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 The
Erie Mansion has been known through the years as the Smith-Ely
Mansion. This 43 room, three story, 12,000 square foot mansion
was built in 1858 in Clyde, NY - a stone's throw from the Erie
Canal.
This historic landmark was originally constructed as
an Italianate style home for Dr. & Mrs. Smith. Their
daughter Eugenia married Charles Ely, owner of the Clyde Glass Works
which was one of the largest glass companies in the world during the
Erie Canal era. They transformed the home into the stately
mansion you see today. Construction was completed in  1910
and the Ely family lived there  for
two generations. The home has had a colorful and notorious
history as a private residence for various families, a veterans' home
and multi-family low-income housing, until its condemnation in 2006.
The mansion stood vacant for two years until local
real estate investor Mark Wright spotted the house for sale.
Realizing the historic significance and potential of the home (it is
listed in the Department of the Interior's National Register of
Historic Places), Mark purchased it in April of 2008 for his private
residence.
Surprisingly through all its transformations the house
has retained much of its original craftsmanship. Fireplaces with
unique marble from different countries, massive mahogany and teak
mantles, parquet floors, gold leaf wall coverings, ornately carved
beams and pillars, and stained and leaded glass.
Mark and his staff set to renovating and restoring the
home to its former glory when it began. The daily visits by the
locals recalling their favorite ghost stories of the mansion, the
workers on the renovation project and visitors hearing and seeing
strange unexplainable events. One worker was so upset by this
that he refused to work inside the house alone. With such an
overwhelming amount of stories and occurrences, Mark decided to share
his home with the public and The Erie Mansion Bed & Breakfast was
created.
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