What is mansion

McMansions are large homes of at least 3, square feet -- so not real mansions to begin with -- that popped up quickly in luxury developments during the s and s in exurbs of big metro areas in New Jersey, Texas, Florida, Virginia, and Arizona, among others.

These were areas that received quite a blow in the recession, which led to many foreclosures. What was once a sign of excess became a sign of emptiness. McMansions are proof that bigger isn't always better in real estate. While they might look stately at the end of a cul-de-sac, when you get up close and personal, you'll see just how cookie-cutter these homes are. They are built quickly using cheaper materials and have features that are a jumble of architectural styles -- and not in a good way.

In fact, there are websites devoted to tearing apart McMansions for their asymmetry, odd window placement, misuse of exterior and interior space, and otherwise failed attempts at the class and style of the homes they really want to be but aren't. No matter the style or location, a mansion will always be the hallmark of luxury real estate. Square footage is a qualifying factor, but what really seals the deal for these palatial homes is their amenities.

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View Memberships. Mansions are not called mansions just because of their size. The entire atmosphere, the land itself, must be pristine, beautiful, intentional. The creation of mansions, chateaus, palaces, manors, and castles stretch back for years and years. Since the pre-Industrial Revolution, enormous homes have been emblems of aristocracy and wealth for generations. Understanding the history of mansions sheds further light on answering the provocative question: What is a mansion?

According to the U. The wealth in the pre-Industrial Revolution was held in land, and there were very few individuals who were at a station where they could own a large home. The select few owned vast estates where they collected rent, produced foods and goods for sale, and continued to accrue wealth. Consider the elegant Essex Estate in Massachusetts, built in , and coming in at 5, square feet on a lot of 9. Most historical accounts place the start of the American Industrial Revolution at roughly , as factory labor and entrepreneurial innovation were the driving forces of industrialization.

It is not surprising that the Industrial Revolution ushered in the Gilded Age. The Industrial Revolution was a period of rapid economic expansion attributed to coal mining, railroads, and factories, whereas the Gilded Age, a period from to the early s, was a time of urbanization, technological creativity, and the invention of electricity!

As History. Along with the castle-esque mansion, there are expansive grounds with a dairy, horse barn, and elegant gardens.

The Breakers , located in Newport, Rhode Island, is another Vanderbilt mansion, commissioned for Corneilus Vanderbilt, a railroad tycoon. The mansion was built in the Italian-Renaissance style and was completed in It is 43, square feet and has 70 rooms.

In addition, The Breakers has a stable and a carriage house, along with 13 acres of picturesque landscape. Situated in Palm Beach, Florida, Whitehall is a stunning neo-classical ,square-foot mansion with 75 rooms and an impressive exterior marked by massive marble columns. It was built for Henry Flagler, an oil mogul, and his wife Mary Lily.

It was completed in The WWI era was marked by labor reforms that brought about much needed wage and worker protections. The other side of the coin is that this now made it more difficult for landowners to pay the squadrons of employees needed to upkeep their enormous mansions.

That being said, there were still a few incredible mansions constructed during this era, including the iconic Hearst Castle. It was built as the private residence for the newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst. Construction began in and was finally completed in In the late s the wealth gap began to widen again as tech skyrocketed in the U.

Enter: a resurgence of massive mansions. It was completed in and spans 52, square feet. Another example is the Bel Air 45,square-foot home built for entrepreneur and former chief executive of Packard Bell Computers, Beny Alagem.

As mansions were evolving through history, the McMansion was charting its own course. What is a McMansion? McMansions became very popular in the s, s, and early s , before the financial crisis. Today, however, these mass-produced, gargantuan homes may be considered eyesores. Learn More About mansion. Time Traveler for mansion The first known use of mansion was in the 14th century See more words from the same century.

From the Editors at Merriam-Webster. Style: MLA. English Language Learners Definition of mansion. Kids Definition of mansion. Get Word of the Day daily email! Test Your Vocabulary. Test your vocabulary with our question quiz! Love words? Need even more definitions? Homophones, Homographs, and Homonyms The same, but different. Merriam-Webster's Words of the Week - Nov.