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NightCafe Render of Demilune's "The Stable at Brenton Point"
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Introduction
Introduction
No, the Mayfair Witches is not the only thing I am interested in. I have been a reader all my life. Have I ever written any stories of my own? Yes. Will I ever publish them? I dunno.
Somewhere along the way, wishing I could see the characters and their worlds as the author saw when creating them developed into a desire to see if there was a way to bring those worlds and characters to life right off the page. A lot of fiction authors incorporate bits and pieces of themselves and their own lives into their work. Well, pretty much all of them. So, between those bits and pieces that we know of and their very words on the page, I came to really love trying to imagine those worlds. When novels and stories have been adapted to the screen, the closer they were to the source material, the better I liked them.
Then, the digital age arrived.
Before then, Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles and Lives of the Mayfair Witches series' both had companion reference books written by Katherine Ramsland in cooperation with Anne Rice. In them, many of the real-life inspirations for places, events and characters could be found.
Another thing that happened and took off in the beginning of the 21st century was self-publishing. Publishing houses like Authorhouse became more prominent, and in 2004 and 2005, Authorhouse would become how a New England author published a pair of novels set in Rhode Island. Afterimages and Afterimages II: The Legend of Diadamia.
In a YouTube video made to discuss a bit about The Legend of Diadamia, author C.J. Fisher explained some of the inspirations for his novel. Some stories from his own past, along with his grandmother being one of the inspirations for one of his characters, and a strong female protagonist in the present whose experiences parallel the series of events that led to the death of Diadamia, Even one of Rhode Island's most enduring legends served as an inspiration: Mercy Brown, the "last Rhode Island vampire".
There are tiny bits and pieces that make one think of Dracula as well, although there is not a single vampire anywhere in these two novels.
Nearly a decade after the publication of the two novels, the author created 3D models of some of the places described in the novels. One in particular was a model of a real location that clearly inspired at least one setting in The Legend of Diadamia. The 3D models were made available on 3D Warehouse under the user handle 'Demilune', where hobbyist modelers could upload their SketchUp models to share. While self-published authors were for many years regarded as "hacks" or worse, C.J. Fisher clearly does not fall into this category. The books, in my opinion, were very well written and told engaging stories that left a lasting impression on me.
As a 3D modeler, Demilune does not disappoint. The 3D models could easily have been created by architects or engineers who also create models for fun.
This is the kind of creating I wished I could have seen before, but the ability to create like this took a while to become available to the public the way they are now.
So much has become possible that even my Mayfair Witches website, launched in 2008, can be given new life by using creations of my own to better highlight the central content. Which is what I have already written about the Lives of the Mayfair Witches series. Since the Mayfair Witches is not my only interest, I wanted to set things up so that my Mayfair Witches content is one branch of my content. Yes, it's a pretty big branch.
But not the only one.
I maintain my Mayfair Witches content because I do love it, and I love the novels. Another reason is that there is a lot of my own original content in it, and I will protect it.
Maybe I should talk about Dracula at some point...?
Illustration of the title character, Diadamia, on the title page of novel, done by the author, C.J. Fisher. Although this is a drawing, a sketch, one way fan art is made is to colorize images.
My family has some old portraits of my great-grandparents and 2nd great-grandparents in convex frames identical to the one used here. These were a popular frame around the turn of the 20th century, and the glass was bubble-shaped--convex. The image was typically attached to the glass itself, so you couldn't switch out the images in the frames.
When Words Come to Life
When Words Come to Life
Cover art of The Legend of Diadamia by C.J. Fisher and a combination of 3D and AI of Diadamia and the Paxxton
I enjoy looking at fan art from novels and I enjoy creating it, as long as the art is true to the novel to the best of one's abilities.
This page is meant to provide an excellent example of how I define fan art, but with a unique twist. This art was created by the author of the novel! Also, I get to talk about the novel, which I absolutely LOVED.
So, let's take a look at the artwork of The Legend of Diadamia...
Demilune's "Car from Legend of Diadamia"
Welcome to Amethyst Hill, Rhode Island
Welcome to Amethyst Hill, Rhode Island
Rainy Day in Amethyst Hill, RI
Amethyst from Diamond Hill, Ashaway, RI
The fictional town of Amethyst Hill, Rhode Island, is set within Ashaway, which is a village within the town of Hopkinton, Rhode Island. There are not one, but two areas in Rhode Island that are called Diamond Hill. One in Cumberland, and one in...Ashaway.
In 1991, amethyst mines were discovered in the area of Ashaway called Diamond Hill. Like the Lives of the Mayfair Witches, details based upon real life, even relatively obscure details, can find their way into the story the author is telling.
Blending a fictional place like Amethyst Hill with actual details of the time and place a story is set in can help a reader visualize the world the characters live in. Amethyst Hill is a fictional place, but Ashaway, Diamond Hill and Hopkinton, Rhode Island are not.
Again, Amethyst Hill is obviously a fictional place. However, its name might have been inspired by a unique detail about the real place it is located in: the amethyst mines in the area of Diamond Hill in Ashaway.
Apparently, the fictional setting of Amethyst Hill or the model of it with building names unchanged has gained some popularity among many content creators. In recent years, the town served as the model of fictional town of Brooklin, Maine, with business names (including Good Morning Lydia's) intact, in a comic series called Young Justice.
Young Justice
Young Justice
Apparently, the fictional setting of Amethyst Hill or the model of it with building names unchanged has gained some popularity among many content creators. In recent years, the town served as the model of fictional town of Brooklyn, Maine, with business names (including Good Morning Lydia's) intact, in a comic series called Young Justice.
I am not familiar with the ins and outs of comic series by DC Comics (or any other). The series does have a Fandom Wiki where images of characters are shown with Amethyst Hill in the background. To the right is one you can compare with the above image that shows the Amethyst Hill Antiques Center building in the background.
Good Morning Lydia's in Young Justice. Apparently, there was a "War Bug" problem.
There are more buildings in the 3D model that appear intact as locations in the fictional town of Brooklyn, Maine. The Wiki offers a Shops and Stores directory where they are listed in addition to a page dedicated to the locations within the fictional town. It should be noted that while there is a real town called Brooklin, Maine, the town in the series is a fictional town named for Brooklyn, New York.
The 3D model of Amethyst Hill that these came from, found on 3D Warehouse, is split between Upper and Lower Depot Street. If you are familiar with SketchUp, you can navigate your way around the models and see if you can spot the buildings.
You will find the Upper Depot Street model in the embedded viewer beneath Good Morning Lydia's.
Good Morning Lydia's
Good Morning Lydia's
If you have given yourself a tour of Demilune's Amethyst Hill in the SketchUp for Web Viewer, you will have seen one of the buildings is an old railroad depot called "Good Morning Lydia's". If you have read The Legend of Diadamia (and I hope you have), you will no doubt recognize the illustration from the book below.
Good Morning Lydia's
Good Morning Lydia's NightCafe Render
The book has several illustrations, all done by the author, C.J. Fisher. This illustration shows the railroad depot that was converted into a coffee shop by the book's main character besides Diadamia, Lydia Gwyndorra.
Now, plenty of former railroad stations--passenger and freight--have converted into coffee shops, delis, ice cream parlors, and even full restaurants. There was even a train depot coffee shop where Julia Roberts' character is eating fried green tomatoes in the film, Mother's Day.
One person left a comment for Demilune asking if the coffee shop had been inspired by Fried Green Tomatoes. The Whistle Stop Cafe, another fictional place in a novel that was adapted into the 1991 film, used an old hardware store for the film. But similar to the fictional Amethyst Hill, the little Alabama town of Whistle Stop became a ghost town when the railroad no longer ran through it.
This is where an area's actual history can inspire fiction. When the railraod was built throughout America in the 19th century, little towns and villages formed around these little depots. Tutwiler, Mississippi is an example. It was named for Thomas Tutwiler, a civil engineer for a railroad company who brought the railroad to the area and the small depot (now demolished, I understand) for passengers and freight in the late 19th century.
This, too, is a major feature of the Lives of the Mayfair Witches novels. All of Anne Rice's novels, actually. Fictional characters, places and events set amid historical time periods and locations are found everywhere. One example: Maye Faire on Saint-Domingue (now part of modern Haiti), a sugar plantation built by Charlotte Mayfair and her husband, Antoine Fontenay. Charlotte's descendants fled and relocated to Louisiana when warned of the revolution coming towards them--the Haitian Revolution.
Use the SketchUp Viewer to give yourself a 3D tour of Upper Depot Street in the fictional town of Amethyst Hill, Rhode Island
The Stable at Brenton Point
The Stable at Brenton Point
Looking at the illustration of Good Morning Lydia's above, one can see a very interesting structure in the background. It appears to be a structure beyond the hillside, a tower. This little structure is remarkably detailed for something in the background. This is where we note that this tower was likely inspired by an actual location in Rhode Island--a dilapidated old stable and carriage house that had been a part of an estate but became an abandoned ruin--The Stable at Brenton Point, in Newport, Rhode Island.
The Stable at Brenton Point, RI
Brenton Point Stable Ruins
Brenton Point Stable Ruins
As you can see, the condition of the abandoned stable and carriage house deteriorated over the years to such a degree that it was dangerous. When you have ruins where parts of the structure have collapsed, it's only a matter of time before people end up riding shotgun as the structure or any part of it collapses beneath them. That is what happened here.
Despite the fact that the decaying building was surrounded by a fence, people still managed to gain access over the years. And this time, a roof caved in with four kids on it. As a result, the decision was made to demolish what was left of the stable and carriage house that had once been part of The Reef/Bells.
Brenton Point Stable RuinsPhoto courtesy The Entertaining House
The Stable at Brenton Point, RI Late 1960s
The image of the stable ruins you see to the left was taken in the late 1960s. The clock tower was still in place at that time, although it later collapsed. It is very easy to see the striking resemblance of the clock tower to the tower in the background of the illustration of Good Morning Lydia's.
Fictional places in stories that were inspired by actual places is, of course, a well known feature of Anne Rice's novels. From the obvious--1239 First Street, Anne's own house, as the home of the Mayfair Witches--to the not so obvious--Belle Grove plantation as a possible inspiration for Fontevrault--actual locations that inspired fictional ones helps us to further suspend disbelief as we read the story. This is especially effective when the story involves the supernatural or paranormal, as we now call it.
In doing a little more looking, to see if I can find any updates on plans for the demolition of the former stables and carriage house at Brenton Point in Newport, Rhode Island, I came across this Opinion letter in the Fall River Reporter, published September 10, 2023. Yes, Fall River, Massachusetts, where the Lizzie Borden house is. However, this letter was written by a man named Jesse Correa Jr., an amateur filmmaker who spent decades researching the history of Brenton Point that he made into a documentary in 2018.
Correa gives a brief but fascinating summarization of the history of Brenton Point, and of the stables and carriage house. In it, he explains the origin of the name "The Bells". It was a reference to the bells that once chimed in the clock tower that once sat atop the main entrance to the stables and carriage house (see photo above)! There is still a structure standing on the property that had once been a windmill--and a water tank with hoses. The turning of the blades would propel water through a hose system in case of fire--which had destroyed the original structure.
Brenton Point Windmill Remains
Brenton Point Windmill Remains
If this piece of engineering is not important to historical preservation, then this descendant of Rhode Island doesn't know what is.
Correa's research into the history of Brenton Point seems to have been quite detailed, on a level Anne Rice herself would certainly have appreciated. I hope the documentary still exists somewhere, because I, for one, would love to see it. Here is a link to the article in the Fall River Reporter:
Opinion letter: Newport, Rhode Island to lose one of its hidden gems
Upon Theodore Davis's death in 1915, Milton Budlong bought the estate. Unfortunately, when his marriage ended in divorce in or about 1928, the estate and mansion became the focus of a bitter court battle. No member of the Budlong family lived in the mansion after 1928, and the property passed to the Budlongs' daughter. During WWII, the United States took control of the property to defend US shores. The property was returned to the Budlong family after the war, but still no one in the Budlong family resided there. Nor did anyone else.
Battery 155 at Brenton Point WWII
Battery 155
Battery 155
More about Jesse Correa's documentary on the history of Brenton Point State Park in this article in the Newport Daily News, dated February 16, 2018:
Today, the mansion is long gone, but it's said parts of its foundation can still be seen in places on the land it once stood on. The diagram above shows a hand drawn map of where the mansion stood, which is labeled Budlong Estate. If you are interested in the military history of the property, you may click on the link below to see more from FortWiki:
Ranger Station
Ranger Station
The only surviving structure besides the stable (until 2023?) is a building that is now the ranger station at Brenton Point State Park.
Very few photographs seem to be available of the mansion Davis built and named The Reef. There are a few I've saved that are no longer available online, and I will try to find them. I hope more exist in archives that can be shared to help document the history of this unique place...
Brenton Point Ranger Station
The Reefs Estate, Brenton Point, Newport, RI
The Reefs Estate, Brenton Point, Newport, RI
The Reefs, Brenton Point, Newport, RI
Formerly part of an estate built by Theodore Davis, who lived there until his death in 1915, the stable and carriage house were all that was left for many decades. The mansion was gutted by fire in 1961 and its ruins were razed in or about 1963. One account I was able to find stated the remains of the gutted mansion were buried onsite and remain there to this day.
Davis named his estate The Reef. After his death, the Budlong family bought the estate, renaming it The Bells.
Most sources state that even after the end of WWII, the mansion continued to remain empty. Eventually, it became a ruin as abandoned properties typically do. The mansion burned in or about 1961.
Brenton Point Stable to be Demolished (2023)
Brenton Point Stable to be Demolished (2023)
Four boys injured in roof collapse at Brenton Point State Park--10 WJAR May 29, 2023
Dilapidated carriage house in Newport to be demolished--10 WJAR May 30, 2023
The Bells has been a trespassing magnet for years. Why is it still here?--Rhode Island Current June 1, 2023
Reefs Estate images courtesy Newport Buzz
It's a sad day when a decision has to be made to demolish an historic structure. I have a deep love of preservation, myself. Many times, I've amused myself on YouTube by watching videos of urban explorers going into tumble-down wrecks that looked like they couldn't withstand so much as a strong fa--wind gust. Seeing people filming as they move around in ruins has really not been good for my ticker regardless of age, because I could not help but worry that someone was going to end up hurt or killed if the structure should pick that moment to collapse.
As much as I, a descendant of Rhode Island myself, grieve the loss of this piece of history, I do have to draw the line somewhere. If the place is actually dangerous, and there is no reason for its still standing other than its historical pedigree, meaning it has no other practical use, then I'm afraid demolition is justified.
Although Anne Rice wrote her Lives of the Mayfair Witches series many decades after Belle Grove was demolished, historical research could still be made into its history. This is the type of research we hope to at least have the ability to do when an historic structure is demolished for any reason.
If you are familiar with the history of Belle Grove Plantation in White Castle, Louisiana, you might also be aware of what happened to it. For those who do not, the mansion at Belle Grove Plantation, built in or about 1857 and believed to have been the largest plantation mansion ever built in the South, has been gone since the late 1950s.
By the time the mansion burned in 1952, it had been vacant for many years, having been abandoned when the Ware family lost it some time in the 1920s. In fact, an entire section of the house had completely collapsed long before 1952. The remains of the house stood for maybe a handful of years before it was declared a hazard and completely demolished. To learn a bit more about Belle Grove, you may go to this page on the Mayfair Witches site:
The Brenton Point Stable in 3D
The Brenton Point Stable in 3D
Demolition preparations underway at 'The Bells' in Newport--10 WJAR October 25, 2023
I was only going to feature the image of Demilune's Stable at Brenton Point 3D model that will take you to the details page on 3D Warehouse. Because of the demolition soon to be underway, however, I'd like to also embed the viewer on SketchUp for Web so you can explore the model yourself, if you wish.
If you are not able to use the viewer, the link to it is provided in the caption of the model below.
The Eustis Estate, Milton, MA
The Eustis Estate, Milton, MA
As I was searching for information on the status of the demolition, I learned via the Twitter post above and elsewhere that mitigating the loss of this historic structure will be necessary. How to preserve history, the history of a building, if it's no longer standing?
By showing it as it once was while documenting its history for people to see.
The Parlor has been working on a 3D model of 1239 First Street. I've been using video and images to provide updates on its progress on the Come Into My Parlor In 3D page of the Parlor. So I'm thinking, "What about Demilune's 3D model of the stable at Brenton Point?" What if Demilune's model, simple but extraordinarily accurate if photo comparisons are any indication, could be used for these purposes?
The Eustis Estate, Milton, MA
There is an incredible house in Milton, Massachusetts, a truly magnificent piece of art--the Eustis estate. On its website, there is a 360-degree virtual tour of the mansion. What if something similar could be made of the stables at Brenton Point using Demilune's 3D model of it? That might be something truly amazing, don't you think?
To learn more about the incredible Eustis Estate, visit Historic New England's website about the estate and its history:
Historic New England has made available several digital tours of properties, of which the Eustis estate is one. The properties on Historic New England are still standing, but realistic renderings of 3D models is quite extraordinary. Even if the stable and carriage house are gone, a 3D model can be rendered to look very realistic. One of Demilune's models, Scariest Haunted House, has become a very popular model and has been rendered using software such as Lumion as have the models of Upper and Lower Depot Streets. The results are astonishing!
Below is a link to the properties Historic New England has provided online digital tours of, including the Eustis estate. If you're like me, you'll lose track of time getting immersed in digital tours of these properties...
The Spenceton Mansion
The Spenceton Mansion
Spenceton Mansion, The Legend of Diadamia by C.J. Fisher NightCafe Render
Spenceton Mansion, The Legend of Diadamia by C.J. Fisher
Let's take a closer look at Brenton Point's contribution to fiction set in Rhode Island. Let's head back to the fictional town of Amethyst Hill, and a piece of architecture that is fictional, but has some rather...recognizable features. Let's take a look at the eerily whimsical Spenceton mansion.
To start, let's take a closer look at the structure behind the Spenceton mansion--a structure with what appears to be a clock tower...
Spenceton Mansion Carriage House
Spenceton Mansion Carriage House
Though there are some differences between the carriage house and stable at Brenton Point and this illustration of the carriage house behind the fictional Spenceton mansion, there is still quite a bit of detail here. Looking closely, one can even see details of the clock tower, the archways, the windows and doors...all of which are extraordinarily similar to the stables and carriage house at Brenton Point.
Being a work of fiction, there will, of course, be some differences. One whole section of the Brenton Point structure was not included in this illustration of the Spenceton mansion and grounds. But oddly enough, there is a section of the Spenceton mansion itself that could include what appears similar to that section of the Brenton Point stables and carriage house...
Striking similarities between the long gone clock tower at the Brenton Point Stables. The clock tower appears as it was on the fictional Spenceton stables and carriage house, and its style seems to have been repeated in the tower of the Spenceton mansion, built as an observation tower...
Spenceton Mansion Tower
Spenceton Mansion Tower
Spenceton Mansion Tower
Another similar structure comes to mind. The only surviving structure from the former Davis/Budlong estate still in use today--the ranger station (see image above).
Another distinctive feature of the Spenceton Mansion that figures prominently in the story is its tower.
...and the Spenceton Mansion appears to have TWO towers, the second being a round structure with a whimsically curved roof, and it appears the mansion also has a portico just to the far side of that second tower...
Spenceton Mansion Tower 2
The Reef also had a round tower with a conical roof, and a portico on that side of it, which is very similar to the fictional Spenceton mansion...
Not all of the architectural details appear to have been inspired by the Davis/Budlong estate, though. Coming soon, I'll show another interesting feature of this fictional old mansion that seems to have been inspired by another historic structure, the Ames Gate House in North Easton, Massachusetts...
I hope I've been able to show how much history and real places become part of the ingredients of storytelling when used to "set the scene", so to speak. Facts very much inform fictional stories, and I don't believe you'll find any fiction that was not inspired at least in part by actual places, events, and people.
Folks, even the looooooong running series, Sweet Valley High, drew inspiration from real places, events and, occasionally, real people. And I don't mean the Cape Fear-inspired "Super Thriller", either.
This novel, The Legend of Diadamia, is like a cozy mystery, a classic ghost story that, as the author himself stated, isn't really seen much anymore. C.J. Fisher also provided the illustrations for this novel, which is a sequel to his first novel, Afterimages. Both novels not only provide a detailed description of the world the characters lived in, but also show glimpses of that world through the illustrations. Now, several of the settings of the novels have been "brought to life" by 3D models of those places.
This is an excellent example of what I hope to be able to do with the Lives of the Mayfair Witches novels.
The Afterimages Novels
The Afterimages Novels
Click the Books to View or Purchase on Authorhouse
I want to help make a clarification in case there is some confusion. More than one author has published under the name "C.J. Fisher". Which is which?
The author of Afterimages and The Legend of Diadamia has not published any other novels besides these two (as far as I know). Therefore, this would be a good time to go over how to look up copyright information, ISBN numbers...
Afterimages-US Copyright office
ISBN-13: 9781418457082
ISBN-10: 1418457086
The Legend of Diadamia-US Copyright Office
ISBN-13: 9781420888300
ISBN-10: 1420888307
The first of these two novels was published under "Christopher J. Fisher", the full name of the author of both novels, C.J. Fisher.
This is not the same C.J. Fisher who was the author of When We Were Alive or Marx Sports.
The ISBN numbers as they appear above refer to 1. the number of digits in the ISBN number and 2. that is determined by whether or not the publication date was before 1 January 2007.
Demilune Gwynn
Demilune Gwynn
Demilune Gwynn, a sort of "evil twin" figure, has become known for 3D models that have become increasingly complex and incredibly detailed. It is because of Demilune's work that I learned the basics of 3D modeling that led to my building a model of the Mayfair Witches house of the Lives of the Mayfair Witches novels by Anne Rice. As noted above, other content creators have been inspired by Demilune's work and have even modified versions of it in their own creations.
Other 3D modelers, myself included, have modified the models themselves to create different versions of the models. I've not uploaded any of mine, but there are some modelers who have. They can also be seen on 3D Warehouse.
I have a video I made a few years ago that was exported from SketchUp. The software lets you add multiple scenes of different places throughout a model. When played, it's like watching a video tour of the model. I made a version of Demilune's "Scariest Haunted House" that showed it "restored", then blended it with the ruins. The effect I was going for was to show the house transitioning from ruin to renovated as the tour progressed. The video I made is one I have in my private collection still, and might consider reuploading to YouTube at some point. But only after making a few adjustments and some other changes to make it better.
For now, though, let us appreciate the source of so many wonderful projects as Demilune originally shared them. Instead of embedding them, which would bog down this page severely, I'll even show some renders I made of the models with links in the captions. I wouldn't be the first to do that, believe me!
How about we start with some EMF rea--I mean "Scariest Haunted House".
Scariest Haunted House
Scariest Haunted House
The link in the caption will open each model in SketchUp for Web. You'll be able to navigate your way through the dilapidated ruins of Demilune Gwynn's mansion. If you run into anyone who looks like the gal in the pink and silver outfit...well, you have been warned!
Uh Oh.
Mermaid of the Dunes Motel
Mermaid of the Dunes Motel
You can navigate your way around the midcentury style Mermaid of the Dunes Motel. The link in the caption will open the SketchUp for Web viewer so you can see the model from different angles, zoom in to look at details close up, and more.
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