Dorsey Mansion facts for kids
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Dorsey Mansion
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 Location in New Mexico
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| Nearest city | Abbott, New Mexico |
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| Area | 5 acres (2.0 ha) |
| Built | 1883 |
| Architect | Stephen W. Dorsey |
| Architectural style | Gothic |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000399 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | September 4, 1970 |
The Dorsey Mansion is a large, impressive house built from logs and stone. It was started in 1878 by Stephen W. Dorsey. He was a Republican politician who served as a U.S. Senator for Arkansas from 1873 to 1879. The mansion is located in New Mexico, east of Springer, New Mexico, right on U.S. Route 56.
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Building a Dream Home
While he was a senator, Stephen Dorsey bought a lot of land near Chico Springs, New Mexico. Between 1878 and 1886, he built a huge 36-room mansion. It was designed in a style called Gothic Victorian.
Mansion Features
The mansion combined different styles. The first part, built from 1878 to 1880, looked like a log cabin. Later, in 1884, a stone section was added that looked like an old castle.
The dining room was enormous. It was the biggest room in any home in that area. It could seat up to 60 people! It even had a fancy marble fireplace brought all the way from Italy.
The mansion also had an art gallery with a high, cathedral-like ceiling. It displayed paintings from other countries. There were nine bedrooms, and it had the very first indoor toilet in the region.
Outside, there was a swimming pool and a fountain in the front yard. Facing the pool was a tower decorated with gargoyle statues. These gargoyles were made to look like Dorsey, his wife, and his brother. The swimming pool even had three small islands and a cozy gazebo. There was also a room just for playing billiards. Dorsey was known for throwing big parties that were famous across the Southwest!
Stephen Dorsey's Life
Stephen Dorsey got much of the money for his grand house through some complicated mail contracts. Because of this, people sometimes called him "Star Route Stephen."
In 1881, President Chester A. Arthur ordered that Dorsey and some others be put on trial. However, the trial in Washington, D.C., ended with a "hung jury." This means the jury couldn't agree on a decision.
Dorsey then focused on his "Mountain Spring" cattle ranch. He used his famous "Triangle Dot" brand for his cattle. He once said he was happy on the ranch because "my cattle do not vote." In the late 1880s, he helped start the nearby town of Clayton, New Mexico. He named it after his son, Clayton. Dorsey tried to become a leader in the Republican party in New Mexico, but he had many debts and lawsuits that stopped him.
Later Years and New Owners
By 1892, Stephen Dorsey and his wife, Helen, had very little money left. For a while, they even ran the Mansion as a special hospital for people with tuberculosis. Later, they moved to Los Angeles. Helen died in 1897, and Stephen Dorsey passed away in 1916, almost penniless.
After Helen's death, the Mansion had many debts. In 1901, it was sold at an auction to Solomon Floersheim, who was one of the people Dorsey owed money to.
Changes Over Time
The Dorsey Mansion had several different owners during the first half of the 1900s. These included Dr. H. B. Masten in 1902, William Van Bruggen in 1907, and Lewis Griggs in 1912.
By the 1950s, the local Post Office and store near the Mansion closed down. Many of the smaller buildings around the mansion fell apart. In 1966, K.E. Deaton bought the property and 40 acres of land. He tried to fix up the Mansion. After Deaton passed away, his family sold the property to the State of New Mexico in 1973.
The New Mexico State Museum decided that fixing up the Mansion properly would be too expensive. So, on December 4, 1987, the Dorsey Mansion State Monument was sold again. It was bought by Dr. Roger W. Akers and Sandra Henning, who are the current owners. Today, the Dorsey Mansion is not open for public tours.
