The Lady Who Owned Half of Harlem: The Fascinating Story of Mary G. Pickney and Spring Hill
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ต.ค. 2024
- Explore the fascinating story of Mary G. Pickney, a savvy businesswoman who became one of Harlem's largest landowners in the 19th century. From her family's financial troubles and her astute deal with her stepfather, Archibald Watt, to her strategic land subdivisions and renovations of the Spring Hill Mansion, Mary transformed her inheritance into a vast real estate empire. Join Ken on This House as we delve into her remarkable life, her impact on Harlem, and the legacy she left behind, including the eventual fate of Spring Hill. Don't forget to subscribe for more historical house tours and stories!
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Location: Harlem, NY
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Public Domain Photos from: Library of Congress,
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Music from Epidemic Sound
Mary was a smart woman.
The level of the family's greed was out of this world.
She had a lovely house, and I wish it were still standing,
Thank you, Ken.
This story is typical. Those who don’t actually work for the fortune virtually always lose it in the end. Inheriting wealth is not as great as it sounds.
@@RevLeigh55
True.
Also, they're the ones who expect an inheritance.
My motto regarding money is: "Neither too little nor too much."
@@RevLeigh55Inherited wealth is great. Knowing how to manage your wealth is even greater.
The Mcdonalds just adds insult to injury ahah
Honestly, seeing that almost brought a tear to my eyes.
I do have hope that someday places like McDonalds, Burger King, Walmart, all go the way of the dodo.
I don't think McDonald's is to blame for the house and last piece of land being sold and developed. It is sad and unfortunate there were no stipulations in her will to avoid that outcome.
Do these families ever have a happy ending?? I think that's the saddest part of all!! Thanks, Ken!
Yes, you just don't hear those stories, because people like to hear about conflict and strife. Why do you think on "reality" shows they are always yelling at each other.
Happiness is literally found within, includes the Higher Mind and is literally a "state of mind", a perspective.
All that we every desire, each and every desires, is for "the Feeling of having it".
Thoughts evoke Feelings and they are both Energy that Vibrates on a Frequency.
The "Universal Law of Attraction" defines this and that "it is How we Create" what "we Attract as Our Reality".
Rather than a mundane Science definition, when we "Understand" it and "Comprehend" it, then "We Awaken" to the Greater Reality of Our true Opportunities to enjoy a far more Happy, Desirable, Experiencing of Our Life Journey!
Everything that we Ever Experience is Directly related to our "Vibrational Frequency".
It is:
"Energy, Vibration, and Frequency"
which =
"Thoughts + Feelings X Beliefs"
= Our Frequency
= Our Reality
The necessary components to managing are:
We must establish a habit of being:
🔺"Conscious in Thought" +
🔺 "Applying Higher Mind"
🔺Reprogram Our "Thoughts and Beliefs Program" aka "Subconscious Thought Program"
(Learned Ideas that are inaccurate and cause us to fear or feel unworthy.)
(See: Dr Bruce Lipton's website for recommended methods for Reprogramming the "Subconscious Thought Program".)
🔺 Quite Mind aka Meditate daily, (15 min) is all that's necessary.
🔺Be aware of where our Thoughts are:
Keep them on the Desires and off the Undesired, off the Mainstream Media's stream of Produced toxic flow.
One must set aside the "Lower Mind, aka Ego Mind, aka Adolescent Mind" where all the (negative thought energies reside: "fear, prejudice, judging, accusing, envy, jealousy, blame, guilt, etc.")
These are Lower vibe dense energies.
"Like Attracts Like"
The "Universal Law of Attraction" is Absolute.
You can literally establish a Frequency that Attracts your Dreams!
This is a Quantum Physics Science defined and validated FACT.
Go get Your Dreams! 😘
Beth Bartlett
Sociologist/Behavioralist
and Historian
My grandmother was like a small town version of Ms. Pinkney, and the family she left behind is doing okay, although we don’t see each other nearly as often as we used to. We still keep in touch, more or less, and I think most of us are happy. In the Deep South I guess my family seemed rather bizarre, because my grandmother was by far the biggest breadwinner in the family. She owned three very successful businesses, and about half the family worked for her. She couldn’t cook, she didn’t clean, she had servants to do everything for her. She very much enjoyed NOT being a typical southern belle. She was outspoken and would talk back to men anytime she felt like it. And of course this was all in the 20th century in a small southern city.
All the chairs in the office and the entire parlor set are all John Henry Belter pieces. The parlor set is carved in the Rosalie pattern. All the rooms looked very comfy.
Mary understood the assignment. Great story, thanks
She was indeed quite the astute businesswoman, especially to realize so early on how valuable that land would become.
The moral to the story seems to be that all wealth is temporary, Ken! Great video...
My Father always said, "you never know a persons true caractor untill it comes to inheriting something or someone dies"!
I know this in my own family!
So sad to lose such a beautiful piece of history.
You gotta' love stories like this. I always liked mansions of this design. She had a business mind, she had good taste. Thanks, Ken.
I love that story, people don't know thank u for telling it, she was a smart and lucky women, and there are people who live below their means cause they feel they have enough.
This was a fascinating glimpse into New York history. I’ve never read or heard anything about this before. Thanks Ken, for another exciting episode!
My kind of woman!
You go Mary 🤩
JIM ❤
4:29 Ken, thank you so much 😊 for continuing to narrate truthful stories.
Bringing knowledge to those of us who might never have found this out.
Ken, thank you so much for bringing us these historical homes and the stories behind them. The homes are stunning.
I love the way that she renovated the house with respect to its origins. I also love the way she mixed and matched antique furniture with new furniture of the time. She was way ahead of her time.
Very informative and educational. It's imperative that families work together to accomplish wealth. Greed will take anyone down.
I love the way this house looks at the front the 2 story porch jutting out from the symmetrical house topped with the mansard roof which includes the porch.. very unique, understated, yet elegant 👌🏼 👍🏻a certain.. je ne sais quoi!!! 👏🏼👏🏼
I like this video format.
Very smart lady
Thanks Ken! Love your channel and the knowledge that I gain by watching it.
I love this channel and all these very interesting stories
Super job as always Ken! Thank you for sharing a story that I dare say most of us did not realize. ❤
I love the Before & After photos 👍👍
I think it’s odd that I never heard her name or knew of this story, considering the complex history of NYC.
It's a lot of local history that isn't taught. America is more concerned with teaching foreign history than where we are
We will never hear that Manhattan was once home to black people. They try to downplay it, saying the Seneca tribe only inhabited Central Park.
@@okreawood3785And Brooklyn Bridge area as well on BK side.
Another great story, but too bad how greedy the relatives became.
Perhaps you have already done a segment on The Helmsley Palace Hotel, and the building that is a old original lobby , and public spaces. I’m sure I haven’t seen the episode if you did one. Thank you
I have not done a video on it yet. I’ll add it to my list of places to look into, thanks for the suggestion!
The salt in the wound was that McDonald's 😢
Thank you for the research into these beautiful mansions and those who accumulated the wealth to create them.
This is FABULOUS!!! THANKS KEN!!!
Love your videos...do you do voice work for the entertainment industry?? You're great!!
Too bad she didnt put the home into a trust to have it serve as an historical home or to a university.
How degrading that a trashy place like McDonalds sets where a beautiful part of history was.
Spot on..keep up your wonderful and informative videos.
Very interesting. Sorry but did you say where this house was located exactly? Really good video, so interesting, and so nice you actually narrate it and no AI voice.
It was located exactly on 139th and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd.
That was one of your best videos!
This woman's Biography is worthy of a full Documentary! The History and Art are greater parts that gives value to to the Architecture.
The Human essence is what attracts, otherwise the Houses are just "matter structures".
History offers delicious stories.
Beth Bartlett
Sociologist/Behavioralist
and Historian
✨
Wow!!! Very interesting! I love watching these videos in the morning while getting ready for work. Can you make on on Clara Driscoll from Texas who built a hotel or bought a hotel bc they refused her a stay while traveling alone as a woman.
Too bad she didn’t put in her will that the home is preserved as a historic landmark. The surrounding land could have been a great park. 😢
Seriously we both acknowledge how great Ken’s stories are.
With no response?
At least you received likes 👍🏼
You don't get to declare your own historic landmarks.
@@dnescioyou can leave property to the locality along with something like a trust to keep it up.
Maybe there would not have been so much in fighting if the local government got it. They do not relinquish money very easily.
@@dnescio Exactly Also not every request for Historical designation in any part of America easily granted. Verg few in fact.
It didn't deserve to be a historic landmark. Why would it? Because she was smart and rich?
Thanks, Ken.
Wow she owned half of Harlem, what a smart and astute business woman!!!!
Thank you for the history. I very much enjoyed the video.
Oh goody, a McDonalds. Eye roll. This really shows how a smart woman could stand on her own, even back in the day. If she had married, all of that would have been under control of a husband who might not have been as saavy. She was more sensible than half of the wealthy men we've seen here who built grand homes and then lost them. That is a mind-boggling amount of money. Sad her family wasted so much of it making lawyers rich. I actually think that front exterior became a bit of a Frankenstein house, mixing a Mansard roof with the tall portico, but I like the interior rooms, especially the library. I love the historic 'birds-eye' view map of Harlem; I have seen those featuring major cities at various points in the past. They are fascinating!!!
Thank you for this informative video. Your presentation was superb!
Fantastic story. Great delivery. Concise. Educational. Entertaining. I didn't know this story but its amazing NYC history. Before Irish desaspora NY was a sleepy fishing village with all the gentile living downtown.
So fascinating add truly tragic that people can't respect heritage and beautiful architecture architecture that could have been repurposed
It’s amazing as the McDonald’s abuts the most sought after blocks in Harlem - STRIVER’S ROW… Great history lesson…
The Collyer Brothers lived in Harlem, a very sad story…
1:39 Beautiful Home for a Wonderful Human.
The story of Mary G. Pickney would have been great material for a short story or novel by Louis Auchincloss.
That was fascinating and very interesting history to know.
Thanks Ken for sharing, great information and very interesting
I love this story!!
Great info!! Thanks for sharing ✔️✔️👏🏽
I love how much she talk about the history of these homes, I just you show more pictures of the inside of the homes!
Wow, Mary wasn't playing.
I absolutely love your research you rock such a great job
Thank you
I once lived on her plot ! (141 West 139th street ). I loved learning about her legacy as I too am building a strong real estate portfolio.
This is progress is all it’s glory. Sad.
I found you back when you had about 25k subscribers, I've loved watching your subscriber numbers rise! Well done, keep up the good work. 🥰🥰
This was interesting as a native Harlemite. It sad how things ended.
Fascinating
very interesting .. I wish there was a portrait of her ... And of course a tacky McDonalds stands on the old Mansion....
So interesting thank you!! I would love to know what became of the inheritance disputes.
Interesting!
All wealth ended in a McDonald ‘s drive thru . Some story Damn !
I would love to travel back in time to see what the house and the area surrounding looked like while Mary lived there.
Nice home.
Why did nobody see the beauty of the house, too many old houses have been torn down for apartments and parking lots. So many historical beautiful homes are gone and my guess is for the profit of the new owner.
It’s insane our downtown was destroyed by a bypass.
Now, they are ‘trying’ to revitalize shopping (WHERE) yes there are plenty of breweries to get you plastered.
Again, there’s no parking lots.
Or so expensive!
It’s horrible if you have an appointment. As you cannot continually excuse yourself every 15 minutes to feed, tap, or swipe the meter.
It’s a literal nightmare.
I'll be the devil's advocate and tell you it sucks to live in a old, drafty house, with costly upkeep. Lacking in modern comforts and facilities. All while your friends has build their dream homes.
Progressivism
Fico muito triste em saber que essas casas são demolidas e que a história vira um monte de entulhos. 😔
Wow, thats 139th and 7th ave (Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd) I moved to Harlem in the 80s when that McDonalds was a Bojangles restaurant then Wendy’s then McDonald’s
Queen
Fascinating story! I grew up in Harlem😊. What street did her mansion sit on? I wondered at first whether that was the Jumel mansion.
That McDonald's is on 139th and Adam Clayton Powell Blvd.
@rexman9002 thanks. That's the old 7th Avenue.
Whole family coulda been lit
👏👏👍. 2:20 - radium fireplace(?)
Her half brother Thomas was the only one to have children. Among those children, only Julia had children. Among Julia's children, only Hilda had children: two daughters, both died young and childless.
0:55 How wonderful for Mary things took a turn for the Best.
That's to bad a park there would ha e been nice. I'm glad things worked out for her as time went by.👍🏼 It was a nice house.🙂
How sad they took the house down.
sad that greed tore them apart
Ken is on-camera now. He's got the Brad Pitt vibe.
Business sense is not an inherited trait, especially by nieces & nephews! Guidance should definitely be provided when passing on estates requiring some financial sophistication.
❤❤❤
It's a shame there are no pictures of the lady herself. Knowing Ken, I'm sure he tried to find at least one.
Springhill was a charming home. What a shame it wasnt spared the wrecking ball.
Such a sad ending
The Mcdonalds faces Strivers Row!!
Wow
Wow🤔
Fitting that it’s a Micky Ds now. Merica!!
Why not show us the lady and the family
Harlem could have had a fantastic park. What a miss.
Great video, but the plosives (the air filled popping sound) were driving me crazy. Please get a pop filter or use better mic 🎤 positioning.
The sad part is, time has not changed when people pass away money and estate is always the very things family fight over.
FAMILY GREED and McDonalds SUCKS
❤
Why is the Pinckney name spelled differently in the title, and supporting documentation ?
Its sad the home and land wasn't preserved. I guess some families suck. Adding a McDonald's is an insult. 😊
Another tragic loss
It would be interesting to know the house's street address.
By the 1920s, Harlem was the capital of African Americans. Were the new apartments built for them or were they holdouts for Whites until the 1930s, which happened in parts of the neighborhood?
That McDonald's is on the northeastern corner of 139th street and Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. On the western side of the Blvd, there is a full stretch of beautiful brownstones on 138th and 139th running west towards Frederick Douglas Blvd called Striver's Row where wealthy African Americans eventually bought homes.
Where were the graves moved to?
I live here in Brooklyn, New York City and it is a shame that families are the cause of history being forgetting or rewritten. Money is always the problem. Like all preserved history, the property would have been an eye sore because don't care for history.
Vultures and hyenas circle around the dead and dying
Ashamed to say, I never knew any of this. Such good information. BUT, why don't you tell us where in Harlem these places are, . east? west? this street? that avenue? Just saying Harlem, doesn't really say a lot