Saturday, June 2, 2012

The Elusive "Vikings Cove"

Built for George Fisher Baker Jr. Another Walker & Gillette design.  According to SPLIA "it is perhaps the most traditional in plan and scale of all the firm's Georgian Revival designs." I use ELUSIVE because I can not find much on this place or the Baker's. Putting two and two together and getting five I conclude the family followed the birth, marriage, death doctrine. Baker's father was a pal of J.P. Morgan and was know as the "Sphinx of Wall Street". In 1923 his net worth was  estimated to be upwards of $300million. Junior was to marry Edith Beavoort Kane in 1911 with the opening of "Vikings Cove" in 1913. Most notorious for the family and the setting was the Baker/Woodward/Duchess of Windsor diner and the subsequent  history that followed.  

***"Vikings Cove" - George Fisher Baker Jr. Estate - Walekr & Gillette, Architects - Note the bathing pavilion from "Ormstron House" at bottom right.***

***Brochure Cover - Edith Kane Baker -Sotheby Parke Bernet - 1977***
Click HERE to see "Vikings Cove" at wikimapia. Click HERE to read, in George's own words, where he felt his life was at in 1914. HERE to  the Finding Aid to the Baker Family Papers. HERE to see more from the Sotheby Parke Bernet brochure. HERE for more on the relationship of the Duchess and Edith Baker. Death Doctrine

Side note- In 1906 Walker married Sybil Kane , daughter  of Grenvile Kane, Sybil's sister was Edith Brevoort Kane Baker.

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