Eccentrics

They were some of America’s most eccentric tycoons, and their elaborate homes boast some of the most unique architecture in the country..

In this fascinating program, take a tour of three unique homes that testify to the quirkiness of their departed owners. First up is a visit to the home of renowned mining engineer John Hays Hammond, who built a medieval-style castle overlooking Norman’s Woe, the Massachusetts shoal that Longfellow made famous. Next, travel to Pennsylvania where architect Henry Chapman Mercer’s passion for detail is revealed in every nook and cranny of his 44-room castle. Made from concrete and thousands of colorful tiles, it is one of the finest examples of handcraftsmanship AMERICA’S CASTLES has ever visited. Finally, tour the Gold Coast home of banking wizard Otto Hermann Kahn, who built the second largest private estate in America, modeled after a French chateau..

From one castle that is purposely covered in poison ivy, to another that is, in part, dedicated to a horse, THE ECCENTRICS offers a privileged view into some of the most unusual homes ever built, and the colorful men who inhabited them.