Part 4/11:
Marie entrusted the architectural firm of Hastings to craft her dream mansion, designed in the Petit Trianon style—a French classical palace inspired by Marie Antoinette’s Petit Trianon at Versailles. The house was a masterpiece, cloaked in Indiana limestone with intricate French decorative details such as columns, cornices, carved wreaths, and ornamental carvings reminiscent of Parisian palaces.
The facade was transformed from Victorian ornamentation into a refined French elegance, with a striking entrance featuring a street-level porte-cochère enclosed in wrought-iron and glass. The design aimed to evoke the grandeur of a private royal residence, blending classical modernity with the charm of Marailie’s envisioned French château.