"FARNSWORTH" The Estate of Mr. C. K. G. Billings at Locust Valley, Long Island

  "FARNSWORTH" The Estate of Mr. C. K. G. Billings at Locust Valley, Long Island GUY LOWELL, ARCHITECT

 IN the estate of Mr. C. K. G. Billings is seen one of the most beautiful of the larger places on the North Shore of Long Island. This dignified house, which suggests in its design the best traditions of the Georgian period, stands midway between Oyster Bay and Piping Rock, commanding a distant view of Long Island Sound. Surrounding it are wooded stretches, lawns and gardens that are remarkable, not only for their beauty, but for the fact that they were brought to a state of completion in nine months after the ground had been broken to build the house. The house was also completed within this time—a remarkable achievement, for it gave no impression of the rapidity with which it had been constructed when it was first occupied in the summer of 1915. The red brick exterior, with its portico, cornice and trim of limestone, has great dignity and is in perfect harmony with its setting. 

Caen stone patio showing marble Cupid fountain by Bela Pratt

  In the interior of the house, the owner evidently wished to have expressed all of the out-of-door elements of country life, combined with a lived-in feeling, and this plan has been well carried out by the architect. As is often found in houses in southern countries, the various rooms are grouped around a central patio or court, with a loggia of goodly proportions at one end, used in this instance as a music-room. 

Loggia with Italian frescoed decorations opening of the patio

   This room, which is one of the most important in the house, is essentially Italian in the treatment of its frescoed sidewall decorations. The floor of the loggia is marble, and the room is so furnished as to lose none of its dignity and spaciousness. From the group of windows facing the north stretches out an expansive view of wooded land and in the distance the gray-blue waters of the Sound may be seen.

Hall and patio showing overdoors used as outlet for the music of the echo-organ

   
  The overdoor treatment in the loggia and patio is in a perforated, semicircular design, corresponding with the general scheme of decoration, and is used as an outlet for the music from the echo-organ, which is installed in an adjoining room especially built for this purpose. These overdoors are a distinct feature throughout the first floor of the house. 

   As in the loggia and terrace, the floor of the patio is of marble—of great beauty of color and veining. In the center of the patio stands a marble fountain, surmounted by a graceful figure of Cupid by Bela Pratt. Under the skylight, which covers the patio, draperies composed of different colored fabrics hang across the glass to soften the light that filters down upon the patio and adjoining loggia. These give a delightful effect of color.

Georgian living room, overlooking sunken gardens, with fireplace at each end

  
 Opening from the patio at the left is a long Georgian living-room with a fireplace at each end, which is intended for more informal use than the rooms just described. Adjoining this is the trophy room that was planned to hold the many valuable trophies which have been awarded to Mr. Billings as the breeder of fine horses. Through spacious windows, access is given to the broad porch overlooking the sunken gardens and pool.

A view from the covered porch looking toward the sunken gardens

  
 The outbuildings include a large stable, two garages and dwelling houses of consistent architecture for the various employees and the superintendent of the estate, likewise a central heating and lighting plant.

Click HERE for more on Billings and his Long Island Gold Coast mansion "Farnsworth".

The Long Island Residence of Ward Cheney at Peacock Point

    The Long Island residence of Ward Cheney at Peacock Point commands the open Sound—a distinctive modern plan of cinder blocks and railings painted gray and white.

   Above is shown the direct view of the principal bay and entrance from the garden. The walls are tinted a fresh pale blue-gray—trim and cast iron railings are in pure white. Striking in simplicity, the building is an original combination of the classical and modern styles.    

   Below, the furniture plan of the beige living room. Furniture by George Stacey. In the plan of the room, dining and lounging spaces have been successfully arranged for. A charming vista of the garden is seen through the doorway.

MONOTONE SCHEME IN BEIGE OVERLOOKING WATER AND GARDEN

OCTAGON LIVING ROOM ON DIRECT AXIS OF GARDEN AND WATER VIEW.
SPARKING REGENCY CRYSTAL WITH NEUTRAL WALLS AND FURNITURE. 
TAYLOR AND LOW, DECORATORS

   

WHITE, CRYSTAL AND SILVER, PAINTED FLOOR

   

The bedroom shown above makes delightful use of baroque details. There are silver commodes and Venetian mirrors in formal placement. Here white predominates. The floor is painted in gray with rococo borders in off-whites. Sharp accents in shrimp pink appear on the white antique satin upholstery. 

THE LONG ISLAND RESIDENCE OF WARD CHENEY AT PEACOCK POINT

THE LONG ISLAND RESIDENCE OF WARD CHENEY AT PEACOCK POINT

  
   THE drawings above show the unusual floor plans. The main rooms give immediate access to the water side. The isolated master bedroom, having the visibility of a lighthouse and roof terraces for sun bathing is of particular interest. The children's and service quarters are as far as possible separate entities. The site is the H. P. Davison estate, facing on the one side Mrs. Davison's beautiful garden to which approach was given on axis of the entrance, and on the opposite side Long Island Sound. The house takes full advantage of the splendid setting in its wide view of open water.

THE LONG ISLAND RESIDENCE OF WARD CHENEY AT PEACOCK POINT

THE LONG ISLAND RESIDENCE OF WARD CHENEY AT PEACOCK POINT

    Ward Cheney's family was prominent in the silk business. He married Frances Davison, daughter of banker Henry P. Davison.

wikimapia.org location. BING.

An Architects City Home - The Apartment of Thomas Hastings, Esq. on the Roof of a New York Office Building

THE IMPORTANT FEATURE IN THE PLAN OF THIS APARTMENT IS THE FIFTY-FOOT LIVING-ROOM BUILT IN STUDIO FASHION WITH OPEN CONSTRUCTION AND A WELL-SIMULATED BEAMED CEILING, ALTHOUGH BOTH ROOF AND WALLS ARE OF REINFORCED CONCRETE TO  COMPLY WITH THE   FIRE  LAWS. A DECORATIVE PIECE OF SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY FRENCH TAPESTRY HANGS ON THE SOUTH WALL HARMONIZING DELIGHTFULLY WITH AN ANCIENT NORMANDY WARDROBE OF THE SAME PERIOD, A CURIOUS OCTAGONAL TABLE OF ITALIAN DESIGN, AND CHAIRS OF PETIT POINT. CARVED-WOOD PANELS FLANK THE WINDOW GROUP. 

   A MAGNIFICENT HAND-CARVED AND GILDED ITALIAN FIREPLACE OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY FORMS ONE OF THE NOTABLE FEATURES OF THE LIVING-ROOM. ONCE THE PROPERTY OF STANFORD WHITE, IT CAME INTO THE POSSESSION OF MR. HASTINGS A DECADE AGO. OF IMPOSING DESIGN, IT FITS INTO THE SETTING TO FORM AN INTERESTING COMPOSITION IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE TWO EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY VENETIAN CHAIRS IN RICH UPHOLSTERY OF BLUE  AND GOLD STRIPED SATIN.

   ANOTHER CORNER OF THE LIVING-ROOM. THE WALLS OF SOFT GRAY STUCCO SERVE AS AN EXCELLENT BACKGROUND FOR THE OLD FRENCH TAPESTRY, WHILE STRIPS OF HAND-CARVED WOODWORK OF ANCIENT ITALIAN ORIGIN ARE INGENIOUSLY WROUGHT INTO THE DECORATIVE TREATMENT. THE ENTIRE ROOM IS FURNISHED WITH A RARE COLLECTION  OF ANTIQUES.

   IN THE TWENTY-BY-THIRTY-FOOT DINING-ROOM, PAINTED ENGLISH FURNITURE IS USED AND A CORNER CUPBOARD OF INTERESTING DESIGN IS PAINTED TO MATCH THE OTHER PIECES. THE GATE-LEGGED TABLES, SILVER LAMPS AND SIDE LIGHTS, DESIGNED WITH MIRROR REFLECTORS, ARE QUITE IN KEEPING WITH THE PERIOD AS ARE ALSO THE PUTTY-COLORED PANELED WALLS HUNG WITH FAMILY PORTRAITS.

Click THIS LINK for more on Hasting's apartment on the roof of 52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, N. Y.

MISS MILLICENT ROGERS AT "BLACKPOINT"

MISS MILLICENT ROGERS
HARPER'S BAZAAR
1923

   
   Miss Rogers, who spent the early summer at Tuxedo, is now prominently identified with the social activities of Southampton, where her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry H. Rogers, who have a beautiful estate with extensive gardens, delightfully adopted to entertaining.

  Who knew “Miss Moneybags” would have her own wikipedia site, her own museum, a book - Searching for Beauty - The Life of Millicent Rogers and was on the list for best dressed women in the world from 1940-1946.
 

MILLICENT ROGERS
Photograph by Horst P. Horst
 Vogue, February, 1949

    
  “Millicent was seductive beyond discipline.” - Diana Vreeland

  Overview of the Millicent Rogers Museum in Taos, New Mexico.

   An interview with the author of Searching for Beauty - The Life of Millicent Rogers. 

   Open since June of this year an exhibit of her life can be seen at "Planting Fields", the Coe estate at Oyster Bay, New York. An overview of a  previous exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum from 2010 can be found HERE. 

Click THIS LINK to view all past post on "Blackpoint". Millicent Rogers at 21 Sutton Place, New York, N. Y.

Monica Randall Halloween

Click HERE for a paranormal conversation with Monica Randall - Long Island's Haunted Gold Coast Mansions.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Click HERE to read last years Halloween post.

THE NEWPORT RESIDENCE of MRS. RICHARD GAMBRILL

    MRS. RICHARD GAMBRILL'S chateau on Bellevue Avenue is one of the rarely beautiful homes of Newport. Set in the midst of superb gardens whose hedge-bordered lawns slope toward the avenue, the house composes perfectly with its surroundings. The windows of every room afford enchanting glimpses of gardens, of pergolas where tea is served on those afternoons when the chatelaine is not "teaing" somewhere else; of terraces where coffee is served under the rays of the moon, or of soft-toned electric lights. The interior of the house is well worthy of its surroundings. Although marble is used very extensively, there is no atmosphere of coldness nor of a  too great formality. The entrance hall is almost austere in its treatment, but its charm of outline and the color note given by the tapestries counteract the effect of the marble walls and pillars.

    The dining-room is a ceremonious apartment overlooking the red garden. The tones of the geraniums, the salvias and the rambler roses are repeated in the hangings and the rug of this gracious room. Of unusual interest are the two side tables of marble which take the place of the more conventional sideboard. The lighting fixtures are exquisitely beautiful. Mrs. Gambrill, in fact, has a penchant for beautiful fixtures; and those in every room are an artistic joy. Over one of the marble side tables hangs a portrait by Sir Peter Lely.

DOWN IN FRONT!

    The drawing-room is truly regal in coloring and treatment, but with all its splendor it is thoroughly livable. The walls of French walnut are a delightful background for the paintings which incidentally are used but sparingly, for this is truly a summer home, not a "winter palace". This room is delightful and as a "period room" it is practically perfect. The long windows open toward the terrace, which overlooks the sunken garden and fountain.

    The flower room or little salon is a study in the softest tones of gray, du Barry rose and green, just the colors that predominate in the gardens without. The gray tone is given to the garden by the profuse use, in its borders, of dusty miller, which blends with the various shades of pink and rose from which these gardens take their name.

   Click THIS LINK for more on the Newport residence of Mrs. Richard Gambrill. THIS LINK to view a post from the man with the golden key. 

MRS. RICHARD GAMBRILL

The Middle of the Week - Drawing by Charles Dana Gibson

The Middle of the Week
 Drawing by Charles Dana Gibson
1913

"NORTHWAY" RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS, GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT

RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

   TWO MILES out of town on what the late architect Alan Burnham called "the Fifth Avenue of Greenwich," there is a startling sight. Here, possibly with a sense of deja vu, one immediately recognizes the Petit Trianon from the gardens at Versailles. While such a phenomenon would not be surprising in New York City, it is certainly out of context in Greenwich, Connecticut. 

   "Northway", or The Petit Trianon Deux, as it is more commonly called, was the result of a whim. It was built between 1910 and 1913 by Laura Robinson (d. 1964), a lady in her middle thirties, born in Chicago, who was an heiress to both the Diamond Match and the Goodrich Tire fortunes. In June 1910 Laura, her mother, Eleanor, and her sister, 

   Henrietta, bought a little over fourteen acres of land with the intention of building their own personal palace on it. Why these ladies wanted a chateau is a mystery, but such an extravagance is perfectly possible with great wealth and is certainly the prerogative of any princess. In August 1910, after a falling out with her sister, Laura became sole owner of the land and sought permission of the French government to construct a copy of one of France's architectural treasures. The French government initially objected to the exact replica so the position of a staircase was reversed so there was a slight difference. Robinson hired the New York architects J. Edwin R. Carpenter and Walter D. Blair to adapt the design of her chosen chateau. Henrietta returned to Chicago and built her own mansion — without the blessing of the French. This unauthorized 2nd unauthentic chateau is now the International Museum of Surgical Science on Lake Shore Drive.

   It took three years and $1 million to complete the Greenwich version of the Petit Trianon. Both Carpenter and Blair had studied at the Ecolc des Beaux-Arts in Paris and were well qualified for the challenge. They created a near-perfect copy of their model, making certain modifications to retain the perfection of proportion dictated by the smaller acreage. The design is scaled down from twenty-six rooms to thirteen, and Robinson had two lower wings added, one on each side. The outer walls are brick, covered with plaster or stucco, but they are white. And the reflecting pool with its fountain is located in front of the divided staircase to the entrance. 

FRONT GATES
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

DRIVEWAY ENTRANCE
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

 It was necessary for Robinson's gardeners to climb sixty-foot ladders to prune these trees, creating what Laura Robinson called her bosquet.

DRIVEWAY ENTRANCE
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

VIEW FROM HOUSE
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

 

POOL
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

  While Robinson's pool is rectangular, the original is circular and sits at the head of the long lawn, flanked by the drive on either side. The trees at Versailles that edge the drive are shaped with an upward scoop; those along the approach in Greenwich are clipped into strict rectangles.

ARRIVAL COURT
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

ARRIVAL COURT
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

ARRIVAL COURT
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

BACKSIDE OF HOUSE
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

  
   The interior design of "Northway" remains faithful to Gabriel's work. One enters between two small salons into the spacious front hall where a pipe organ once played beneath the graceful staircase that sweeps away at the right. The staircase at Versailles, of which this is a replica, shows the gentle modification of the rococo used throughout the chateau and is considered the loveliest of the Louis XVI period. Delicate paneling continues the Louix XVI style in every room. On the left of the hall is the living room with a gallery or loggia. On the right is the handsome dining room and the most famous of Laura Robinson's few deviations from the French master; in one of the murals adorning the dining room walls, the likeness of Marie Antoinette was replaced with that of Miss Robinson.

MAIN HALL, STAIRCASE AND ORIGINAL ORGAN
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

VIEW OF LIVING ROOM INTO HALL
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

 LIVING ROOM
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

VIEW OF DINING ROOM
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

DETAIL OF DINING ROOM
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

VIEW OF DINING ROOM
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

SOUTH PORCH
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

SOUTH PORCH
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

  

NORTH PORCH
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

   

MASTER BEDROOM
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

BEDROOM
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

GUESTS ROOM
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

GUESTS ROOM
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

GUESTS ROOM
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

   For fifty years this magnificent residence was the scene of glittering entertainments and delightful musicales. The furnishings were exquisite eighteenth century, either authentic pieces or excellent reproductions. Every detail was reproduced from the original, including the doorknobs. The floors were parquet on the first floor and hardwood above, all covered with the finest of carpets. There were seven bedrooms and seven baths. The three chimneys served eight fireplaces.

RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

    A garage and stables with five servants' rooms were built in 1913, as was a potting shed and the greenhouse, the latter with three bedrooms and a bath. The formal gardens were famous, a tribute to both the eye of the owner and the skill of her many gardeners.

GREENHOUSE, GARAGES AND SERVANT QUARTERS
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

GREENHOUSE, GARAGES AND SERVANT QUARTERS
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

GREENHOUSE ENTRANCE
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

GREENHOUSE INTERIOR
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

GREENHOUSE SKETCH
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EVANS. GREENWICH, CONN.
 J. E. R. CARPENTER AND WALTER D. BLAIR ASSOC. ARCHITECTS

  
 Laura Robinson married William A. Evans in 1915, two years after the completion of her chateau. Evans was the scion of an old South Carolina family, a graduate of Hobart College, and a prominent New York lawyer. Incredibly, his mother's name was Marie Antoinette. Laura and her husband had one child, William Alexander, Jr., who was killed in an automobile accident in 1939 shortly before his twenty-fourth birthday. Evans died two months later, but his widow lived until 1964. Laura Robinson Evans willed half of "Northway" to Christ Church in Greenwich and the other half to the Greenwich Hospital. These institutions in turn sold the estate to two New York City antique dealers, whose sole interest in "Northway" was the furnishings. They were apparently unaware that Parke-Bernet had a contract for these treasures; nearly $100,000 was realized from their sale at auction in 1966. The chateau was sold again in 1967, empty of antiques but as solid in structure as when it was built. Today the Petit Trianon Deux remains a stunning monument to a woman whose dream it was and who brought a bit of eighteenth-century France to Greenwich. Source
  
   Indie film "Stateside", a romantic drama starring Val Kilmer and Carrie Fisher, has scenes from the mansion.

   Back in 2010 the house was listed for $39 million with eighteen acres. It sold for $12 million, its current value is just under $9 million. "it’s kind of like that apocryphal Texan: all hat, no cattle, because it seems to be all of ten foot wide." Source    Click HERE to see at wikimapia. BING. 

THE PETIE TRIANON FROM THE GARDENS AT VERSAILLES.

  Take a stroll around the original HERE.