$1.9M Gets You The Historic Ashford Mansion by Mt. Rainier

It's on the National Register of Historic Places. Before that it was a mansion. Before that it was the transfer point for visitors to Mt. Rainier. Before that it was a homestead. Yep. It's historic. Ashford Mansion was built in 1903 and has maintained that turn-of-the-century style that others try to imitate in new buildings. The 7 bedroom, 3 bath house hasn't changed much, but of course it has. The plumbing, electrical, and heating must have been improved along the way. They left the fireplace, but probably for looks instead of heat. The 4,004 square foot building has touches that were far more elegant than the homestead: chandeliers, sculpted ceilings, inset bedroom cabinetry, and expansive rooms. If it was busy with travelers, its kitchen and dining room probably got a lot more use than those in most modern mansions. The asking price is $1,980,000, which also buys the 4 acre lot, a covered porch that was meant rocking chairs and swings, and what is a five car garage that was probably a stable for a herd and a hay loft. Now, you can do things with it that probably didn't make sense then, like parking a four poster bed on the second floor veranda so you can sleep next to the forest. Hope the squirrels and raccoons don't expect to join you.

· 30715 Mt. Tahoma Canyon Rd E, Ashford [Estately]
· Ashford Mansion [AM]
Written by Tom Trimbath