Driving through Lower Brodsleeve, we happened upon this mansion. Prides Muse was built for John D. Walls, Chairman of the D and B Railroad Corporation. Gifted to the village of Lower Brodsleeve, Walls’ former home is now a western music venue and gift shop. It features several rooms filled with memorabilia from the days when the D&B hauled hoppers filled with stone from the mines, north of Brodsleeve, to crushers east of the village, and finally to finishers south of Brodsleeve. (Nothing but snake infested swamp sat to the west of the village in case you were wondering.) Suffice to say. Walls became filthy rich hauling hard stone from the mines to be finished into kitchen counters, patio fire pits, decorative planters, and more.
More rooms have been converted to displays of the recordings for which Lower Brodsleeve has become famous. When stone wear fell from fashion, the building became uninhabitable due to neglect. When Arthur MacArthur stumbled on the building and immediately, if not sooner, decided to purchase the structure and establish a rehearsal space and recording studio for his band, Los Dicotos. The balance as they say, is historical, as Los Dicotos went on to a successful recording career and wowed audiences with appearances on The Lucky Stroke Hit Parade and American Plant Stand. An entire room is dedicated to Moonlight Cruise, the well known composition featuring Roy Ray in his initial foray into western music.
The stairway to the tower rooms was replaced by an elevator in 1947 but has since been restored to its original condition. Visitors found the music in the elevator incongruent with the mission of the museum and insisted the museum rethink its design.
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