Chapin and Rumrill Mansions

Chapin and Rumrill Mansions. . , Prior to the Harkness'residence at Goshen Point, there were two other mansions built by the Chapin and Rumrill families ca.1875. Originally purchased by railroad magnate, Chester Chapin of Springfield Massachusetts, Goshen Point was divided into 100 acre lots extending down to the water. The Chapin family and Rumrill families were related by marriage and both established summer homes on the Point. Unfortunately, both homes eventually succumbed to fire. The original Chapin House, thought to be designed in a Queen Anne Victorian architectural style, was leveled in November of 1894 by a fire started on its third floor by a tipped over oil lamp. The second Chapin house (shown here) was struck by lightning in 1903 and burned to the ground. , Col. James Rumrill, had also constructed a Queen Anne style mansion designed by Eugene C. Gardner, a prominent architect of Springfield Massachusetts. This home was located to the west of the Chapin house on Goshen Cove. This house burned to the ground along with some of its outbuildings in 1917. All that is left of the Rumrill estate is a portion of the redbrick carriage house to the north of the location of the former house. , The Chapin family, whose home was located where the Eolia mansion now stands, had already rebuilt twice. They decided to forgo another rebuild and sold the property to William Taylor, Mary Stillman Harkness' brother-in-law, who began the construction of the existing mansion (Eolia), which he eventually sold to Edward and Mary Harkness. The Rumrill family also decided against rebuilding and sold their property to the Harknesses in 1934. , ( photo captions ) , , Chapin Mansion (south side view) Photo provided by Ted Chapin , , Rumrill Mansion ca. 1890 (south side view)