Beautiful Estates Crumble: The Tragic Tales Of Dream Homes Facing Demolition

Want to see them? Sorry, you’re too late. These homes were, or are slated to be, torn down. And each home has quite a story to tell. Thankfully, we have pictures, so you can catch a glimpse of these homes in their former glory.

This home will soon bite the dust unless local protests are successful. It seems that the community considers this home a local treasure, so even though the current owner wants to knock it down, that may not happen. 

[NOTE: according to a recent article, this home is no longer going to be demolished]

It doesn’t take much imagination or watching many movies to paint a picture of what went on in this estate. How many life-or-death decisions, how many deals, and how many lives were affected by the conversations that took place here?

Do you think the authorities didn’t know when Capone was in the house? With the security features he installed, Capone would probably have known if any cops came dangerously close to the estate. Maybe the authorities wised up and stayed away. After all, the owner was a very powerful man.

Still, this may not happen as it seems the protests were successful. So, it looks like the old estate will remain a community treasure. Would you want to visit Capone’s home? Sit in his chair? Maybe see if you can find some hidden cash?

And what’s coming after the purchase? Will there be a renovation? Nope – the new owners want to tear it down and develop new homes on the plot. Can you imagine how Rosie must feel? She lost money on the deal and now she has to live with the fact that her old dream home will be torn down. 

When the new owners tear down the estate, they will be giving up a mansion with an amazing backyard. Rosie fitted her yard to the tastes of her kids, her friends, and her family, with a pool, a Jacuzzi, and a waterfall. 

With over 9,000 square feet and all those bathrooms and bedrooms, not to mention many renovations and redecorations over the years, a lot of work has gone into this place. Sadly, it will soon be nothing but rubble.

However, the construction crew will be knocking this down as well. On a positive note, 20% of the properties built on this plot will be used for affordable housing. So that’s a happy ending; maybe Rosie’s satisfied with that.

Upon purchasing the estate, a reporter asked him why he needed another huge Florida home. His humble remark was: “It will be the second-greatest house in America.” The first being his Mar-a-Lago home, of course.

After the purchase, the Trumps spent about $25 million renovating the compound. In his own words, Donald Trump said they only “cleaned it up a little.” From the looks of it, the reno included adding the signature Trump gold accents.

Why was it doomed? The short answer is mold. The home developed such a severe mold problem that it forced the Trumps to sell it in 2008. A Russian billionaire bought it for $95 million, more than double what Trump paid. Did this billionaire not care about the mold? Go figure.

However, after the investigation, Trump was not formally accused. In the end, the mold killed any plans to develop the property further, and the home was demolished in 2016. Not to worry – the Russian oligarch came out ahead somehow. At least we can all rest easy in knowing it worked out well for both of these obscenely wealthy individuals!

Mansfield’s signature pink color was immediately applied to the outside of the home, and pretty soon, it was splashed everywhere inside and outside the home. There were pink plush carpets, pink walls, and pink furniture. At least it was easy to find.

In the picture, you can see Jayne (without her signature blonde hair) posing beside her gorgeous pool, designed and built by her husband. Hargitay was a former Mr. Universe and a well-known Hungarian-American actor. One of the couple’s three children is Mariska Hargitay, the Law and Order actor.

Aside from Humperdinck, Ringo Starr and Cass Elliott were owners at one time. As soon as Ringo moved in, he repainted the outside of the home white – several times. However, somehow, the pink still shone through, as if Mansfield still had control over it in the afterlife. 

The new owner created his estate on the land, now called the Arnall Owlwood Estate. It is no longer pink. We can sympathize with the angry locals who wanted Mansfield’s mansion preserved. After all, it’s not every day you see a pink palace on your morning walk!

In 1987 this 12-bedroom mansion was built on this expansive plot of land. Inside were several reception rooms (one often needs more than one), and outside, there were stables (that’s also plural) and a swimming pool. Of course, Prince Andrew didn’t remain in good favor (to put it mildly), and this impacted all his properties. 

In 2007, Prince Andrew sold the home to a Kazakhstani investor for $19 million. It’s a little like getting cash back for that sweater you got from Grandma for your birthday. One doesn’t imagine that the Prince returned the proceeds to the Queen.

The new owner of the estate, a billionaire oligarch, abandoned the mansion, which deteriorated and was reduced to rubble in 2016. Things got so bad that the local city council threatened to confiscate the property. The owner then demolished it and replaced the home with a larger one. Can you believe it? 

Escobar thrived by avoiding the scrutiny and capture of the federal and local authorities and escaping capture by his enemies. For that, he needed several dream homes around the world. With his fortune, it was easy for him to skip from one to another to avoid confrontation.

Reports suggest that during his heyday, the narco-terrorist was responsible for countless Colombian deaths and 80% of the cocaine smuggled into the United States. Known as “El Patron” (the Boss), he brought in more than $270 million in weekly profits. Yes, that’s a weekly figure!

The Miami property didn’t fare so well either – it was damaged by fire and stayed in poor shape until it was bought in 2014 by Christian de Berdouaré, who had a plan before demolishing it.

So Berdouaré ordered a thorough search of the home. Workers did discover a hidden safe, but the public never found out what was inside. A new home was never built, and Berdouaré eventually listed the property for sale. Nothing seemed to come of it, so the mansion remained empty, cashless, and pink. 

The chateau impressed the neighbors, becoming one of the most lavish mansions of the “Gilded Age.” The plan worked, and the couple was accepted with open arms into the A-Listers league. They achieved this at a time when new money was looked down upon, so kudos to them.

The furnishings were of the highest quality, which Alva chose carefully – she wanted the right people to talk about her home. The interiors were decorated from trips to Europe, with items from both antique shops and from “pillaging the ancient homes of impoverished nobility.”

After Alva completed the decorating, her societal position was secured when she threw a fancy dress ball for 1,200 people – everyone was talking. Alva spent a fortune on the party, which would equate to over $7 million today. The society columns labeled the event a triumph.

It was finally bought and demolished to make way for an office tower. Seeing the decay inside the once-magnificent home tells the tale of a bygone era – the Gilded Age was over, and the business of business occupied midtown Manhattan. There’s something tragic about this, especially for lovers of great architecture. 

The home was enormous, overpowering the famous Lake Shore Drive neighborhood. At $1 million, it went way, way over budget. After its construction, other wealthy families began building in the area.

Visitors gasped at the magnificence of the themed rooms, overwhelmed by the effort taken to procure pieces from each culture. This was the home that everyone talked about, and locals admired the Palmers for their unique taste.

What does one do with so much art? Why, one builds a gallery addition to one’s home, of course! And this is what Bertha Palmer did. The wealthy woman added a 900-foot gallery to show off her collection properly. Was it lavish? Yes. Was it worthwhile? If you were to ask Bertha, she’d answer with a resounding “of course, darling!”

The buyer demolished it to make way for an apartment building. It is hard to imagine a wrecking ball slamming into this structure and leveling it to the ground. Are you worried about the art? Thankfully, most of it was donated to the Chicago Institute of Art and various other institutes. 

These historical facts provide the foundation for the story of The Deepdene. Like other wealthy families of the era, when faced with death duties and taxes, the family could not afford to keep the staff, equipment, and supplies needed to run such a vast estate. So, they were left with an undesirable decision on their hands. 

The new owner was Thomas Hope, who at the time was one of England’s wealthiest men. His enlargement plan included a library, gallery, and an orangery. Yes, an orangery. And yes, you guessed it – that’s a building where orange trees can grow, even in the winter.

Hope got the reno bug again in 1836 and 1841, this time wanting the home to resemble a Roman villa. By the end of the 19th century, he had leased the estate to Winston Churchill’s aunt, Lily the Duchess of Marlborough. 

If you’re like us, you probably heaved a big sigh when you saw how the glorious estate devolved. This ugly construction now occupies that plot of land – a depressing 1960s-style office building. We suppose this is progress.

Someone could easily get lost in this mammoth home. How many bathrooms and bedrooms do you think there were? How many reception rooms and ballrooms? We have a feeling we’d lose count if we tried to make a tally while wandering those vast halls. 

With all the grandeur, renovations, and decoration, however, there was one big problem in Trentham Hall – pollution from the River Trent. In short, the house stunk. Is a smelly abode really fit for a king? 

The authorities did not seem able to control the pollution-contaminated River Trent. It made Trentham Hall uninhabitable, not just because of the stench but also because of the health hazards. Without a willing buyer, it was demolished in 1912. 

Happily, the gardens have been reborn and are said to be glorious. It’s unclear whether the River Trent stench and pollution remain – you’d have to go and find out for yourself. If you visit this beautiful ruin, please do let us know!

In Celles, English architect Edward Milner built this fabulous home. It looks like Cinderella’s Castle, right? Anyway, it’s a little sad that the family had to give up their original home, but hopefully, their new one lifted their spirits a bit.

After the war, probably due to the sadly huge number of children who became orphans during those years, the house became an orphanage and holiday camp. After that, it was used as a school until 1991. These are both excellent uses for a home that has seen so much loss.

In 2016, a local developer decided to move the structure to Spain. He planned to dismantle the building and move it piece by piece to the new location. This was an interesting plan, to say the least, and very ambitious.

After being the new home for a displaced family, an office building for the Nazis, an orphanage, a school, and potentially being moved to Spain, all hope was lost. With the new buyer’s serious illness, the decision was made to demolish the chateau in late 2017. 

Charles Winship was famous in the area, being the owner of Harvard Knitting Mills – the largest employer in Wakefield during the first third of the twentieth century. One wonders what his employees thought of this mansion.

Winship died in 1946, and the glorious estate was put to other uses. It was utilized as a convent until 1978 and then sold once again to become a private home. Of course, it wouldn’t feature on this list if it wasn’t doomed to destruction. Let’s see what happened, shall we?

Since the owner was unable to sell it, the structure was left vacant. This was the perfect opportunity for vandals to get in and ruin the fixtures and furnishings. What a sad ending for this glorious home, built lovingly by a self-made man. 

However, neglect and deliberate damage had done their worst, and by the time of the sale, the home was considered beyond repair and unliveable. Bulldozers rumbled onto the property in July 2020 to tear it down. Two residences are now slated to be built on the lot.