“DIAMOND JIM”

Inscription

"DIAMOND JIM"
IN 1914 JAMES PAUL LUCAS,
DIAMOND TRADER, ECCENTRIC,
AND WORLD TRAVELER, SETTLED
AT THIS MANSION AND KEPT
HIS COLLECTION OF CURIOSITIES.
NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLIFE INSTITUTE
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2021

Lucas Mansion, the former home of James Paul Lucas, aka “Diamond Jim”, is located in Hiddenite, North Carolina. Nicknamed for his lucrative career as a diamond trader, Lucas was a world traveler and a known eccentric. He acquired his home in Hiddenite around 1914. Within his mansion he curated a vast collection of curiosities, artifacts, and antiques, many acquired from his own adventures. The home’s 1981 National Register application details some of these unusual belongings:

Lucas was an avid collector and the items numbered in the hundreds. Gifts came from world renowned personalities such as Baron Rothschild (two canes) and General Pershing (World War I helmet). Other items included a pipe believed to have belonged to Czar Nicholas of Russia, clothes worn by Buffalo Bill, boxing gloves of John L. Sullivan and James J. Corbett, and a baseball mitt autographed by John McGraw. A special clock collection (150 pieces) included an 1804 model and one that ran for 400 days on a single winding. Diamonds up to sixteen carats, antique guns, and numerous other artifacts were included.

In addition to his collections, Lucas’ home was a marvel itself. Upon purchase, Lucas expanded the structure from two levels to three in order to accommodate his belongings. He outfitted the home with the most modern features of its day. The mansion’s current owner, the Hiddenite Arts and Heritage Center, include the following about the home’s amenities on their website:

Lucas equipped the 22-room, three-story house with all of the modern conveniences, including many that were ahead of their time. The mansion had its own power generator for electricity and indoor water system. The mansion also featured a telephone, a bell system used in the manner of an intercom, and a remarkable fire extinguisher system.

James Paul Lucas passed away in 1952. Since then the Lucas Mansion had a number of different owners over the years until 1981. In a significant state of disrepair, covered in vegetation and abandoned, the mansion was purchased by Mrs. R.Y. Sharpe, who made it her mission to save and preserve the home.

As of 2021 the Lucas Mansion continued to serve as the home of the Hiddenite Arts and Heritage Center.

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