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HOV 261998 UTAH PRESS ASSOCIATION Clipping Service [phone] MAGNA TIMES .McCune Mansio\0 : Stepping back in time ( by DONA BIERMAN STAFF W RlTEH <\~One and one- thi rd acres at 200 North Ma in in Salt Lake City is the location of the McCu ne Mansion ,built in ,)00 1, Th ~ landmark spreads 21,000 " squ are feet with th ree st()ries. Its orn me heritage and numerous mm" bk fireplaces bare ly begin to tell , the slUry o f this Victori an structure. F Dct:: i! i s the? grand en trance of \1 pai nted ce ilIn gs. rare woods colI lected from Europe and South America. a ballroolJl with lJlarbled ( colum!ls, and a lorme r elegance of )' t, early 1900's fu rni shings, Budl by Alfred William McC une a fo r his wi fe Eli/,abeth Ann n t Clari dge McCune, he told her to g ' make the home into what she want e cd an d i'lL' wou ld wri te the checks, Arter $500,000 they didn't keep , track of the figures, but between ,,$ 1.3 and $ 1. 5 million was the estimate when completed, said Lynn Sali sbury, former resident for five ycars, who gave information co n: cerning the mansion along with ~( Lynn As hby, tour gu ide from the n Utah Heritage Foundation . during. a tou r last week for representatives of the med ia, A railroad entrepreneur and multimillioJlaire, Alfred could afford the cost. In addition to various railroad interests, dividends froni wood furnished to a mining company brought in more than $760,000. Minin g inve stments In 1891 through shippin g silver and lead reaped $50,000 to $: 00,000 each Ill onth . according to information provided from other sources repre· senting the landm ark. Before m() "lIlg in 1920, those sources state Alfred invested $1 million In Sa lt Lake Street Railways System tll convert trolley cars pulled hy mul es into an electrical transportatio n system, The couple donated the building to The Churc h of ]esu:, Christ of LatterDay Sai nt s and move d to Los Angel es after living in the mansion 19 years, The architect and designer, S,c. Dallas, searched Europe for special woods and Renaissance art for the building. Eli zahcth co llected additional treasures from various parts Disti nctive hand carvi ngs on a staircase at the McCune mansion show different styles of workmanship from the turn of the century. Portraits of railroad entrepreneur Alfred McCune and his wife Elizabeth, the original owners, hang above the landing. The McCune mansion near downtown Salt Lake City is a landmark of historical proportions completed 'in 1901. Materials for the building were gathered from around the world including unusual woods anll art ideas from Europe. Ornate hand carvings on the stairof the world to furnish the home. room with a small atrium was Approaching the mansion, visitors probably filled with with flowers way include different styles, A can sec two women in relief sculp- and birds. Large windows let in the See )'v1.cClAne on page 9 tures rising above red sandstone amid dark red br ick covered with Belgium roof tiles, A porte-cochere topped with a turret leads to the carriage house, Terraces and balconies arc part of the design, Through the front double doors , tht enu y ami .1tlaill hali- "'ilTe'~of... . " hI --t r1i, 91f l t '1 1 . Englis oar(, A ook oj"golcHeafing adds a touch of elegance. In the hall Nubian marble extends ceiling to tloor in a fireplace. Fine wainscotting further accents the main hall. A reception room connecting a drawing room, or se ason s' room as sometimes called, is 'octagonal with eight ceiling panels of relief sculptures of women depicting the seasons, San Domingo mahogany is hand carved. The drawing room is said to have had one of the largest mirrors in the United States in 1901, according to the tour guides , Above three doorways are paintings with a feel of the Renaissance period in Europe, Salisbury said the wood is a rare and possibly extinct white satin mahogany from South America, The room is lit with exquisite chandeliers, A unique technique known as rcathercd mahogany was applied in the formal dining room through a Arches and columns of imitation marble reflected by mirrors give a process of steaming the wood , ballroom in the McCune Mansion an elegance for entertaining. explained Salisbury, A breakfast Painted on the ceiling are dancing maidens playing instruments.