Mansion House

Mansion House stands as the official residence of the Lord Mayor of London, but its origin is tied to a rather cynical fundraising scheme. To pay for its construction in the mid eighteenth century, the City of London repeatedly fined wealthy citizens who refused to serve as sheriffs because they were religious dissenters and could not take the required Anglican sacrament. These individuals were essentially caught in a trap where they were legally ineligible to serve but were still punished for their inability to do so, providing the funds to build this grand palatial home.