When one mansion isn’t enough, two will do.

That’s how twin brick mansions, built in different eras in Carthage, MO, came to be.

Together, the homes total 16,851 square feet and are listed for $2.1 million—after a recent $1 million price reduction.

The original mansion dates to 1890, while the other was constructed in the early 2000s. The older one is known as the Carter Mansion, named for the doctor who once lived and practiced medicine there.

The owner bought the mansion many years ago and decided to build a newer, more updated one right next to the original, explains Stephanie Willis with Realty Executives Tri-States.

Ungerground tunnel

And apparently, the owner liked both homes so much, she had them linked.

“She built an underground tunnel to connect the two, so she could go from mansion to mansion and not have to be in the elements,” Willis says.

Double the fun

The historic mansion, which features gorgeous stained-glass windows throughout, has many original details.

“You feel like you just stepped back in time—she’s preserved it beautifully,” Willis says of the owner’s work. “It’s unbelievable.”

She notes that most of the medallion ceilings and hardwood floors are original and in mint condition.

The more modern mansion has vintage touches with contemporary amenities, such as updated mechanicals. It also includes some flourishes reminiscent of those in the original mansion—like stained glass.

“You get the same feeling, but it’s a little more modern,” Willis explains. “Things are more updated. You’re still blown away because of the craftsmanship and the quality of the materials that were used.”

The mansions collectively include eight bedrooms and several full kitchens, while the newer home features a dining room with a table that seats 32!

Mirror mansions

As is apparent, the newer mansion’s design was inspired by the original.

“She built the newer one to resemble the older one the best she could, using older brick and other building materials that were older and resembled the look of the older mansion,” Willis explains. “The attention to detail blows your mind. She spared no expense on these properties.”

The owner has since passed away and left the property to her son. He is selling the place, “because it’s so large, and he doesn’t need twin mansions,” Willis says.

There’s more

The nearly 13-acre property comes with a few unusual structures—for one, a building known as the depot, which has church pews inside and once housed a radio station.

The sale also includes a train car—a caboose, actually—behind the depot, Willis notes. And another small brick building stands nearby, housing one of the owner’s most cherished possessions.

“She used to have a liberty tree on the property,” Willis says, referring to a tree that is more than 250 years old. “It was her favorite tree, and it was stuck by lightning, and she was just devastated. So she salvaged what she could and hired a local craftsman to come and carve the Statue of Liberty inside what was left of the tree.”

The owner then built an enclosed gazebo around the tree’s remains, which were fashioned into a seat. She completed the gazebo with red, white, and blue stained-glass windows.

A wall with iron gates surrounds the entire property, which Willis believes could be a great event venue or family compound.

“When the gates open and you start driving up to those properties, you are in total awe and amazement, because they’re so large,” she says. “It’s just mind-boggling that there are two of them.”

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