H-Lancasl* Farming, Saturday, October 28, 1995
GAY BROWNLEE
Somerset Co. Correspondent
SOMERSET (Somerset Co.)
North of town, caught in a pocket
between Routes 601, 281 and the
Lake Road, sits a stately edifice on
a hill. Its red brick exterior, marble
columns and asymmetrical wings
would hardly remind one of some
body’s private residence. Yet, it
once was.
It’s the mansion built by the late
Daniel Burnside (D. 8.) Zimmer
man, a former Somerset area farm
boy whose fortune was amassed
from business interests begun in
his youth. The $300,000 Georgi
an-Revival house built in 1915
was the only one in the area ever
designed by Horace Trumbauer.
The venerable, 80-year-old
mansion, in 1993 was officially
opened as the Inn At Georgian
Place, offering bed and breakfast
accommodations. More recently,
because of its architectural merit,
the mansion was added to the Na
tional Register of Historic Places.
When D.B. Zimmerman, a man
who enjoyed throwing parties,
died in 1928,13 years after having
the magnificent house built, he left
behind a success story that attest
ed to his astute understanding of
die coal and cattle industries.
Obviously, he lived by a sixth
sense because at the age of 14, he
dared to leave the family farm in
Somerset County and head west
for North Dakota. Probably he
was called crazy by a few, and*
maybe his mother, if she was
alive, was worried to death as she
watched her son leave, but a
magazine article he’d read had
aroused his fancy.
In no time, the spunky teen-ager
Irom Pennsylvania had made his
first cattle purchase.
From there D.B.’s cattle suc
cesses spread much like a prairie
(ire. “Z” brands were soon grazing
on ranges throughout the western
United States, from the Dakotas to
California. And every year, the
growth of his financial assets co
incided with the fattening of his
cloven-hoofed critters. After all,
the market was seeing some
40,000 head of Zimmerman cattle
sold annually.
Folks knew about D.B. Zim
merman. By age SO, he was the
largest independent cattle dealer
Tea and tours are dally occurences at the Inn since restoration took place In the ear-
Former Somerset Farm Boy's Mansion
Becomes National Historical Landmark
in the country.
Meanwhile D.B.’s “Midas
touch” was working equaly well
in Somerset County where, at age
45, he was the county’s largest in
dependent coal operator. By 1907,
he had acquired coal interests that
totaled 140,000 acres.
Mines at Goodtown and later, in
company towns called Wilson
Creek, Ralphton and Zimmerman,
were developed by the man in
1898.
Parties were popular with D.B.
so the mansion was often lively
with guests whom his daughter,
Sally, acting as hostess, welcomed
to these lavish fetes. Lizzie, her
mother, opted out of the responsi
bility.
As D.B.’s spouse, the simplici
ty of life preferred by Lizzie must
have seemed strangely out of bal
ance with the rest of the Zimmer
man household, because their son,
Ralph also joined his dad in the
business.
Lizzie enjoyed cooking in her
large kitchen and directing the
meticulous care of the house. In
terior wood panels were oiled very
frequently by a staff of servants.
D.B. had used native woods
oak, cherry, walnut, butternut and
poplar, inside the mansion and for
ns nine fireplaces, Teakwood was
chosen for the drawing room.
Were it not for Lizzie’s appre
ciation of hearth and home, who
knows if the beautiful house
would have survived its later years
of neglect after the last survivor,
Sally, sold it in 1944 to a local
coal operator. But despite years
without occupancy, the paneling,
grand staircase and Italian marble
entrance hall have withstood the
test of time. So have many of the
original crystal and gold-leafed
chandeliers, polished brass and
silver wall fixtures still used in the
mansion.
Records indicate that five years
after Sally sold the house it was
resold, at a sheriffs sale, for an in
credibly paltry, considering its
worth, 530.500.
Inside of the 136-foot long
mansion were living room, dining
room, library, five massive bed
rooms, den, three servants’ rooms,
three bathrooms, a library, break
fast room, kitchen, smaller rooms
and nooks on the third level and
This Georg lan-Revlval*style mansion built by D.B. Zimmerman, a fonnsr Somereat
farm boy, Is on tha National Register of Historical Places.
Th# Inn at Georgian Piaca often bad and bnakfast accomodaltona.
the south wing’s tile-floored con- Situated at a lower level and
servatory. flanking the mansion are the shops
Restoration of the mansion took of the abstract-shaped. Horizon,
place in the early 19905. Now tea Outlet Mall,
and tours are a daily occurence at For tours and other info^aupj 1
the Inn. call Jon Knupp at (814) 443-1043.
Homestead
NOTES