William D. Waltz

from Working Title

The mansions there stand as monuments to craftsmanship and wealth. The carpenters, masons, and laborers who erected these houses have long since passed, yet the fruits of their labor live on, vestiges of another time. I've tried to imagine the people who built these homes and the gentry who contracted such luxurious accommodations for their families. Were the carpenters honest? The masons proud? Did they earn a fair wage or did their families struggle? Did the laborers die young? Were the future homeowners rapacious? Was their wealth the result of their labor or the labor of others? Were they hardworking, lucky, or both? Who if anyone enjoyed their work?

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