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OLDWAY MANSION
800 meters from Paignton town centre

The council offices for Torbay Local Authority would not be a holidaymakers choice to visit - but in Paignton it is highly recommended. Oldway Mansion is the council's prized asset of great beauty and has a history which encompasses many household names.
History: - Isaac Merritt Singer was born in New York , the son of a German father and Dutch mother. His parents lived in abject poverty, and died equally impoverished, when Isaac was still young. He was an intelligent person, willing to try almost anything to earn a living. After a spell of farming, and a brief acting career, he turned his attention to engineering.
It was not until he was 41 years old, and married for the second time, that he made a breakthrough, by producing a working sewing machine which could be manufactured in great volume.
	In 1871, Singer was aware that life in his adopted France was in danger of total disruption so, with his beautiful wife Isabella, and their young family, moved to South Devon. His first purchase was the Fernham Estate, which consisted two villas, Little Oldway and Fernham, the Rising Sun Inn, some cottages and a substantial area of parkland. The Rising Sun sank, as did the cottages, when they were pulled down as part of an elaborate plan. Isaac Singer was rich and imaginative man who appointed a local (Paignton) architect George Bridgman, to build a home.

Isaac wanted a building with french design and sent George Bridgman to France to ascertain details.
George Bridgman complied with Isaac's instructions and by 1874 had created a magnificent building, containing kitchens, offices, servants hall, wine cellars, many fine rooms and even a theatre, which resembled a florid French villa. Alas, Isaac died just before the mansion was completed.
The man who was born into poverty left an immense fortune of 13 million dollars, plus a vast estate - from rags to preferable riches. Perhaps his greatest legacies, though, were his six children, Mortimer ,
	Washington , Winnaretta, Paris, Isabella and Franklin, plus his great love of all children. Before his death, he treated every child in Paignton to a visit to a travelling show, and he had his butlers stationed at the gates, ready to dish out a bag of sweets to each one as they left afterwards. Isaac's widow eventually went back to Paris where her good looks attracted much attention.

Celebrated sculptor Auguste Bartholdi was just one admirer. He persuaded Isabella to model for him. The end result It is perhaps the most famous statue in the world - The Statue of Liberty!
Isaac's home remained almost unaltered, until 1904 when Isaac's third son, Paris, began a series of major alterations. The house was renamed Oldway after the changes, but many people called it
	'The Little Versailles', because of the great similarity the redesigned building had to its French equivalent. The Gallery was modelled on The Hall of Mirrors at Versailles , whilst the music pavilion was based on one from the grounds of The Petit Trianon, also at Versailles. The vast team of craftsmen, and artists, had the bulk of the work finished by 1907. Happily, a vast amount of the work they did remains on view today.
The use of Oldway as a family residence was short lived.
At the outset of the First World War, Paris Singer personally funded the adaptation of the mansion to an American Women's War Hospital . Hospital trains full of wounded soldiers soon arrived at Paignton. The local fire brigade stretchered the patients to the house. Ironically, more American troops died there as a result of a 'flu epidemic, than from wounds, and were buried in Paignton.
Following the war, their bodies were taken back to the USA .
	After the war, the house ceased to be used as a family home, although a few rooms were fitted up as a flat, for occasional occupation by the Singers, several of whom remained in the Paignton area. In 1929 the property became the Torbay Country Club. The ground floor was re-organised to include a cafe, billiards rooms, a bar and toilets.
The upper floors were converted into residential flats. Outside two bowling greens and fifteen tennis courts provided extra facilities.
The RAF requisitioned several of Oldway's buildings during the Second World War, using them for the Initial Training Wing. Paignton's council took possession after the war and got, what must be, the absolute bargain of the century, when they purchased it for only £45,000.
The Singer Family: - The most romantic story surrounds Paris, who fell in love with the legendary dancer, Isadora Duncan. His courtship of her, in 1909, was graphically dramatised in a film called Isadora. Many shots and scenes were filmed in and around Oldway. Vanessa Redgrave played the title role, ably supported by Jason Robards Junior. Mortimer and Franklin Singer were both fond of the sea and spent a lot of time on maritime pursuits. Washington Singer was a famous racehorse owner - one of his horses won the prestigious St Leger. Isaac and Isabella's two daughters both married into foreign Royal families. Isabella became Duchess De Cazes whilst Winnaretta, who was a talented musician and artist, became Princess de Polignnac. The lovely theatre created by Isaac Singer became a ballroom when Paris Singer took command, and latterly has become the council chamber. Film stars, the wealthy elite, kings and queens, and tourists, are only a small cross section of the vast number of people who have worked rested or played at Oldway.

Have a look around the mansion and gardens, they are one of Paignton's jewels!