Kevn is correct about the feelings of emptiness that Clemens experienced at
Stormfield. Even before it was completed, he was exhibiting what I would
call "builder's remorse." After Jean's death, he chastised himself for
building a house to "shelter this vast emptiness."  I address these issues
in the essay "Mark Twain's Angelfish" in Kent Rasmussen's MARK TWAIN AND
YOUTH (2016).

Barb

On Sat, Apr 2, 2022 at 7:42 AM Mac Donnell Rare Books <
[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Those with copies of the Mark Twain Journal for Spring/Fall 2006
> (44:1-2) can make the comparison for themselves. That two-in-one issue
> prints my virtual tour of Stormfield based mostly on previously
> unpublished photos of the interior and exterior of the original
> structure that later burned in the 1920s. It also includes the original
> floorplans and plat map which are big folding inserts, and of course my
> essay which describes the physical structure in detail as well as its
> history. Copies of that issue can be ordered from the MTJ website.
>
> The present structure more or less sits on the footprint of the original
> structure and parts of the floor plans do align with the original plans
> (the library, hallway, stairs, part of the kitchen, etc., but the entire
> loggia was not rebuilt, nor was the room above the loggia where Twain
> kept his desk. The pergola at the foot of the pathway is long-gone but
> its foundation seems to be intact under the lawn, to judge from
> discoloration of the grass at that location. The steps leading down to
> the pergola site are intact, but the gravel pathway itself, which could
> easily be unearthed or recreated is oddly absent. Jean's farm and
> farmhouse survive nearby but are now a separate property. The owners of
> Stormfield generously allowed me access to the entire home and grounds
> years ago, and I spent most of my time studying the cellar (which
> survived the fire) and the grounds, but I did walk through all the rooms
> to get a feel for the dimensions and layout. The long hallways and rows
> of rooms gave it sort of a hotel feel, a big empty hotel. It must have
> been a very lonely place for an aging widower with one daughter and son
> long dead, and two living daughters--one estranged and the other
> striking out on her own. It's no wonder he craved visitors and kept a
> guest-book to memorialize their visits.
>
> Kevin
> @
> Mac Donnell Rare Books
> 9307 Glenlake Drive
> Austin TX 78730
> 512-345-4139
> Member: ABAA, ILAB, BSA
>
> You can browse our books at:
> www.macdonnellrarebooks.com
>
>
> ------ Original Message ------
> From: "Peter Salwen" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: 4/1/2022 11:22:31 PM
> Subject: 30 Mark Twain Lane, Redding, CT
>
> >Inside, the mansion that replaced Twain's Stormfield seems to have just
> >about nothing to do with the house Sam Clemens built (I guess Kevin can
> >tell us for sure), but this link will let you see for yourself. And the
> >grounds, at least, are worth a visit:
> >
> >https://www.seetheproperty.com/story/387175/b
> >
>