White designed Golden Crest Estate in Elberon Park, NJ while at McKim Mead and White for E. F. C. Young, President of the First National Bank of Jersey City and unsuccessful Democratic candidate for New Jersey Governor in 1892. as much as i like it, he may have been right about tearing it down and starting fresh. In 1905 she married Harry Kendall Thaw, a Pittsburgh millionaire with a history of severe mental instability. BESSIE SMITH, wife of the turn-of-the-century architect Stanford White, used to be fond of watching the Long Island Sound from a favorite hilltop on the North Shore. Sons of society families resided in White's St. Anthony Hall Chapter House at Williams College; the building is now used for college offices.[12]. He could design a cover for Scribner's Magazine or design a pedestal for his friend Augustus Saint-Gaudens's sculpture. The setting for the evenings lecture could not have been more perfectly placed: The Music Room at Southamptons Whitefield, which was designed by the esteemed firm of McKim, Mead & White between 1898 and 1907. He then divided the room further into smaller interstitial spaces like seminar rooms and offices for faculty. As Samuel White started his lecture, I was drawn up to the coffered ceiling that was hand painted by his great-grandfather. White also designed the Bowery Savings Bank Building at the intersection of the Bowery and Grand Street (1894), Judson Memorial Church on Washington Square, the Lambs Club Building, the Century Club, Madison Square Presbyterian Church, as well as the Gould Memorial Library (1903), originally for New York University. Contributed by Mark Meredith on 24/10/2018 and last updated on 08/07/2020. One of the most prominent architects of the Gilded Age, Stanford White was a partner at the prolific firm McKim, Mead & White, which built some of the most important and impressive buildings across America during the early 20th century. Well hopefully that will become a possibility sooner than later. The man of the hour, Stanford White. Harbor Hill, It was built in 1885 and is a rambling, multi-gabled structure surfaced in pebblestone dashed stucco. Like other . It is widely agreed upon that Whitefield was the last project Stanford White had worked on prior to his murder by Harry Thaw, a jealous husband angered over Whites affair with his wife, on June 25, 1906. Using the money from his wifes inheritance, he started a 20-year renovation campaign, with the first major expansion in 1893. When and why did you decide to go into design? Do you have any records of his work there? Do you know of plans to restore them? Due to vandalism during the World War II, the mansion was demolished in 1947. No detail at Box Hill went unnoticedfrom the outdoor porches and landscaping to the placement of driveways, gardens and outdoor sitting area. For a period of at least six months afterwards,[clarification needed] they acted as lovers and companions. Got a hot tip for our calendar? Stanford White-designed round house overlooking Stony Brook Harbor asks $1.5M By . The estate house was the summer home of Stanford White. Portrait of American Architect Stanford White, c. 1900. White's personal story is legendarythe grist for movies and innumerable books. We are continuously working to improve the accessibility of our web experience for everyone, and we welcome feedback and accommodation requests. There, glass block floors were installed in the grand concourse to allow light to pass onto the train tracks below. Thank you, your sign-up request was successful! I love a "Rambler" that evolves as new plans or needs are developed. Welcome back to Period Dramas, a weekly column that alternates between roundups of historic homes on the market and answering questions weve always had about older structures. In time, those lots were transformed into what is now 39 dwellings surrounding a leafy park reserved for a select fewlucky enough to live in luxurious homes framingthe two-acre park between 20th and 21st Streets at Irving Place. ''It's really Bessie Smith's land,'' said Claire Nicolas White, a member of the extended White family that lives on the now-lapsed estate. With the elements of a sex scandal among the wealthy and the public killing, the resulting sensational trial of Thaw was dubbed "The Trial of the Century" by contemporary reporters. The south Mackay Estate Horse Statue is now in Gerry Pond Park in Roslyn. Stanford White's Ruins | The New Yorker Foreword by Brendan Gill, The Louvre: The Many Lives of the Worlds Most Famous Museum, The Cartiers: The Untold Story of the Family Behind the Jewelry Empire, 17 Carnations: The Royals, the Nazis, and the Biggest Cover-Up in History, Some Sort of Epic Grandeur: The Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald, By Ellen Fletcher Russell and Sargent Russell for the Roslyn Landmark Society, The Day the Bubble Burst: A Social History of the Wall Street Crash of 1929, Abandoned Long Island: Mansions, Metals, Missiles, and Monuments. Samuel White is an architect himself, and he offered a unique insight into the life of Stanford White and the design and history of Box Hill. It's up for debate whether Stanford White (born November 9, 1853, in New York City) is famous for being a significant partner in the prolific 19th century architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White OR more famous for seducing teen-aged girls and eventually being shot and killed by a jealous and furious Harry Kendall Thaw. Visit southamptonhistoricalmuseum.org for upcoming events. By 1930, it was extended westward along the park frontage on 21st street, and today it is one of the citys most coveted quarters. "The metropolitan uses books as kind of architecture ornament. His design for elaborate picture framing, the Stanford White frame, still bears his name today. Beautifully written and a great read. His article appeared on August 8, 1906, in Collier's magazine: Since his death White has been described as a satyr. ''That money was spent a long time ago. [23], In 1901, White established a caretaking relationship with Evelyn Nesbit, helping Nesbit get established as a model for artists and photographers in New York society, with the approval of Nesbit's mother. [2], It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.[1]. This article is about the American Beaux-Arts architect. Constructed in 1891, the mansionboasts a beautiful Italian Renaissance Palazzo style. Twain said that New York society had known for years preceding the incident that the married White was, eagerly and diligently and ravenously and remorselessly hunting young girls to their destruction. It was there the. He designed and decorated Fifth Avenue mansions for the Astors, the Vanderbilts (in 1905), and other high society families. In the Samuel White book "The Houses of McKim, Mead & White; Box Hill is given almost eleven pages with great color pictures of The Whites' splendid home and one B&W of the original farmhouse. Connect to Harbor Hill . what a rambler. In 1915 Country Life magazine recognized Whitefield, which was then known as The Orchard, as one of 12 significant country homes in America. His painting studio is the old cow barn, which he shares with his son Christian. Darroll- According to Simon Baatz: He was one of a group of wealthy rous, all members of the Union Club, who organized frequent orgies in secret locations scattered about the city. He designed many houses for the rich, in addition to numerous civic, institutional, and religious buildings. The Whites have nearly finished restoring the water tower with the help of a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Bessie White was from the Smith family who had settled and established the part of Long Island now known as Smithtown and St. James. Stanford White's architecture is remembered everywhere and anywhere in America where grand, opulent structures are presentnone more visible or accessible than the arch at Washington Square, the central gathering place of New York City's Greenwich Village. I guess the ultimate rambler would be Hearst Castle in California; constructed started in 1919 and building stopped in 1947 with plans drawn for one or two more guest cottages, a grand hall and various terraces. A Stanford White design has an undeniable sense of personality to it. The co-op, where Lane passed away in 2007 at age 85, sits on the second and third floors of the landmarked building, as the New York Post reported. In 1910, Kitty abandoned Clarence and their three children, running off to Paris with a younger man: the family physician, Dr Joseph Augustus Blake II (1891-1966). Stanford White, probably the best-known American architect of the late nineteenth century, was a partner in the famous architectural firm McKim, Mead and White, which was responsible for nearly 1,000 commissions, including Columbia University's Morningside Heights campus, New York's Pennsylvania Station, and the Boston Public Library. Robert White also works in a parlor of the Victorian farmhouse - ''He really works everywhere,'' said Mrs. White. But, most notably it was the party they hosted in 1924 for. He maintained a multi-story apartment with a rear entrance on 24th Street in Manhattan. There were plans for one or two more guest cottages, a grand pavilion ballroom and gallery as well as completing the work on the indoor pool gym and suites in the main house. The famous White 'Pebbledash' is still there after all these years. It's up for debate whether Stanford White (born November 9, 1853, in New York City) is famous for being a significant partner in the prolific 19th century architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White OR more famous for seducing teen-aged girls and eventually being shot and killed by a jealous and furious Harry Kendall Thaw. I grew up at 65 Ash Drive which appears from the street and house overlays to be completely "within" the mansion's main house (on the north side of the intersection of Ash and Lufberry). His clubhouse for the Atlantic Yacht Club, built in 1894 overlooking Gravesend Bay, burned down in 1934. The above aerials show the road in 1927 and 1936. Get our Hamptons Insider newsletters delivered direct to you. One house not open to the public is Stanford's own weekend residence, Box Hill, in Saint James, on the north shore of Long Island. The neighborhood, the park, and the hotel dateas far back as the 1830s, when more than 60 swampy lots were allocated to developerslooking to lure downtown city folks to a new uptown community. So much history and I'm sad that the pool club is dilapidated and the gates weren't kept up. It was completed in 1902. Stanford White is Genevieve's Great Great Grandfather, which will leads us into our interview. The carriage barn was inspired by French provincial farm buildings, and has a roof gracefully and simply lifted over the entry, like a raised eyebrow. For more info, visit johnlaffeyarchitects.com. His "informal" shingled cottages usually featured double corridors for separate circulation, so that a guest never bumped into a laundress with a basket of bed linens. The Enduring Legacy of Gilded Age ArchitectureNow on HBO Long Island mansion explorers have long tried to determine out the actual site of the Harbor Hill mansion and gardens. Bookcases rise about halfway up the wall. [35], Lovely Lane Methodist Church (1884), Baltimore, MD, Madison Square Garden (1890), New York City, Gould Memorial Library (1903) at Bronx Community College, (originally NYU), Washington Square Arch (189195), New York City, Cocke Hall (1896) at the University of Virginia, Clubhouse (1892), Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, NY, Payne Whitney House (190206), New York City, Benjamin Walworth Arnold House (1902), Albany, NY. Although they drifted apart, they remained in touch with each other and on good terms socially. Anyone can read what you share. The dining room, stair hall and living room are still in their original form and are considered some of the most beautiful rooms in America. Mansions, Manors, and Grand Estates in the United States, Walking Down Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, The 10 Most Romantic, Picturesque Castles From Around the World, David Childs Architecture - The World Trade Center & Beyond, The Architecture of Presidential Library Buildings, The 11 Best Books About Frank Lloyd Wright, Architecture in Vienna, a Guide for Travelers, A Look at Architect Stanford White's Most Beautiful Spaces, Doctor of Arts, University of Albany, SUNY, M.S., Literacy Education, University of Albany, SUNY, B.A., English, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1885: Tiffany House (demolished 1936) on 72nd Street in New York City, 1890: The second Madison Square Garden (demolished in 1925) at Madison Square Park in New York City, 1894: New York Herald Building (demolished 1921), the newspaper offices near the present Herald Square in New York City, 1895-1903: Rhode Island State House, Providence, Rhode Island, 1889: Washington Square Arch, entrance to Greenwich Village, New York City, 1898-1902: Rosecliff, Newport, Rhode Island, 1902-1904: Astor Courts, Rhinebeck, New York, 1910: Pennsylvania Station (demolished in 1963) at the site of the 1968 Madison Square Garden in New York City. It features a one-story verandah defined by a range of fluted columns. After White was killed and the newspapers began to investigate his life, continuing through the trial of Thaw, the married architect's sexual relations with numerous underage girls were revealed. PDF Long Island Estates and Historical Photographs Collection In 1929, the house was sold to Victor and Edmund Wisner, who ran it as a rooming house for summer vacationers. ''The attic,'' says Claire White, ''has Henry VIII and chain-mail costumes they wore to the dinner parties.''. Stanford White: A Hamptons Legend Remembered - Dan's Papers Howard Kroplick, Harbor Hill Country Home (Estate of Clarence Mackay). Susan, thanks for the feedback! To end the lecture, it was only fitting that Samuel White showed a photograph of all the descendants of White pictured outside his ancestral home. Even more impressive is Stanford Whites ability to pull light into almost every corner of the building.