The Lady Who Owned Half of Harlem: The Fascinating Story of Mary G. Pickney and Spring Hill

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Published 2024-06-16

Explore the fascinating story of Mary G. Pickney, a savvy businesswoman who became one of Harlem's largest landowners in the 19th century. From her family's financial troubles and her astute deal with her stepfather, Archibald Watt, to her strategic land subdivisions and renovations of the Spring Hill Mansion, Mary transformed her inheritance into a vast real estate empire. Join Ken on This House as we delve into her remarkable life, her impact on Harlem, and the legacy she left behind, including the eventual fate of Spring Hill. Don't forget to subscribe for more historical house tours and stories!

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Location: Harlem, NY

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Public Domain Photos from: Library of Congress,
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Music from Epidemic Sound

All Comments (21)

@alex0589 14 days ago

The Mcdonalds just adds insult to injury ahah
@Portia-oc6mr 14 days ago

Mary was a smart woman. The level of the family's greed was out of this world. She had a lovely house, and I wish it were still standing, Thank you, Ken.
@user-jk2hb5qq8r 13 days ago

My Father always said, "you never know a persons true caractor untill it comes to inheriting something or someone dies"!
@anteeker 14 days ago

All the chairs in the office and the entire parlor set are all John Henry Belter pieces. The parlor set is carved in the Rosalie pattern. All the rooms looked very comfy.
@janedee6488 14 days ago

Mary understood the assignment. Great story, thanks
@rosepelzel4244 14 days ago

Do these families ever have a happy ending?? I think that's the saddest part of all!! Thanks, Ken!
@williamtyre523 13 days ago

She was indeed quite the astute businesswoman, especially to realize so early on how valuable that land would become.
@lizlittle1641 13 days ago

So sad to lose such a beautiful piece of history.
@jefflawrentz1624 14 days ago

This was a fascinating glimpse into New York history. I’ve never read or heard anything about this before. Thanks Ken, for another exciting episode!
@jillwiegand4257 14 days ago

The salt in the wound was that McDonald's 😢
@mikenixon2401 14 days ago

You gotta' love stories like this. I always liked mansions of this design. She had a business mind, she had good taste. Thanks, Ken.
@eleanorbuck715 14 days ago

The moral to the story seems to be that all wealth is temporary, Ken! Great video...
@alexxstarr27 14 days ago

I love that story, people don't know thank u for telling it, she was a smart and lucky women, and there are people who live below their means cause they feel they have enough.
@jimc4731 14 days ago

My kind of woman! You go Mary 🤩 JIM ❤
@70foolio 14 days ago

Too bad she didn’t put in her will that the home is preserved as a historic landmark. The surrounding land could have been a great park. 😢
@danielkoher1944 14 days ago

4:29 Ken, thank you so much 😊 for continuing to narrate truthful stories. Bringing knowledge to those of us who might never have found this out
@randykreifels6171 13 days ago

Another great story, but too bad how greedy the relatives became.
@lisatolliver2866 13 days ago

Ken, thank you so much for bringing us these historical homes and the stories behind them. The homes are stunning.
@monkeygraborange 14 days ago

I think it’s odd that I never heard her name or knew of this story, considering the complex history of NYC.
@Steven-wm9vu 14 days ago

I like this video format.