What is a Wildcatter’s Den?
Wildcatters dens are a place to escape from the domestic chaos of the surrounding rooms of the home. They are quiet, elegant rooms that are deliberately decorated with fine furnishings. Wildcatters dens are NOT sports-themed, frat-style rooms with solo cups and flashing signs. You are thinking of “man caves”, which are totally different than Wildcatter’s Dens.
Some are smoking rooms, some are working rooms, and some have strict entry policies…. Every Wildcatter’s den is different but they are all a reflection of the person using it.
Wildcatters work hard and play harder, and they need a space to do both. The following is an exploration of some history’s greatest Wildcatters and their famous dens:
Theodore Roosevelt’s Trophy Room
The Trophy Room at former President Theodore Roosevelt’s summer home on Long Island, Sagamore Hill, is the ultimate Wildcatters Den. It was, first and foremost, a place to show off the wild game he had hunted and entertain prominent visitors. The style and accoutrements are timeless and can serve as inspiration for any aspiring or established Wildcatter.
Winston Churchill’s Studio
Unbeknownst to many, Churchill was also a rather talented artist. He built a studio in his estate’s garden that he used as a retreat when suffering from depression, or “the Black Dog”, as he called it. The man had many vices, and considering his mental state when he used the room, we can only imagine it was stocked with the finest booze and cigars.
Mark Twain’s Billiards Room
Mark Twain is such a Wildcatter that he had an entire floor that was off-limits to the rest of his family. The penthouse billiards room was a place for Twain to take his male guests to drink and smoke and swear. Complete with a full bar and impressive book collection, this place just oozes manliness.
Thomas Edison’s Library
Thomas Edison’s personal library was a tiny retreat in a huge invention factory where he could escape away to design, create, and invent. Covered in sketches and knick-knacks, the room had huge windows to let in plenty of natural light. Edison spent such long hours in his library that he even had a little cot in there to take shorts in between marathon work sessions.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Studio
A drafting studio designed by one of the most talented American architects? It’s as stunning as it sounds! Huge open space, octagonal hanging lights, wide working tables with sitting and standing room come together in a traditional Frank Lloyd Wright style. The space is an ode to its owner, decked with models and drawings of the masterpieces conceived within those same walls.
Andrew Carnegie’s Private Study
Carnegie’s own private study was the crowning jewel of his 64-room mansion. The steel magnate decked his private space out with only the finest that money could buy, and the elegant, high-end decor was typical of the Gilded Age style popular at the time – ornate wooden carvings, painted ceilings, and plush, colorful furniture.