The $78,000 Carlisle Mansion — Hidden Riches of a Forgotten Trophy Room

Carlisle Mansion’s trophy room exuded a peculiar quiet, where the scent of old leather and varnish lingered. Wealth here was subtle: the careful collection of rare trophies, exotic curios, and artifacts, meticulously cataloged in faded ledgers, representing a fortune of $78,000 left behind yet now abandoned.

Charles Montgomery Carlisle, Big-Game Hunter and Explorer

Charles Montgomery Carlisle, born 1860 in Cape Town, South Africa, was a renowned big-game hunter and explorer.

Educated in England and trained in natural sciences, he traveled widely to Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. Evidence of his life remains: a safari coat draped over a chair, rifle cases leaning against a corner, a battered field journal with penciled notes, and small exotic trinkets scattered on shelves. Married briefly to Adelaide Whitmore, he had no surviving heirs. His daily routines included meticulous logging of specimens, maintenance of weapons, and careful valuation of acquired trophies. His temperament was precise, adventurous, and occasionally obsessive, reflected in the carefully arranged yet now derelict room.

Misfortune, Abandonment, and Unclaimed Assets

After Carlisle’s sudden death from malaria in 1913 during an unrecorded expedition, the mansion fell into neglect. Executors failed to manage the estate, leaving debts, auction notices, and partially packed crates. The trophy room preserves the evidence: half-annotated ledgers, toppled chairs, and silver cups tucked beneath dust-covered artifacts. Some items may have been quietly dispersed; others remain hidden, leaving the exact monetary and historical value uncertain.

In a final glance beneath a mounted kudu head, a folded note reads simply: “Catalogue all for posterity.” Beyond that, Carlisle Mansion stands silent, trophies and ledgers frozen in place, wealth preserved on paper and display, but ultimately unresolved and abandoned.