today's standards, even, it qualifies as a mansion.
Patsy Clark, and his wife Mary, had a profound impact on Spokane society. They brought prosperity to the city, and the most visible aspect of that affluence is their mansion on Second Avenue. It was designed by Kirtland Cutter who built the home after the Great Fire of Spokane burnt down the business district. Cutter himself designed many of the new buildings in downtown. Some sources say the building was the Clark family home until they both died (Pettit, 2016), but evidence shows otherwise. In previous posts we see indications that the home was sold in 1926, and we see the home is owned by Eugene Enloe. I would love to know why Mary and Patrick her son decided to sell the mansion in the first place. Was it too big? Were there not enough servants? What did Enloe do with the place?
Ah, I found an answer. According to the Patsy Clark Mansion website, it was "a" private residence for about fifty years, until about 1998 (Patsy Clark Mansion, n.d.).
1899
Clark decided to rebuild his home using the best materials, the most exotic furnishings. He hired as many as 75 carpenters at once to work at the same time (Klamper, 2007). It was to be the "most luxurious mansion ever," according to Spokane's Historic Preservation Department (Clouse, 2019). It was, indeed, massive at just under 12,000 square feet and it was the talk of the entire West Coast (Alexander & Weiser-Alexander, 2010).Exterior
The exterior was a sandstone imported from Italy (Prager, Historic Patsy Clark's restored, 2006), bricks made in St Louis Missouri (Alexander & Weiser-Alexander, 2010), stained glass windows made by Tiffany in New York City (City of Spokane, 2005). Cutter's design transcends categories with his eclectic work of art (Prager, Historic Patsy Clark's restored, 2006). Corner towers and arched loggias suggest Spanish and Moorish influences (Alexander & Weiser-Alexander, 2010), and other aspects reflect Romanesque and Italianate styles (Prager, Historic Patsy Clark's restored, 2006).Interior
The interior was just as lavish, with custom made Tiffany lamps and chandeliers; onyx fireplaces, stained-glass windows standing 14 feet high; gold-lined chairs; silk curtains; and a grandfather clock brought over from England which reportedly cost $17,000 (Alexander & Weiser-Alexander, 2010), (Video Producers Inc., 2006). Cutter included Egyptian gopher wood in the dining room which is irreplaceable (Prager, 2006), and the library rug is supposed to have cost a goodly bundle. One of the nine [NINE!] fireplaces is on the landing between the first and the second floors. This fireplace, Prager says, is typical of Kirtland Cutter's style (Historic Patsy Clark's restored, 2006).
1930
In 1930s the address 2208 Second Avenue in Spokane Washington was in the phone book listed as owned by Eugene Enloe. |
| Eugene Enloe owns the Mansion 2208 Second Avenue Spokane Washington 1930 City Directory |
1945
Spokane City Directory
2208 W. Second is blank
One has to wonder why they neglected to include the Clark Mansion, here. Was it not owned?
1948
25 December 1948
MusicMakers playing the Patsy Clark Mansion
 |
| (Bruneau, 2004) Also (Clouse, 2019) |
Playing the Patsy Clark Mansion
In 1948 the Music Makers was one of the local bands playing for local dances. The group played ... Patsy Clark Mansion, where this photo was taken.
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Resources
Alexander, D., & Weiser-Alexander, K. (2010, December). Patsy Clark, Mining Magnate & the Haunted Clark Mansion. Retrieved December 13, 2019, from Legends of America: https://www.legendsofamerica.com/wa-patsyclark/
Bruneau, D. (2004, December 25). Clark Mansion 2004 Playing the Patsy Clark Mansion in 1948 photo by Dick Bruneau. Retrieved January 2020, from The Spokesman-Review, Spokane Washington: Newspapers.com
City of Spokane. (2005, December 2). Patsy Clark Mansion. Retrieved December 13, 2019, from Historic Preservation Department: https://web.archive.org/web/20060709175611/http://www.historicspokane.org/SpokaneRegister/patsyclark.htm
Clouse, T. (2019, November 24). Patsy Clark mansion for sale – to the right buyer. Retrieved December 13, 2019, from The Spokesman-Review: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/nov/24/patsy-clark-mansion-for-sale-to-the-right-buyer/
Patsy Clark Mansion. (n.d.). Patsy Clark Mansion. Retrieved December 13, 2019, from Patsy Clark Mansion: https://www.patsyclarks.com/
Prager, M. (2006, November 10). Historic Patsy Clark’s restored. Retrieved December 13, 2019, from The Spokesman-Review: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2006/nov/10/historic-patsy-clarks-restored/
Video Producers Inc. (2006). Patsy Clark Mansion. Retrieved December 13, 2019, from HauntedHouses.com: https://web.archive.org/web/20070928151335/http://www.hauntedhouses.com/states/wa/patsy_clark_mansion.cfm
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