The Armour-Stiner (Octagon) House By Joseph Pell Lombardi The Armour-Stiner (Octagon) House

Through a collection of images and an extensively researched history, Joseph Pell Lombardi provides a first- time comprehensive narrative into the lyrical Armour- Stiner (Octagon) House and its significance. Being a unique-to-the world home, it is not only physically extraordinary, its history is a compelling story.

The story of a highly skilled professional conservation of an important monument, this beautiful book will appeal to all including architectural historians, preservationists and those interested in remarkable homes. The Armour-Stiner (Octagon) House

By Joseph Pell Lombardi “An arrested carousel” A visitor

George W. Dibble Shortly after his acquisition of the Octagon House from Joseph Stiner Circa 1882

7 Aerial view overlooking the Hudson River From the northeast - 20th century

8 9 Aerial view from the east South stair to the verandah

10 11 The verandah Early fall at Octagon House

12 13 Inside the Foxglove Garden

14 15 Lord & Burnham greenhouse with the shed and the artist studio Carriage house and shed

16 17 Foxglove Garden Eastern elk weather vane, evening silhouette North stair gas lamp The Octagon House birdhouse and lion at south flanking stair

18 19 Entry hall Solarium

20 21 Stair from entry Salon

22 23 Library Dining room

24 25 Egyptian revival music room Master bedroom

26 27 Kitchen Second floor stair hall

28 29 Second floor bathroom Entry chandelier and medallion

30 31 Dance room window

Dining room door, etched glass The observatory Dance room

32 33 The Armour-Stiner (Octagon) was the first house to be bought Irvington-On-Hudson ests and established small farms. In 1693, the British, who had taken over The Armour-Stiner(Octagon) House by the National Trust and resold to a private citizen. Since 1978, I have the colony, confirmed the Philipse holdings. Through continuing acquisi- Irvington-On-Hudson, New York undertaken a complete conservation of the interior and exterior of the “A noble river, running majestically along, always imparts life and tions, the Philipse family became lords of a vast manor of 90,000 acres. house and the grounds, furnished the house with original and contempo- spirit to the scenery of its banks.” When the Revolutionary War began, the Philipses chose loyalty to the raneous furniture and corrected extensive structural problems, including Richard Brown British Crown - a decision, after America’s success, which resulted in for- Introduction separation of the dome. feiture of their manor. At a public auction of 1785, the tenant-farmers My goal was not to remove all traces of age, but to hold together were able to buy the farms they had leased. “The story of a house is the story of life. Just as the history of a country the fragile exotic beauty of this lyrical home. To the north of the island In 1849 a railroad was placed on the east bank of the river en- is written down in architecture, so is the history of individuals to be traced of Manhattan, the east bank abling passengers traveling from New York City to reach the area which by the houses in which they have lived. There it all is -- their beginning, their growth, their development or deterioration, the realization or the de- of the Hudson slopes up would become Irvington in less than one hour. With the tracks being on struction of their dreams, the very pattern of their destiny as it was etched gradually from the river to the edge of the river, travelers enjoyed delightful, direct river views. The line by line.” low hills. The outlook from surrounding old Dutch farmland began to be purchased by prominent Elise de Wolfe the hills very beautifully en- New Yorkers who erected country seats and summer residences overlook- compasses the ever chang- ing the picturesque Hudson and the Tappan Zee. The Armour-Stiner (Octagon) House is one of the most visually unique ing river, the steep palisades Twenty miles north of the City, in 1848, the small village of Dear- homes in the world. Referencing Donato Bramante’s 1502 Tempietto in of the opposite shore and, man, later Irvington, was created from one of the farms. Its main street Rome, it is the only known residence constructed in the domed colonnad- twenty five miles above the became lined with small shops and large trees which formed a long tun- ed octagonal form of an ancient classical temple. The exterior decoration city, a great widening of the The Pallisades, W. G. Wall nel stretching down to the glimmering river. The area eventually became is as distinct as its shape and adds to the unique-to-the-world appearance river which the early Dutch home to numerous noted residents, including Cyrus W. Field, John Ja- of this melodic structure. The exterior embellishments are decidedly fes- settlers called the Tappan Zee (Sea). cob Astor III, Charles L. Tiffany and, tive with floral details in the cast iron cresting and railings and extensive- In the third quarter of the 17th century, Frederick Philipse began its most celebrated resident and name- ly carved wood scrollwork and capitals - all polychromatically painted in purchasing large tracts of land on the east bank of the Hudson River. sake, Washington Irving. shades of rose, blue, violet, gray, tan and red. Born in 1626 in the Netherlands, Philipse emigrated to the Dutch colony In the 1850’s, entrepreneurs The interiors and furnishings are as they were in 1872. Painted of New Amsterdam (later New York City) in the mid-1650’s. He prospered bought a tract of farmland one mile to ceilings in floral patterns, stenciling, gilding, gas fixtures with a play on through successful business the south of Dearman to create another neo-Roman decoration and singular 8-sided motifs in the plasterwork, activities and a marriage to small village with a Main Street perpen- woodwork and etched glass continue the specialness of this remarkable a wealthy woman. Philipse dicular to the River. It was to be called house. Throughout the house are fine examples of American Renais- bought land from Indians Abbotsford. The sale of building plots sance Revival and Egyptian Revival style furnishings The exterior and and patroons (early Dutch resulted in several houses built as village interior of the house, its decorations and its 1870s furnishings all reflect entrepreneurs) who had houses fronting on the “Main Street”, the late 19th century interest in exotic decoration. Like the 18th century been granted land by the but with only a few plots sold, the idea of French pavilions on the outskirts of Paris, the colorful Octagon House is The Armour-Stiner (Octagon) House 2011 The Tempietto 1502 Dutch. Philipse leased por- a separate village was eventually aban- meant to entertain and amuse its viewers; a rarity in somber post-Civil tions of his land to Dutch doned and the area became the outskirts War America. The Tappan Zee, John Williamson 1875 settlers who cleared the for- of the present-day village of Irvington. The proposed village of Abbotsford

34 35 The Octagon House 1858-1975 “Phrenology teaches that the mind, instead of employing the WHOLE And the Poughkeepsie Daily Eagle reports on February 6, 1874, The Octagon House, A Home for All or a New, Cheap, Convenient and Superior Mode brain for EACH mental function, uses one particular part of it for one on the departure of Professor Franklin after a phrenological lecture in of Building, In his book, Fowler advocated the use of the octagonal plan for class of mental functions, and another for another, just as it does the Fishkill, New York: houses on the suppositions that it: Orson Squire Fowler eye for seeing, the ear for hearing, etc.; that it uses that part under 12 • encloses one-fifth more space than a square plan (although an [numbered parts assumed to be associated with particular functions] “He departed from the village by the milk train on Sunday evening, octagonal shape is difficult to build); “Man’s greatest knowledge is HIMSELF to know.” for an affection of fear, that under 13 for kindness, etc. Now the and as he left he was presented with a few eggs, and in order that he • creates rooms more accessible to each other (certainly true); O.S. Fowler exercise of any corporeal organ increases its size as well as strength. If might not have the trouble of breaking them, they were hurled at his • is more beautiful because it approaches the shape of a circle then one part of the brain is used more often than another, it will grow noble cranium.” (another truth); more, and of course elevate that portion of the skull above it; so that • receives twice as much sunlight by having eight sides instead of The octagon house fad in if a person exercises the feeling of benevolence more often than he does Often overlooked, the practice of Phrenology prescribed ways in four (a delightful truth); 19th century America was in- that of apprehension, the portion of the brain under 13 will be larger which to improve behavior. This was accomplished by recommendations • allows viewing into the grounds from all directions (a fine spired by the publication of an and more elevated than that under 12, as much more so as he is more as to how to restrain or cultivate a problematic behavior. For example, attribute); and 1848 book, The Octagon House, benevolent than apprehensive. So of all the other organs, if we can tell Fowler’s recommendation for the cultivation of individuality was to “no- • gives square rooms with triangular closets between them just a Home for All, by Orson Squire what portion of the brain the mind uses for each mental function, and tice whatever comes within range of your vision.” To restrain individual- where they are wanted (true, but triangular rooms are awkward). Fowler, a phrenologist, sexol- how much larger one portion is than another, we can tell just how much ity, his recommendation was to “look and stare less, and think more.” ogist and amateur architect. the person exercises certain classes of mental functions more than he Besides examining the heads of the nation’s philanthropists, crimi- Not mentioned by Fowler is the amusing sense of motion which is Orson Squire Fowler was as does others. This has been done by practical observation.” nals, artists, statesmen and writers, Orson Fowler published the American caused by the lose of orientation in a house with eight directions. extraordinary as his book. Pa- Phrenological Journal and Miscellany, The book went on to make triarchal in appearance thanks Phrenologists believed that, like a muscle, there was a correlation be- which survived well into the twentieth numerous further recommendations to his luxuriant beard, high tween the exercise of mental functions and elevated and depressed areas of century and issued, over his imprint, regarding ventilation, water filtra- forehead and piercing eyes, he the cranium. They would examine the contours of a head comparing them a stream of phrenological, health and tion, central heating, construction was by nature the epitome of with diagrams and three-dimensional models of the human head containing sex manuals. As author, marriage con- detailing and planting. Fowler’s ideas the nineteenth century indi- numbered areas, to determine which parts of the brain were being used more sultant and sex scientist, Orson Fowl- on domestic architecture caught the vidualist. often than others. The bumps and crannies, they assumed, manifested pecu- er may be said to have foreshadowed imagination of the country. Born in 1809 on a liarities of behavior. The phrenologist would then recommend cultivation or Sigmund Freud by looking for answers An interesting parallel to the farm in upstate New York, Orson Squire Fowler restraint of a particular behavior. Subsequent observations for changes in el- to the question of why we are what we advocating of the octagon enclosing Fowler began his studies for evations would determine if the recommendations were being followed. are. In time, Orson Fowler advocated more space is Orson Fowler’s com- the ministry at Amherst College, but he soon found himself captivated Although Phrenology was enormously popular in the mid-nine- most of the reforms of his century and ments on head shape: by the phrenological doctrine recently introduced to the United States by teenth century, it was not absent of critics. The New York Times in Au- advised on a wide range of subjects in- “There is much more brain in a Johann Kaspar Spurzheim, a Viennese doctor who held that character gust 2, 1878, comments on the science: cluding woman’s suffrage and wages round head of a given size than in could be analyzed by examination of the cranium. This nineteenth-cen- (“equality with men”), children’s rights a long and narrow one of the same tury vision of psychiatry so appealed to Orson Fowler that, with his broth- “In fact, but one fault can be found with phrenology, and that is that (“every child is entitled”) and cohabit- size.” er Lorenzo and sister Charlotte, he established himself as a practicing it is not true, and there is not the trace of a shadow of a ghost of a ing (“enjoyment is the test of nature”). During the 1850’s, Fowler be- phrenologist. In 1835, Orson Fowler described his profession: reason for believing it to be true.” Phrenological chart In 1848, Orson Fowler published gan work on his own octagon house Phrenological head

36 37 near Fishkill, New York. In his octagonal dwelling Fowler lectured on phrenology, enter- Paul J. Armour His extraordinary house, tained his bemused visitors, dined at his vegetarian table and wrote arti- perched upon a knoll cles for his Phrenological Journal. The waning of the phrenological fad “Near some fair town I’d have a private seat, built uniform, not little nor overlooking the banks of and the “Panic” of 1857, with its mounting unemployment and bank fail- too great; Better if on rising ground it stood, On this side fields, the Hudson River with ures, brought an end to Orson Fowler’s resources. on that neighboring wood.” the Catskill Mountains In September of that year Fowler rented his octagon house along Promfret’s Choice beyond, was three sto- with its 130 acres to a New York real estate operator. The house survived ries high and contained only four more decades, passing through a series of ill-starred owners. By In 1858, Paul J. Armour, a Manhattan banker, purchased four plots along sixty rooms. The main 1880, the house stood empty with broken windows, decayed roof and rot- West Clinton Avenue, the then proposed “Main Street” of Abbotsford. floor boasted four large ted verandahs, It was condemned as “a public hazard” and, in August of Since it had been last used as fields for farming, the site was free of struc- rectangular rooms: par- 1897, Fowler’s octagon house was razed by dynamite. tures and vegetation. The open fields permitted sweeping views of the lor, sitting room, dining The builder of the octagon was spared the sight of its final de- Hudson River valley. room and amusement struction. Orson Fowler, the celebrated phrenologist, sex educator and Armour carefully selected the site on which he would build his Home for All, Octagon House collection room, along with four amateur architect had died in 1887, ten years before the demise of his new house. The site, if Abbotsford had been fully developed, would have triangular side rooms, all ambitious house. been a double corner with a neighbor on only one side. The north bound- connected by doors. Each of the upper floors contained twenty rooms, ary was the existing West Clinton Avenue; the south boundary, a pro- among them a playroom, a dancing room, a gymnastic room for unlaced posed new street and the eastern boundary, the Croton Aqueduct. The female dress reformers, a dressing room for every bedroom, a library, a Aqueduct is an 1830s subterranean water tunnel connecting upstate res- room for minerals, shells and portraits, an author’s study and a prophets ervoirs to New York City. Atop the Aqueduct is a foot and bicycle path- chamber. Verandahs at three levels surrounded the house and the house way connecting the Hudson Valley villages. was topped by a glass roofed octagonal cupola. Armour constructed a flat roofed two story house with an octag- Fowler received many prominent visitors including the journalists onal floor plan, a porch and a main entrance facing the proposed “Main Horace Greeley and Charles A. Dana and the women’s liberators Ame- Street” of Abbotsford. Based up probes and the roof which still remains lia Bloomer and Lucretia Mott. None gave a more vivid description of the between the 2nd floor ceiling and the 3rd floor of the current house, monumental octagon than a reporter for Godey’s Lady’s Book, who wrote: Armour’s octagon house was probably very similar to a 2 story octagon house in Montvale, NJ. “The appearance is noble, massive, grand and imposing, especially as Two story 1850 octagon house - Montvale, NJ In 1860, 56 year old Armour moved into the house with Rebecca, seen from a distance. It has piazzas all around at each story, which makes his 38 year old second wife, five of his ten children and two Irish servant delightful promenades. Its main, or through entry, is in the ground or girls. Paul J. Armour died in 1866 and, in 1872, Rebecca sold the property first story, devoted to work and storage; and its stairway is in the center, to Joseph H. Stiner for $27,000. which greatly facilitates ready access from each room to all the others, Armour’s choice of an octagonal shape for a house was most as- and saves steps and which is lighted from the cupola, in the center of suredly based on Orson Squire Fowler’s 1848 book, The Octagon House, A which is a glass dome, which also lights its stair and the center rooms.” Home for All. Octagonal Home of Orson Fowler, Fishkill, New York (A Home for All, 1854 edition)

38 39 The Paul J. Armour Octagon House (1858-1872) eight sides provided continuous daylight and views in all directions. The Joseph H. Stiner settlement and continued to mar-

color scheme of the original house consisted of tan siding, dark tan trim ket spices, condensed milk, cocoa, “Why continue to build in the same SQUARE form of all past ages.” and deep green window sashes. “We boys at times wondered if Mr. Stiner came over to buy goods or tell flavoring extracts as well as tea and Stiner’s 1872 expansion of the property and the reorientation of stories.” coffee. In 1871, he unsuccessfully Orson Squire Fowler the entrance to the house obscures the landscaping of the Armour period Abraham Wakeman attempted to establish a wholesale and no outbuildings remain from that period. tea enterprise and suffered heavy In 1872 the Armour house was pur- losses. The thousand or more octagon houses that rose in America during the chased for $27,000 by Joseph H. Stin- This financial failure did mid-nineteenth century can be attributed directly to Orson Fowler’s inspi- er, a prominent New York City tea not prevent Stiner’s purchase of ration. The octagon house which Paul J. Armour built in 1858-60 consist- merchant. Stiner immediately extend- the Armour property in 1872, its ed of two stories and a raised basement. No views have ever been found ed and improved the property by ac- spectacular rebuilding and en- of this early house, but it is supposed that its appearance would have been quiring land to the south from James largement and the acquisition of very comparable to a similar size octagon house in Montvale, NJ . Alexander Hamilton (son of President an additional one-and-a-half acre Implicit in Armour’s Octagon House are Fowler’s tenets of “con- Alexander Hamilton), substantially re- parcel from the Hamilton estate to the south for $16,700. venience and delight” derived from the “compactness within and gen- constructing the interiors and adding Stiner traveled extensively throughout the world, and was noted erous light from without” the elaborate dome and verandah. as a connoisseur and collector of art. A breeder of horses and dogs, he of the octagonal form. Ex- The increased height made it had the head of his show dog “Prince,” his prize winning White English tending five feet above possible to take greater advantage of Terrier, a breed now extinct, cast in iron in the center medallion of each ground level, the basement its extensive prospect over the Hud- bay of the cast iron railing of the new verandah. had numerous windows af- son Valley. Stiner, his first wife Han- Dobbs Ferry Register, July 9, 1897 In 1878 Joseph Stiner was a member of a real estate pool losing fording indirect light and nah, and their six children used the ventilation. The basement house as a summer and weekend retreat. The ornate details added at this also received the delivery of time gave the house a wonderful festive appearance. staples to the house, which Stiner had been born in Hungary in 1827. After college, he served were processed and then in the Austrian Army in the War of 1848 with France and Italy and emi- supplied to upper floors by a grated to the United States in 1852. Prior to the United States, he visited dumbwaiter. A central, ver- Jamaica in the West Indies where he met his stepbrother’s daughter and tical stairway spine served a future wife, Hannah, whom he would marry in 1856. Born in Jamaica in dual purpose as circulation 1836, Hannah’s mother was Esther Henriques, a member of an aristo- core and ventilation shaft, cratic West Indian family. permitting hot air to rise Stiner began a small chain of tea and spice shops in New York and disperse in the summer City in 1853 with his stepbrother and future father-in-law, Jacob Stiner, and to heat upper floors who had been in the trade in the West Indies. The business partnership Enlarged plot after Stiner’s acquisition in the winter. Windows on The Paul J. Armour Octagon House superimposed on the Joseph Stiner Octagon House ended in litigation in 1867. Joseph Stiner retained over a dozen stores upon George Earl, White English Terrier, “Prince” c. 1856 “Prince,” cast-iron railing

40 41 $135,000 by speculation and, in 1881, Hannah Stiner died. Amidst these The Joseph H. Stiner Octagon House (1872-1882) slate and cast iron the ultimate American exotic villa, a summer retreat ica’s third quarter of the 19th unhappy circumstances, Stiner sold the Octagon House on January 3, whimsically built to entertain and amuse it viewers - built at a time when century fascination with classical 1882 for $22,250 an amount that was less than what he had paid ten years “… seek for a design at once original, striking, appropriate and picturesque” whimsical houses were not being built in America. While there are French forms Stiner’s villa references Do- earlier for the unembellished property without the additional land. The Samuel Sloan “Pavillions” and English Royal retreats in England built to amuse, the Oc- nato Bramante’s elegantly propor- family moved to neighboring Dobbs Ferry, where he died of cancer of the tagon House is the only American example. One viewer aptly called it an tioned 1502 Tempietto in Rome. larynx in 1897. His obituary in the New York Times described him as: “arrested carousel.” An Octagon shape, topped with a Of the hundreds of octagon The concept of a villa goes back thousands of years to the Ro- dome and surrounded with a col- “at one time the largest retail dealer in teas in the world, his firm houses constructed in nine- mans who built countryside pleasure houses in a classical form for occa- onnade has been used as a build- owning seventy-six large stores in the City and Brooklyn. He owned teenth-century America, none sional use. Gerase Wheeler, a nineteenth century American architect, de- ing form for thousands of years. and occupied a beautiful villa at Irvington-on-Hudson, but more were more distinctive than Stin- fines villas in his 1867 book, Homes for the People: The configuration of an recently removed to Dobbs Ferry, where he had a handsome place.” er’s home after his 1870’s re- octagonal structure surmounted building. Except for the foun- “The word originated with the Italians, who applied it to those by a dome and surrounded by a dation, portions of the exterior pleasure houses built in the vicinity of their larger towns, by men of colonnade has ancient origins as in walls and some of the interior wealth and leisure. They were not houses of constant residence…the Greece in the Phillipeion at Olym- partitions, Stiner’s campaign villa should resemble the early buildings which gave it birth…” pia and the Tholos at Epidauros resulted in a completely rebuilt both from the 4th century B.C. Vit- The Tempietto by Donato Bramante - 1510 structure. The notion of houses that “were not houses of constant resi- ruvius describes in his first century Stiner’s most visual- dence” has 18th century precedence in the German lustschloss, the English B.C. book, The Ten Books of Architecture, an eight-sided structure known as ly striking contribution was the country house and the French maison de plaisance. Jerome Zerbe in his book the Tower of Wind which was built in Athens at that time. Octagonal and addition of a two-story dome Les Pavillons of the Eighteenth Century described a maison de plaisance as circular forms, crowned with hemospherical domes and surrounded with surmounted by an Observato- the pavilion that provided an escape from the trying duties of Court life a colonnade were actively used for early Roman temples of which sever- ry and a colonnaded verandah and pavilions de rendezvous or folies d’armour as the pavilions which sprang up al examples of the 1st and 2nd centuries remain. The octagonal shape has reached by paired sweeping all over Paris for the installation of a mistress. symbolism rooted in Medieval churches. Saint Ambroise explained that stairs flanked by cast stone li- the 4th century octagonal baptistery at Milan symbolized salvation and ons, The verandah has fifty-six columns with capitals carved in the shape “We take our title from these garden-houses, if big enough to be lived new life. The number eight standing for the eight day (the day of Christ’s of flowers local to the grounds and an ornate cast iron railing. As Doell in, that have a particular garden quality and were constructed out of resurrection), the eight day of the world (that of eternity, after the tradi- & Doell, Garden Historians said in their 1985 Site Visit Report for the Ar- a desire to get away. tional seven ages) and the eight day of human life (that of eternal life). mour-Stiner House: “The verandah brilliantly integrates structure and set- Les Pavillons The inscription on the wall, credited to Saint Ambrose reads: ting, residence and grounds. From it, the viewer may witness the entire landscape which surrounds the residence. Consequently, the verandah Both Folie in French and folly in English, suggest a building which “Eight-niched soars this temple for sacred rites, transcends its function as an architectural appendage. Interior and exteri- is either bizarre or extravagant. Eight corners has its font, or interpenetrate as never before, and the landscape becomes their medi- The Octagon House is not only an exotic villa and a retreat built to Right it is to build this baptismal hall about the sacred number eight, um of exchange.” amuse, it is also the only known residence constructed in the fully domed For here the people are reborn.” 1870 Map -- Village of Irvington Here, in nineteenth century America, Stiner created in wood, colonnaded form of an ancient classical temple. Complimenting Amer-

42 43 During the Renaissance, it panded upon by the 1872 building formal and social functions. These consist of a main salon, dining room, was rediscovered and used main- campaign which uniquely weaves tea room, solarium and library. A pantry, adjacent to the dining room, is ly as an ecclesiastical design and Orson Fowler’s form and function linked to the downstairs kitchen by means of a dumbwaiter. Flanking the in eighteenth century England, the philosophies with an ancient clas- pantry is the upstairs kitchen with detailing and finishing that clearly indi- form was popular for garden pavil- sical form. cate that, unlike the downstairs service kitchen, it was used by the family. ions in Country House landscapes. Stiner’s Octagon House The upstairs kitchen is indicative of the emerging women’s role in family The Stiner Octagon House is the consists of a full basement, four work in the middle and upper classes. As Harriet Beecher Stowe stated in rebirth of an ancient classical form stories and an Observatory. As in her 1869 book, The American Woman’s Home: uniquely adopted for domestic use. Armour’s time, the basement is The popularity of classical seven feet below ground level, but “To the minds of most children and servants, ‘to be a lady’, is almost forms in the third quarter of 19th with a ceiling height of ten and synonymous with ‘to be waited on and do no work’. It is the earnest century America was based upon one-half feet, the high windows desire of the author of this volume to make plain the falsity of this redecorating by Empress Eugenie, on all eight sides bring indirect growing popular feeling, and to show how much happier and more wife of Napoleon III, who ruled light and ventilation. Access to efficient family life will become when it is strengthened, sustained and France from 1852 to 1870. In the re- the raised first floor verandah and Section adorned by family work.” decoration of her palaces, the Em- main entrance was now by means press used a Louis XVI revival style United States Capital 1855-63 of the pair of magnificent curving stairs. A service stairway on the south All “the rough and bad smelling work of the family” was conduct- which was widely publicized by the facade gives access to the basement. ed in the downstairs service kitchen. growing number of design books and magazines of the time. The original A central, vertical stairway spine continued to serve the dual pur- The second floor contains a three-room master bedroom suite 18th century Louis XVI style had been a revival of interest in the classical pose of a circulation core and a ventilation shaft and it is topped by an with a sitting room, master bedroom and dressing room along with a mas- arts of ancient Greece and Rome inspired by the Pompeian and Hercule- observatory with eight windows. When two of the windows are opened in ter bathroom. In addition there are four more bedrooms, a full bathroom an discoveries of the mid-18th century. the direction of the prevailing breeze a negative pressure is created with- and a toilet room. On the third floor is the high ceilinged Egyptian Reviv- The classical form of Stiner’s house was given a romantic quality in the house. In the summer this causes the hot air to rise and disperse al women’s gymnasium/music room (Fowler recommended a high-ceil- by coloring. A half dozen shades are employed to highlight the various out of the observatory which induces the cool air in from the basement. inged room with large windows facing north for the lady of the house to applied moldings, decorative scrollwork, capitals and consoles. The main Victorians were greatly concerned with the relationship between health practice dance and water colors), a bedroom with a bathroom, an addi- siding is light rose, the window sashes are deep red and the surfaces with- and architectural design. Like his contemporaries, “ventilation was”, ac- tional bedroom, a room for the exhibit of collections and a full bathroom in the circular moldings are crimson. The stacked moldings and fasciae cording to Fowler, “as important in a house as breath to human life and accessed by the hall. The fourth floor consists of the unpartitioned dance framing windows and walls are cocoa-tan and two shades of gray. The strength.” The verandah encircled the entire first floor of Stiner’s resi- room with eight windows and a spiral staircase up to the fifth level obser- finer details of the capitals, railings and porch ceiling are picked out in dence. As Fowler noted, ‘the advantages of having them all around the vatory. The floor plans displayed, as Fowler stated: red, white, violet, light blue and several shades of gray. The dome is fes- house is considerable, allowing you to choose sun or shade, breeze or shel- tooned in patterned red, green and black slate accented with gold painted ter from it, as comfort dictates.” “…all the peculiarities and the advantages of our octagon style, cast iron cresting and elaborately carved, painted wood scrollwork. The basement contains the billiard room, wine storeroom, service namely, compactness and contiguity of rooms, central stairway, While the primary inspiration for both Armour’s and Stiner’s cam- kitchen, larder, laundry room and furnace room. The first floor, raised closets, and small bedrooms.” paigns was Orson Fowler’s renowned publication, his ideas had been ex- above ground level in the tradition of a piano nobile, contains rooms for

44 45 Interior rooms of the residence are appointed in a hierarchical order be- uted rising hot air through tin ducts to the upper floor rooms. A system of George W. Dibble Family fitting their stature. Door and window surrounds of the formal rooms speaking tubes connected the principal rooms with the service kitchen in are elaborately endowed with now extinct long-leaf yellow pine octago- the basement. George W. Dibble’s family owned a substantial estate named “Near- nal moldings and bases with florid Gothic Revival acanthus leaf capitals. Several outbuildings existed in the grounds in Stiner’s time includ- wood” on South Broadway just a few minutes walk from the Octagon Windows and doors of the upper floors maintain the same vocabulary, ing a greenhouse and a surviving Oriental style octagonal well house. A House. Born in 1848, George Dibble married Susie Hayt Parish in 1877. but with simpler detailing. The less formal chambers, closets and the base- 2½ story Carriage House/Barn with servant’s quarters above and a shed, One year later their only child, Mable Elsworth Dibble, was born. The ment rooms are lined with beaded-board wainscoting. In the bathrooms both in the polychromatic colors of the house, were destroyed by fire in 1880 census shows George, Susie and Mable living in Irvington-on-Hud- and basement the wainscotting has alternating long-leaf yellow pine and the 1940s and are now rebuilt. son, possibly at “Nearwood”. George Dibble’s business is listed as “no walnut slats. Similarly, the floors in the women’s gymnasium/music room In the tradition of the time, the entire grounds were carefully plant- business”. In 1882, Susie H. Dibble bought the Octagon House from Jo- are alternating long-leaf yellow pine and walnut strips. The first floor ed in a picturesque natural form with exotic specimens. A Chinese Cher- seph H. Stiner. Under its new ownership, the house reverted once again rooms and the hallways throughout the house are long-leaf yellow pine ry Tree (Cornus Mas) defined to being a year-round residence. Dibble was the first of the subsequent strips. The bedrooms have sub-floors for wall to wall carpeting. the edge of the southeast lawn, owners who covered the outside with somber colors and covered the dec- The town of Irvington had no central water system until 1883. pruned Norway Spruces lined orative painting on the inside, as if they were ashamed of the frivolous- Rainwater cisterns provided the then-considered-healthier rainwater to the driveway, West Clinton Av- ness of the house. the kitchen and bathrooms. A cistern below the verandah dating to Ar- enue was lined with maples and In 1897, Susie Dibble died at the age of 43 of tuberculosis at mour’s time continued to provide a reservoir of water for the kitchen and a pair of Kentucky Coffee Trees Saranac Lake where she was probably being treated for the aliment. In cisterns on the third and fourth floors served the bathrooms. This system flanked the stairways. The west 1899, George Dibble married his second wife, Susie’s younger sister, An- is as Fowler had recommended: side of the house was planted nie Falls Hayt of Mt. Vernon, New York. George died in 1917 in Mt. Ver- with Magnolia trees so that the non, where he had lived since his second marriage. “I should want these cisterns, because double-filtered rainwater is verandah looked onto to them. Prior to George Dibble’s death, ownership of the Octagon House preferable to all other water for drinking and culinary purposes. And On the south side, mirror- property had gone to his first daughter, Mabel, who had married Floyd how much more handy to turn a faucet and draw water direct into a ing the size and shape of the Blackwell Taylor and was living in Mt. Vernon. On May 28, 1902, she pail, than to raise it from the well, or from a cistern underground or house, a formal garden was laid transferred ownership to Delia Stone Clarke and in November of the below where you require it for use.” out with planting beds, statues, same year, at the age of 24, Mabel died of heart failure, just six weeks af- urns, benches and a fountain. ter giving birth to her second daughter. In order to provide hot water, a water line was run into the kitchen wood stove and then to an adjacent tank. A pipe led from the tank to the bathrooms upstairs, with the upstairs cisterns providing the water pres- Stone Family sure to drive it back up. Gas lighting, fed by the village system, was an original component In 1902, Delia Stone Clarke was a widow. She had been previously mar- of the house when it was built. In the 1870s, gas illuminated the house ried to Charles S. Clarke. There had been no children. But from a pre- from cellar to cupola, including two exterior lanterns. Central heating vious marriage, Charles had a legally declared insane daughter, Jessie was also an integral feature of this summer house. To take the chill off Clarke, who had been born in 1855. When Delia Stone Clarke died in spring and fall evenings, a coal-fired cast iron furnace in the cellar distrib- Sitting room gas chandelier 1880 survey showing the land and outbuildings added by Stiner 1909, the provisions of her will bequeathed the Octagon Houses to her

46 47 executors and trustees for use by her insane stepdaughter, Jessie Clark, azolidines at the Kaiser-Wilhelm John P. Cunninghan who used the house for 24 years until her death in 1933. The property Institute in Dresden. Immigrating then reverted to Delia’s nieces who immediately after their inheritance to the United States in 1922, he First living person to be elected to the Advertising Hall of Fame sold it to Dr. Erwin Brand for $15,000. worked first at Montefiore Hos- pital, followed by the New York In 1941, John P. Cunningham purchased the Octagon House from the State Psychiatric Institute and, New York Lien Corporation. Cunningham had started in advertising in Dr. Erwin Brand from 1931 onward, at Columbia 1919 as a artist and copywriter. In 1950 he was co-founder of Cunning- University where he continued ham and Walsh, which became one of the largest advertising agencies in “One of American’s most colorful and creative personalities in the field of his research on metabolism and the world; he retired in 1961. biochemistry.” 1953 Obituary amino acids. In the 1970s, Cunning- When World War II broke ham and his wife Patricia In 1933, 42 year old Dr. Erwin Brand was an associate professor of bio- out, under a contract with Co- were living in Riverdale, New Lai Choi San (far right) with her two amahs chemistry at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons where he was lumbia University and the Office York. His house contained an authority on amino acids. Born in Berlin in 1891, Brand studied in of Scientific Research and Devel- From the east - 1940s furniture from the Octagon Germany and was credited with performing brilliant initial studies on ox- opment, a federal agency created House which, because of the Carl Carmer to coordinate scientific research for military purposes during World War large size of the pieces, had II, Erwin Brand performed the first complete analysis of a protein in found no buyers at the time “For people who choose to live in octagon houses are mad and therefore terms of its amino acid content. In the last ten years of his life, with the of the Brand auction. Being unpredictable, and therefore sometimes worthy of psychic research.” financial assistance of the Office of Naval Research and of the National from the 1870s, and contain- Carl Carmer Institutes of Health, he turned his laboratory into a small polypeptide fac- ing ocatagonal detailing, they tory demonstrating the additive function of the asymmetric carbon atoms were most likely Stiner furni- One of the most celebrated occupants of Octagon House was Carl Car- of the constituent amino acid residues. ture. Knowing that I coveted mer (1893-1976), the author, poet and historian. In 1946, Carl Carmer Brand’s 1953 obituary stated “to many he appeared to be cantan- Aleko E. Lilius, winter 1945-6 the furniture, when the Cun- bought the Octagon House. His wife, Betty, later described the day: kerous, blunt, and forbidding. That despite these impressions he should ninghams died, they kindly have accomplished so much of value is a tribute to the very patent sinceri- willed the furniture back to the Octagon House with a codicil requiring “One day, when we were living in a brownstone in New York City, ty and unselfishness with which he fought for his causes. He was a creative that it remain forever in the house. Carl saw the house in the want ads. He got up, went to the car, drove and constructive force, and such people are usually angular and driven by During the Cunningham ownership, the house was rented from to Irvington and bought it, all in the same afternoon. It was in terrible a remorseless energy”. He and his wife Florence, also a biochemist, (they September, 1945 to July, 1946 to Aleko E. Lilius, (1890-1977), a Rus- condition. He came back and told me ‘it’s so ugly, it’s beautiful!’ He had no children) were known for their entertaining at the house. sian-Finnish writer, photographer and explorer, who wrote of his affair bought it without my even seeing it.” Curiously, 13 years before Brand’s death, the contents of the Oc- with Lai Choi San, a female Chinese pirate chief who, with several thou- tagon House were auctioned off and, on January 17, 1940, title to the sand buccaneers under her command, had looted ships off the coast of Carmer resided in the house from 1946 to the time of his death in property had been transferred from Erwin Brand to the New York Lien China in the 1920’s. 1978. His legacy includes tales of a resident ghost. During Carmer’s own- Corporation as part of a foreclosure of a tax lien. In 1946, Cunningham sold the Octagon House to the noted au- ership the house was documented in magazine and newspaper articles, Caretaker’s daughters 1930s - 1940s thor, poet and historian Carl Carmer for $8,500. books and architectural treatises.

48 49 Carmer made few changes at a time when Victorian houses fared Rivers of America. His lifelong interest in, and affection for, upper New York and fellow writers and broad- badly. He told me that “anything which feel off the house was tossed un- State are apparent in his books about the area including the 1936, Listen casters. A popular gift for the der the porch” – which became our treasure trove during the conserva- for a Lonesome Drummer: A York State Chronicle and the 1949, Dark Trees to the Carmers was a curiosity from tion. Carmer wrote delightful stories about the house and its mystical oc- Wind - A Cycle of York State Years. His one novel, Genesee River, published in the Victorian Era. The Carmers cupants saying once, “that people who choose to live in octagon houses 1941, also a Literary Guild had no children, but the house, are mad and unpredictable and worthy of psychic research”. selection, sold over 100,000 jammed packed with their es- Carl Carmer was born in upstate New York in 1894 to an old copies. He wrote seven chil- oteric collections, always bus- Dutch farming family. He graduated from Hamilton College in 1914 and, dren’s books, five of which tled with friends and neighbors. after earning a Master of Arts degree at Harvard University, taught En- were illustrated by his wife. When the Carmers had their glish at Syracuse University and the University of Rochester. He served During World War II, as great parties, Betty Carmer as a First Lieutenant in World War I. After the war, he obtained an ap- a writer attached to the would usually dance on the top pointment as Assistant Professor of English at the University of Alabama Army Air Force, Carmer of the kitchen table which had where he remained for six years. During that time he explored the Ala- wrote The Jesse James of the a top that was a horizontal slice bama backwoods areas, listening to native tales and lore and noting the Java Sea, a narrative of sub- from a great Redwood Tree. peculiarities and characteristics of the region. marine battle service, The In 1947, one year af- William Carlos Williams, Charles Sheeler and After a year as columnist of the New Orleans Morning Tribune, War Against God, an exposé ter their purchase, the Carmers Carl Carmer 1961, Cr. Elizabeth Black Carmer he became Assistant Editor of Vanity Fair in New York and later Associate of Nazi attacks on Christi- Carmer’s 1947 lawn party Croquet on the lawn 1947 hosted a party at the Octagon Editor of Theater Arts Monthly. anity and Taps is not Enough, House which was featured in an article in Life Magazine (Life Goes to a He married his second wife, Eliz- a radio drama V-E Day important 1806 neoclassical house which now overlooks the Hudson Party in an Octagon House, Life Magazine November 24, 1947). Evidencing abeth Black of New Orleans, on program for CBS. At a din- in Garrison, New York. the disdain for Victorian House in the mid-twentieth century, Octagon Christmas Day 1928. Beginning ner for visiting British pub- Robert Boyle, author the House is described as “the magnificent monstrosity looming like a pastry his writing career as a poet with lishers he was introduced as Carl and Betty Carmer, 1950s ecological study of the river of chef ’s nightmare”. two volumes published in 1934; “the completely American” The Hudson River, said that “with- Carmer enjoyed relating tales about the Octagon House which French Town and Deep South, he writer. His own radio show dealt with national folk heroes and folk myths. out Carl Carmer there would be appeared in his books: wove his experiences in Alabama He assembled four volumes of recordings of regional American Songs for no living river. He was the first to into his first nationally noted book, Decca and worked with Walt Disney on a series of folklore shorts. take an intelligent interest in it.” “High on the east bank of the Hudson River, and only twenty miles Stars Fell on Alabama, a Literary Carmer devoted much time to civic activities including serving The Carmers lived full time from New York City, stands a strange eight-sided house. It seems to Guild selection published in 1934. as president of the Author’s Guild, president of the Poetry Society of in Irvington, with lengthy winter have a park of its own, for it is surrounded by a high hedge in which From that time forward, Carmer America, director of the American Civil Liberties Union and head of the vacations in Florida when drafts the bushes were so planted that a number of them bloom in each devoted most of his time to writ- American Center of P.E.N. Scenic Hudson Preservation Conference (lat- made the house too uncomfort- month from March to October. The park has a unique atmosphere, ing. He was the editor of the Riv- er Scenic Hudson, Inc.) was founded in the living room of the Octagon able. Every September, Carl’s and anyone who enters it through the winding driveway becomes aware ers of America Series writing The House in 1963 to oppose the Consolidated Edison Company’s proposed birthday was celebrated with a that the trees are of unusual varieties and were planted long ago. Here Hudson in 1939 and editing a book pumped storage facility at Storm King Mountain, near Cornwall, New large house party attended by an stand tulip trees, magnolias, maples of Norway and Japan, and a of river songs entitled Songs of the York. He headed Boscobel Restoration which saved and restored an Carl and Betty Carmer - music room array of New York City actors tremendous giant called a ‘Kentucky Coffee Tree’ of a sort which was

50 51 popular among Hudson Valley residents a hundred years ago. Perhaps off the southern coast of eastern North America. The eldest son of House bearing a pine box. To the consternation of the driver, however, The Dibble (1882-1902) the strangest of the trees are the Chinese ginkgoes, whose leaves in this family has no sooner seen his lovely young neighbor than he fell he was met by an angry woman who bitterly refused to accept his Stone (1902-1933), Brand (1933-1940) sunlight throw intricate shadows on the green lawn. Since the largest desperately in love with her. His parents soon discovered that he was cargo. Eventually the girl was buried in a potter’s field near the river. of these stands near the old well-house, which was made in the shape making daily visits to the Octagon House whose cupola they could see This should end the story of the fated lovers. Cunningham (1940-1946) of Chinese Pagoda, the visitor gets a sense of Chinese influence before rising above the hills and trees to the north of their home. Since they Nevertheless, a happenstance — possibly an unrelated Carmer (1946-1976) Octagon House he reaches the end of the drive. The house, which is painted in two had already planned for his marriage to the daughter of another of coincidence — could be considered by the romantic-minded as having shades of gray and decorated with white trim, rises five stories high, the great-estate families of the valley, they disapproved of his interest a late bearing upon it. the last one being a many windowed cupola which is higher than even in the French girl and forbade him to see her again. My wife and I now live in the old Octagon House. Twice in While it is possible to attribute particular aspects of the Octagon House the tallest trees. It surmounts a slate-roofed two-storied dome which Though he continued his visits secretly, the girl’s mother recent successive springs my wife has wakened at the end of a strange to Armour and to Stiner, it is less possible to differentiate the efforts and curves upward from the walls of the second floor. The first floor is soon became aware of the situation and, being a person of great dream. In it she stands on the moonlit verandah and sees a young girl changes of the next five owners, Dibble, Stone, Brand, Cunningham and circled by a wide verandah bordered by an elaborately designed white family pride herself, ordered her daughter not to see her ardent wooer walking up the drive. She seems to be surrounded by mellow golden Carmer. wrought iron railing from which white pillars in groups of three rise again. The young couple then took to meeting in a lonely spot on the light. Suddenly from the shadows of the verandah darts an older Under the Dibble family ownership (1882-1902), the house re- to flowered capitals beneath the eaves. bank of the river. They soon felt that the restrictions put upon them woman, who bars the path of the girl and by stern gestures bids her ceived a repainting. A black and white photograph of George W. Dibble The prosperous merchant to whom this mansion belonged were intolerable and they planned to run away to New York and be be gone. The girl wrings her hands and weeps, but her companion is in the New York Historical Society shows a dark and light contrasting completed it almost a century ago. He was an importer of Chinese married. obdurate. At last the girl turns about and, still weeping, walks back paint scheme. Paint analysis determined that these circa 1882 colors were teas, and he had recognized in a number of octagon houses then being One morning in the spring of the year they met again by whence she came. As she reaches the pagoda-like well-house, she turns built (for the building of eight-sided houses was an architectural fad the river and hastened to Tarrytown to embark on a steamboat for about for one last look. As she goes so, the other woman beckons to her at the time) a similarity to Oriental “summerhouses” which he had New York, where they intended to be married. Unhappily for them, and opens her arms. The girl begins to run toward her — and the seen in his travels beside the lakes and rivers of China. Consequently, a servant of the young man’s family saw them hurrying along the dream ends! many of the designs of the decorations within the house are of Chinese riverbank and reported the fact to his employers. At once the father set It seems to the present occupants of the house that the two origin, giving it an atmosphere not to be found in any other American out in hot pursuit on a spirited horse. In the meantime, his wife ordered have been reconciled, because whenever we have a visitor who claims dwelling. her carriage and went to the Octagon House, where she upbraided the to have psychic powers and to understand ghosts, we hear that Octagon The whole place looks as if it has been the scene of a girl’s mother and accused her of conspiring with the lovers. House has a special feeling about it — a kind of aura from the past mysterious story. It has been! And it is this story I am about to tell. The pursuing horseman galloped onto the Tarrytown dock just after which bears with it a sense of happiness.” When his wife died, the merchant was heartbroken and left the house, the gangplank of the steamboat had been drawn aboard. which held many happy memories for him. He sold it to a French lady The steamboat, it developed, was racing against a competitor With Carl in his 80’s and Betty in her 70’s and the house badly in of noble family who, after her husband’s death, had brought her only owned by a rival line. As it entered the shadow of the Palisades, the need of work, the Carmers offered the house for sale in 1975. On Sep- daughter to America. The girl had inherited from her mother great boiler, which had been subjected to terrific pressure, burst, killing the tember 10, 1976, the National Trust for Historic Preservation took title to charm and a lively temperament. She was darkly beautiful with black young man instantly. The steamboat caught fire, and the remaining the Octagon House; the next day Carl Carmer died. He left knowing that hair and even blacker eyes and her form was slim and exquisitely passengers were soon confronted with the choice of burning to death or his beloved house was in good hands. Shortly afterwards it was placed on modeled. attempting to swim from midstream to the shore. That evening when the National Register of Historic Places as one of only twelve hundred On a great estate near by lived a rich and aristocratic the bodies of the drowned lay upon the river’s bank, the corpse of the National Historic Landmarks - places designated by the Secretary of the American family whose ancestors of English blood had lived for girl was among them. Interior as being of national historic significance. several generations in feudal splendor among the “Sugar Islands” The next day a farmer’s wagon approached the Octagon Carriage house/barn February 3, 1944

52 53 light tan contrasted with dark gray-green and dark red. On the interior, a The Octagon House 1975-1978 When Stiner had added the the exterior walls and behind the terne and redecoration of the Tearoom can almost certainly be attributed to Dibble dome in 1872, his builder had slate roofs. consisting of wallpaper with a flower and bird design surmounted by a failed to install a tension ring, While the structural problems were gold leaf picture molding. The Octagon House in 1975 a continuous band at the base unique, the house had all of the expect- During the Stone, Brand, Cunningham, and Carmer ownership of a dome which stops the ed problems of a building of this age and

(1902-1976) most of the cresting and scrollwork, the chimney cap, the Sad are the ruthless ravages of time! downward force from moving condition except awkward additions. Fortu- southern lamppost, the verandah urns and the first and second floor shut- The bulwark’d turret frowning, once sublime. laterally. This was not due to nately, the symmetrical self-contained form ters were lost. The flanking curved front stairs had a simpler replacement Now totters to its basis, and displays. lack of knowledge; construc- of the Octagon House did not lend itself to and a section of the south side cast iron railing was removed and a straight A venerable wreck of other days! tion methodology books of the additions and its size exceeded the require- stair installed. The exterior was been repainted several times. Sir Walter Scott, The Bridal of Triermain time clearly recommend this ments of most twentieth-century occu- In 1959 the Carmers painted the house a gray and white scheme. Images of Cumbria Penrith required element. Unless there 1975 On the interior all of the originally varnished wood trim had been paint- is a tension ring or very rigid ed white, all carpets removed and, except for the Tearoom, all walls and One hundred and sixteen years after the original construction of the Oc- joints, a dome will fail. This was exactly what was occurring in the Octa- ceilings had been over-painted with a white paint. All furnishings and tagon House, seven family owners, tenants, a foreclosure, an auction of the gon House dome. decorations of the Stiner era had been removed. Electricity had been in- contents, a Panic, a Depression and time had all taken their toll on the mag- The problem was an old one with the failure probably beginning stalled and the Carmers had converted the Tearoom to a lavatory. The nificent Octagon House. Its deteriorating condition with gray and white flak- within a few years of the initial dome addition. Over the years, the only Observatory - 1970s heating system, still the original cast iron furnace in a brick chamber, had ing paint, the curious shape, its missing elements with somewhat awkward reaction to the problem had been the sealing of the cracks with plaster and been converted from coal burning to oil. replacements all coupled with unusual tales contributed to a less than happy roofing with sheetmetal and tar. Stiner’s builders had further compound- pants. In the interior of the house, In 1945, a fire had swept through the two and one half story car- image. The overgrown grounds with specimens choked by bittersweet vines ed the problem by placing the dome on the unstable parapet walls of the there were essentially no changes to the 1872 layout. But the heating system, riage house/barn/shed complex. Whatever remainders of the missing did not help the setting. But the truly serious problem was a structural issue. original Armour house. The now structurally unsound dome was resting which was producing dangerous fumes, only served the first two floors and elements that were stored in the complex were lost at that time. on an unstable support. In addition, Stiner’s builders, when they had re- one room on the third. The electrical system was insufficient and, in some By 1976, the grounds were substantially different from the Stiner built the interior, had positioned the new partitions without regard to the areas, improperly installed. The hundred years old plumbing system had era. The few remaining original specimens were now mature and subse- floor beams. This was re- additions with plumbing quent owners had made numerous additions. The flanking Kentucky cof- sulting in substantial de- lines installed outside the fee trees on each side of the house were gone. Only one Norway spruce, flection of undersized walls and ceilings. The of the original twelve which had lined the driveway, remained and, con- beams, which was appar- loss of the original exte- trary to its original sheared condition, it had grown enormous. Originally ent in the sloping floors rior cast iron cresting and mock orange, viburnum and lilac hedges defined the street and aqueduct and out of plumb door- vulnerable wood scroll- boundaries, later generations remained. Over time, hemlocks and white ways. Finally, the shifting work had most visibly af- pine had been planted to screen the property line, these had matured dome had caused numer- fected the appearance of to full size. The Norway maple trees which had originally been planted ous openings in the exte- the house. along the street had, for the most part, disappeared. rior resulting in substan- The 1885 photo- tial water damage which graph of George Dibble, Octagon House, 1976 Tearoom ceiling, 1975 was largely concealed in North stair, 1970s shows areas of physical de-

54 55 terioration in the form of missing The Acquisition 1975-1978 On October 24, 1976, The New York Times reported: B. The offeror shall provide proof that the offeror has the capability to: slate and dormer scrollwork only 1. Repair the Property: one decade after their installation. “...the law’s delay!” “The new owner is the National Trust for Historic Preservation, (a) Stabilize the Dome including making it weather tight In 1976, most scrollwork on the Shakespeare, Hamlet III i 56 which stepped in when it looked as if a potential buyer of the house (b) Stabilize the Entrance Hall Floor third, fourth or fifth floors no lon- and its three-acre site had a tear-it-down-for-development gleam in (c) Upgrade the Mechanical System ger survived — in fact early 1940’s In the winter of 1975, there appeared to be insurmountable problems his eye. The National Trust paid about $100,000 for the property, (d) Stabilize the Porch photographs showed that much associated with the acquisition, stabilization and restoration of the Octa- the first outright purchase of a building under its Limited Endangered (e) Repair Exterior Woodwork of it had not existed for many de- gon House. Building Fund. It now plans to resell the house to a buyer who will (f) Rebuild and Repaint the Chimney cades. Wooden dormer supports First, it seemed that the best price for the property would be preserve it and hopefully, restore it as well. It needs work. For one (g) Repaint the Exterior Dance room, 1970s on the cupola were replaced in this from a developer wanting to demolish the Octagon House and subdi- thing, from the top floor daylight can be seen through parts of the roof. 2. Obtain approval of local officials at the National Trust century, possibly in 1959 when the vide the over three acres of land into ½ acre plots. The plots, in a su- ‘We’ll have to figure out some way to make sure we can draw the eight 3. Maintain the following schedule: Carmers undertook a modest restoration. All of the third floor cast-iron crest- perb area, on a beautiful road, would have been quite valuable. (One sides of the roof back together,’ said Fletcher Cox of the National (a) Submit to National Trust ing had been removed, no doubt as a safety precaution since these perilous- developer was prepared to call the subdivision “Octagon Park” if a zon- Trust. ‘It’s going to be an interesting feat’. What will the National 1) 60 days from closing of title a proposed program and ly tall and heavy poles were poorly fastened to the house. Cresting from the ing variance was granted to permit eight houses). The Carmers were Trust ask for ‘Octagon House’? ‘Whatever we can get for it’, Mr. Cox specification for dome stabilization. chimney cap and cupola finial had completely disappeared, as had the chim- absolutely opposed to a sale to a developer, but the land was establishing replied, laughing. ‘The house is not in very good condition structurally 2) 90 days from closing of title a proposed program for ney cap itself. Asphalt shingles, in lieu of slate, had been applied onto several the value. and whoever buys it is going to have a tough time and a lot of expense stabilization of entrance hall floor. third floor dormer roofs and the original terne sheathing of the porch roof Second, even if a sympathetic purchaser could be found, the phys- putting it back into really good condition.” 3) 180 days from closing of title a proposed program for had received many coatings of tar. ical condition of the house made it unlikely that any bank would be will- items B. 1, c, d, e, f & g. At some point in the early twentieth century, the exterior staircases ing to hold a mortgage. The National Trust for Historic Preservation was deeply con- 4. Complete dome stabilization and make watertight 180 days had been completely rebuilt. While the new Third, and most significant, the unstable condition of the dome cerned about the structural problems and the conservation of the prop- from approval by National Trust of proposed program. stairs somewhat maintained the shape and had brought the house to the verge of a complete structural failure. Yet, erty. They requested proposals for its sale with their decision being based 5. Complete stabilization of entrance hall floor within 365 days plan of the original Stiner work, the stairway disassembly and reconstruction of the upper floors was prohibitively ex- upon structural repair methodology, price and willingness to accept a from approval by National Trust of proposed program. skirting had been rebuilt with beaded boards, pensive. preservation easement. In November, the National Trust invited pro- 6. Complete items B, 1, c, d, f & g within 730 days form and the trim was simply applied omitting the In order to protect the Octagon House from any possible demo- posals to purchase the property and provided an Invitation for Proposals approval by National Trust of proposed program. elaborate and difficult to reproduce kerf of lition or compromise by future unsympathetic owners, the property was which outlined the conditions. The outlined conditions in summary con- C. The purchaser shall accept normal title requirements. its predecessor. acquired by the National Trust for Historic Preservation on September sisted of: D. The purchase price shall not be less than $75,000. The entire property needed con- 10, 1976, as part of its Limited Endangered Building Fund. This revolv- E. The terms shall be 10% deposit with 25% at purchase and the balance servation efforts including every part of the ing fund had been formulated especially for this purpose and the Octagon I. GENERAL AND SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF SALE: over a term of 20 years at 8% interest. utility and mechanical systems, the entire House was to be its first application. fabric of the house, the complete surface On October 2, 1976, the contents of the house were auctioned A. The property shall be subject to covenants in perpetuity including: II. INSPECTION decoration and the grounds in their totality. off. The furnishings were not original to the house, being a combina- 1. The exterior appearance shall be maintained and preserved The property can be inspected by appointment While the house generally looked only very tion of Carmer family items and pieces collected by them over the 2. No buildings shall be built on the property except the present run down, the structural problems were in years. residence and outbuildings appropriate to it. III. SUBMISSION fact unique and extremely serious. Music room, 1976 3. The property shall not be subdivided. All proposals must be received by January 3, 1977 and be in effect for 30 days.

56 57 IV. EVALUATION mate success questionable. The fact that such a technique had never been The Octagon House 1978-2018 A.The National Trust may accept any proposal which assures a maxi- used before added to the uncertainty of the undertaking. mum sales return to the National Trust but which at the same time, will On April 14, 1977, after much consideration, I advised the Trust “Come and see my shining palace built upon the sand!” assure repair of the property and perpetual preservation in a manner ac- that I was dropping my condition that there be a limit on the expense of Edna St. Vincent Millary, ceptable to the National Trust. the dome stabilization. This would fully expose me to whatever financial Second Fig, A Few Figs from Thistles requirements were necessary for the stabilization. Since I had only a finite B. Offerer will be required to submit evidence of financial ability and amount of funds, I was gambling fully that my untried ideas would actually From 1979 to 2012, I undertook a complete conservation of the interior technical competence. work. Numerous proposals had been made, but in 1976 the National Trust and exterior of the house and the grounds, furnished the house with orig- decided in favor of my proposal. inal and contemporaneous furniture and corrected the structural prob- My proposal to bring the dome back into position consisted of high ten- After a number of months of clarification of legal issues by the var- lems. sion steel cables with turnbuckles wrapped around the dome on the outside ious attorneys involved, on February 24, 1978, my wife, Nan, and I signed and running from one corner to the other on the inside. I proposed to pay the Contract to purchase the Octagon House and sent them, on February Research the same price the National Trust had paid the Carmers. I fully embraced 27th, to Washington for signature by the Trust. My notes for March 8, 1978, a preservation easement which would restrict exterior charges to the house state: “Coughlin calls - we got it”. ‘Understanding a thing clearly is half doing it.” and the land. There was no required public access. Two years and Lord Chesterfield On December 22, 1976, I submitted a proposal to purchase the Oc- three months after we tagon House for $75,000. I requested a limit on the expense of the dome had first visited the but agreed to accept all the other conditions and to broaden them to in- Carmers, an agree- Paint analysis charts clude design control by the Trust of future outbuildings. I stated in my pro- ment was signed which posal that my intentions are to preserve within and without. I would restore would enable us to As a first step, a very extensive research campaign was embarked upon. and maintain all that is of the period that remains in the house to as close purchase the property Every aspect of ownership was to their original state as possible. The preservation and restoration of this - an event which would delved into. Photographs, images, building should be to a prospective buyer a lifelong labor of love. On Feb- not happen for anoth- accounts, and articles were sought ruary 18th, I met with a National Trust representative in Washington, D.C., er 10½ more months. out. Interviews of neighbors and and discussed purchase price and terms and restoration and stabilization It was the first house to prior owners and their descendants techniques. My proposal was essentially acceptable to the Trust except for have been bought by were conducted. the limitation on the expense of the dome repair. the National Trust for The existing physical as- During this time, I was busy researching octagon houses and wood Historic Preservation March 12, 1978 pects of the property were exam- domes and consulting with engineers. I had devised a scheme for stabiliza- and resold to a private ined, measured and recorded photo- tion of the dome whereby I would attempt to bring it back into alignment citizen. graphically. by encircling it in two locations with high-tension steel cables and turnbuck- On Sunday, March 12, 1978, friends and I drove up to the Octagon Through microscopic exam- les. Over a period of time, the turnbuckles would be tightened thus pulling House to examine again the project on which I was staking my financial re- ination and chemical paint analysis, the dome, against itself, back into position. The great size and enormous sources and my reputation as an architect and a preservationist on the suc- the original 1872 extraordinary inte- weight of the dome with its slate roof topped by an observatory made ulti- cess of a structural repair concept which had never been tried. Verandah, 1978 Cresting and trim, 1882

58 59 rior and exterior colors were deter- Clearly work on the the top floor dance room. It was also necessary to brace the dance room floor mined. Based upon the 1882 pho- dome needed to be with temporary posts placed under the floor. All of the elements had been tograph, drawings of missing wood the first effort. I had sized by Eugene Avallone, an engineer who became devoted to the project. and cast iron elements were made been permitted to in- Once all of the components were in place, we began to slowly to enable replicas to be carved, cast stall devices to deter- tighten the sixteen exterior turnbuckles and the eight interior turnbuck- and reinstalled. Original slate quar- mine the movement les and raise the top floor jacks. But would the scheme work? There was ries were located to replace missing of the dome. These no shortage of skeptics. One engineer predicted that if a cable snapped it pieces of the slate roof of the dome, devices, known as tell- would create an explosive effect that would result in the total collapse of the observatory and the dormers. tales, told an alarming the dome. There were many sleepless nights. My reputation, my career The grounds were subjected to an story. Not only was the and my assets were all at risk with an untried technique. archaeological investigation includ- dome continuing to Over a three year period, the cables were slowly tightened. As the ing an analysis of roots located by move, the movement Interior tension cable, meeting place from opposite corners turnbuckles were tightened, they would develop resistance requiring too depressions in the land to determine was accelerating! much pressure. After a few days the dome would adjust and the turnbuck- the placement of the original speci- Immediately after purchase, I commenced a program to stop the les could be further tightened. The process was slow, suspenseful and wor- men trees and formal gardens. Twisted dance room structural member movement and to bring the dome back into its original position. As out- risome, buffered with hopeful expectations of success. Midway through lined in my program to the National Trust, I had temporary high tension the process, the inevitable occurred. As one of the turnbuckles was being 1882 Restored cresting Current steel cables placed at the base and at tightened, a connection failed and the cable, released from its high tension Stabilization of the Dome the midpoint of the exterior of the whip lashed like an angry snake. Fortunately nobody was injured. I yelled dome. Both cables had a turnbuckle to the men who had been tightening the turnbuckle to immediately get “A little stronger than strong enough.” on each of the eight sides. Like a gir- down from the scaffolding. A silence fell on the site - this was the occur- Old Builder dle, the dome was be compressed on rence that was our most fearful concern. Fortunately the dome stayed put. the exterior as the turnbuckles were Those were tense times intensified by doubting observers, but fi- tightened. To pull the dome together nally it came back into position. After much celebration, a steel band was while it was being compressed from installed behind the 2nd floor gutter, permanently stabilized the dome. the exterior, interior cables with turn- buckles were inserted from one corner to the other. The outside cables would The Restoration be ultimately removed, the interior cables were left concealed above the “Restoration is happiness.” ceiling of the third floor. An Octagon House saying As the dome had spread, it had also twisted and sunk approximately Woodwork, stairs, scrollwork. slate work. cresting. Railings, gas lights, twelve inches. To raise the dome as it urns, paint, structural work, electric, plumbing, heating, plaster work, fin- Installation of exterior tension cable and turnbuckles Installation of permanent tension ring was compressed, jacks were placed in ishing, paint. 1882 Restored gas lamp Current

60 61 After the stabilization of the dome, the miss- fixtures with a play on neo-Roman eight-sided neo-Baroque decoration. The furniture is Neo-classical 19th century with ing carved elements, cresting, window embel- decoration. Corresponding to its Roman temple a table in an octagonal shape. The rug is a traditionally woven wool Wil- lishments and dormer trim were installed. The exterior form, the interiors of the Armour-Stin- ton rug in a pattern available in the third quarter of the 19th century in slate roof was reinstalled in its original pattern. er (Octagon) House are the best example of colors to match the paint analysis of the ceiling medallion. There is a The finishes and surfaces inside and out were neo-Roman interiors in the country. Thanks to Neo-Roman light fixture with a shade etched with charioteers. painted their original 1872 colors leaving por- the Cunninghams, the 1940-1946 owners, the Scratched in the floor is an early example of an alarm system which tions with the original paint layers intact. The furnishings are substantially original. The Cun- was concealed under the wall-to-wall carpeting installed by Dibble in 1882. interiors are essentially as they were in 1872. ninghams had removed the original furniture Nothing is conjectural, except the pattern of when they sold the house to the Carmers in 1946 Octagon House The Salon Paintings and the John Jelliff Suite: John Jelliff salon suite the area rugs and carpets. We could determine and, upon their death, they very kindly willed doorknobs The salon paintings are all nineteenth century Hudson River School with the size and shape of the area rugs by the dis- the original furniture back to the house. an emphasis on the Hudson local to Irvington with images of the Tappan de Grailly (1804-1889) and William Richardson Tyler (1825-1896. coloration on the floor and we selected designs The neo-Roman theme is carried through in the doorknobs with Zee and the Palisades. Artists include Henry Boese (1824-1865), Victor One of the more specific local views is View of the Hudson River with octagonal motifs available in America in their cast brass soldier heads, the gas light fixtures with their charioteers from Tarrytown, an oil painting on canvass by Robert Havell, Jr., (1793- the 19th century and had them woven in the Roof slate pattern and toga clad figures and the furniture 1878). It is an 1866 view showing the Old Dutch Church and a very colors of the room (which had been deter- with its classic inspired details. rare view of Beekman Manor House (the 1693 Philipsburg Manor House mined by paint analysis) The original plaster, woodwork, wallpaper and The one exception to the when it was privately owned by the Beekman family - the Beekmans add- gilded and painted surfaces were all conserved. neo-Roman decorated rooms is the ed a wing which was removed in the 1950s). Havell engraved Audubon’s The conservation process was a slow but exciting undertaking. music room which has the only sur- Birds of America & Hudson River landscapes. Over the years we spent endless time tracing back the original families to viving American residential Egyptian In early September of 1985 I spotted an ad for a twelve piece find descriptions, views and memorabilia. We continue to make discover- Revival decoration in the country. It parlor suite to be actioned at Phillips. The suite was by the famed 19th ies and find artifacts that tell us more about this lyrical structure. contains Joseph Stiner’s original late century furniture maker John Jelliff, Our task was not to remove all traces of age, but to hold together 1870s furnishings. a master in the second half of the the fragile beauty of the Octagon House so as to keep our peace with the nineteenth century. Jellif ’s furniture original builder. Entry Hall: graced the prominent 19th century Putting ones best foot forward, the most rooms of America - the Metropol- The Interiors beautiful decoration is in the entry hall. itan Museum’s Renaissance Room The walls are decorated with silver leaf contains a suite. “Architectural follies, like Chinese eggs, take on more savour with the with stenciled decorations in trompe I had never seen such an ex- passage of time.” l’oiel neo-Baroque frames. A classical ex- tensive set and an inspection con- Clay Lancaster terior with Baroque wall treatments on firmed that the set was of the high- Architectural Follies in America the interior was probably inspired by late est level with hand painted porcelain 17th & 18th century villas in Italy. center medallions and highly artic- Like the exterior, the Octagon House interiors are also meant to enter- The ceiling moldings have ap- View of the Hudson River from Tarrytown with the Old Dutch Church and Philipse ulated carving. Containing two so- tain with specially carved eight-sided detailing, elaborate furniture and gas plied silver and bronze leaf with the Entry hall Manor House, circa 1866, Robert Havell, Jr. (1793-1878) fas, an arm chair and an armless (for John Rogers, Courtship in Sleepy Hollow

62 63 skirts) large side chair both covered in gold The salon also contains a bronze sculp- Pantry: leaf and eight side chairs, measurements ture of Rip van Winkle by Richard Masloski The pantry sink is copper for softness for fine glassware & china, the cab- of the salon determined that the suite ex- and John Rogers Groups with themes of the re- inetry is original and there’s a dumbwaiter to convey heavy cooking from actly fit into the Octagon House salon. gion – including “Courtship in Sleepy Hollow” the more substantial lower kitchen. On the day of the auction, even & views of Rip van Winkle. though I thought I had allowed ample to Ladies Kitchen: arrive in time for bidding, I walked into The Tea Room: Influenced by Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811 – 1896) who advocated that the the auction hall to hear the smacking The tea room walls are unusually painted to re- lady of the house be more involved in preparations for the family, the ladies Master bedroom suite gavel marking my tardiness. semble striped wallpaper. The walls have Hud- kitchen is detailed to a high level demonstrating its use by a family member. I approached the winning bidder son River School watercolors. The furniture is Elk weather vane The cast iron wood stove and hood are original to the house. There is a fold rate painted surfaces. The firm exhibited at the 1853 New York Crystal Pal- and advised them that if they ever want- 19th century Neo-classical along with a 19th cen- and cresting down writing desk for menu preparation and a functioning icebox. ace Exhibition and examples occur in most of the decorative art museums. In ed to re-sell I was a buyer and over the tury neo-Elizabethan tea table containing a tea set The Octagon House water system is as advocated by Orson Squire the 1980s, I had seen an ad for a sale in Columbia County for an eight piece years sent them a reminder. with a Roman medallion decoration. The rug is a traditionally woven Fowler consisting of reservoirs on the upper floors feed by the rainwater bedroom suite with elaborate floral decorations and river scenes, but alas the In 1993 the owners wrote that wool Wilton rug in a pattern available in the third quarter of the 19th down spouts. Water in pipes goes into the wood stove, is heated and then sale had already occurred. In November, 2007, the suite came up again as they were planning to move from their Salon bay window century in colors to match the painted walls. stored in the a water tank. The force of the water from the cisterns drives separate lots at Doyle Auctions, but the prices were probative and none of the New Jersey home and were considering the hot water back up to the bathrooms. lots sold. The seller shipped the suite to New Orleans where it was auctioned selling. I repeated my time worn desire to buy, but at the last moment The Dining Room Renaissance Revival Table & Chairs: as a complete suite by the Neal Auction house in May, 2008. My winning bid they changed their mind. In 2013 I received a phone call from a relative A Renaissance Revival walnut dining room table had been part of the The Master Bedroom Suite: finally brought the suite, consisting of an armoire, bed frame, table, dresser, of the suite owner telling me that the owner had died and that the suite contents when I had acquired Haldane House in the 1970s. It was a per- The master bedroom suite consists of a sitting room, a master bedroom, washstand, bed table and two chairs to the Octagon House master bedroom. was coming up for auction in Aberdeen, Mississippi. Without hesitation, fect size and had semi-circular ends relating to the curved corners of the a dressing room/study and a bathroom. The carpets I arranged to bid by phone and in December of 2013, twenty-eight years room, but the table lacked a set of chairs. Dining room chair sets are dif- in the sitting room, master bedroom and dressing Bathrooms: after I had first seen the suite, it arrived at the Octagon House. ficult to find intact because they are often broken up as side chairs as they room/study run wall-to-wall and are Wilton wool wo- The bathrooms on the second and third floors are original to the house. descend through a family. After many years of looking, a set came up ven to match the paint analysis of the room. Follow- They contain 19th century toilets, bath tubs, lavatories and faucets. with the original leather upholstery. Lacking only one of the arm chairs, a ing the theme seen throughout the house, the master careful copy of the remaining arm chair completed the set. bedroom lamp shades and sconces use the motif of The Nursery: Produced by Reed & Barton, the original silverware is “Roman the Eastern Elk. The Octagon House nursery contains a Medallion” which is decorated with a helmeted Roman soldiers head. folding child’s bed, an early example of The dining room sideboard has a carved wood head of an East- Hart, Ware and Co. Bedroom Set: a bed which could be folded up to permit ern Elk. Larger than a deer and smaller than a Western Elk, the Eastern In the mid-19th century an inexpensive furniture style Eastern elk sconce the room to be more fully used when the Elk was a revered animal which became extinct by the end of the 19th became popular in America. Known as Cottage Furniture, child was awake. century due to over-hunting and the loss of their dense woodland habi- it consisted of simple flat pieces of pine with few moldings and decorated with tat. Its symbolic importance is also portrayed in the house on the weather faux graining and painted designs. vane, the lamp shades and sconces in the master bedroom, the wall pocket Hart, Ware and Co., a 19th century Philadelphia cabinet maker, Original Reed & Barton “Roman Medallion” 1868 silverware in the entry hallway and the towel rack in the master bath, took cottage furniture to a more elaborate level by applying beautiful elabo- Child’s fold-up bed

64 65 the nineteenth century The room is decorated with friez- The Armour-Stiner (Octagon) House is not in America. It was in- es representing workers preparing boats only a unique-to-the world home, its setting is fluenced by increased to travel to the afterlife, showing the jour- a marvelously intact, 19th century landscape. availability of prints of ney to the afterlife and the afterlife itself. All of the original property remains with the the monuments of an- The dark blue ceiling with gold stars is the house and the same landscape which exist- cient Egypt, discover- classical motif used in Egyptian tombs ed in the mid-nineteenth century is much the Stiner’s Pottier & Stymus Egyptian revival frames ies which led to a ma- and temples to depict the heavens. There same today. The vocabulary of the landscape is jor exhibition in New are 1840s prints of the ancient monu- lawns, ornamental trees and shrubs, vines, gar- The Egyptian Revival Woman’s Gymnasium: York in 1852, the open- ments by David Roberts, an extraordi- den architecture, statuary and ornament. The In June, 2008, the Butterscotch Auction Gallery auctioned a three piece ing of the Suez Canal nary upright 1870s Egyptian Revival pi- grounds are enhanced by the beauty of mature Egyptian Revival parlour suite with Joseph Stiner’s name painted on the Egyptian revival piano in 1869, Verdi’s 1872 ano, models of London’s Cleopatra’s Tulip (Liriodendron) and Cucumber Magnolia frame. The acquisition of the suite put into motion the transformation of “Aida” and obelisks, needle converted in the 19th century into North side statue - early image (M. Acuminata) trees and probably the largest the Woman’s Gymnasium into its late 1870s appearance. “Cleopatra’s Needles” being erected in London, Paris & Central Park in New gas lamps and an Egyptian Revival style Asian Cornelian Cherry tree (Cornus Mas) in A comparison of the Egyptian Revival York City. These events resulted in a revival of interest in Egyptian decoration clock with classical style elements by Seth Thomas & Sons, NY. the county - all native species which were pop- frame with pieces in the Metropolitan Museum and in America in the 3rd quarter of the 19th century. Pieces displayed sphinxes, ular ornamentals during the second half of the The Foxglove Garden the Brooklyn Museum determined that they had gilded bronze heads, carved animal paws, birdlike wings, geometric motifs, The Grounds nineteenth century. been made by the New York City firm of Pottier and lotus designs. This ornamentation was superimposed upon an otherwise Based upon photograph- and Stymus, one Renaissance Revival form, yet it remained distinctly Egyptian Revival. “From the grounds, the Octagon House looms large - the ultimate in ic evidence and root analysis, trees of the premier garden architecture, belying its primary function as a residence.” and shrubs original to the property furniture makers Doell & Doell, Garden Historians have been replanted. The trees in- of the late nine- clude the two Kentucky Coffee trees teenth centu- (Gymnocladus dioicus) flanking the en- ry in the United trance stairs, the two Japanese Ma- States. The orig- Needlework ple trees (Acer palmatum) at the be- inal paint anal- ginning of the entrance circle, the ysis of the woman’s gymnasium had Norway Spruce trees (Picea abies) lin- focused on the first coat of paint, over- ing the driveway, the Japanese Pa- looking the subsequent richly decora- goda tree (Sophora japonica) shading tive second scheme. An analysis of the the southwest side of the verandah, second coat showed that Stiner had re- a rare Weeping Gingko tree (Gink- decorated the room several years after go biloba pendula) obscuring the car- the 1872 decoration. riage house and a Fringe Tree (Chi- A renewed interest in Egyptian deco- onanthus virgincus) at the end of the The woman’s gymnasium ration had occurred in the second half of The southeast lawn The Foxglove Garden The Foxglove Garden gate row of Norway Spruces. Flowering

66 67 shrubs define the borders including Treatise on the Theory and Mockorange (Philadelphus x virbinalis), Practice of Landscape Garden- Weigela (Florida japanese), Viburnum ing, Adapted to North Amer- (Viburnum dentatum) and Lilac (Syringa ica and further publications. vulgaris) shrubs. As such, shrubs and trees The exotic eight-sided Fox- were planted by Stiner in glove Garden has been re-estab- natural-looking ways and lished based upon landscape ar- as undulating groups on chaeology and root analysis. The the margins of the lawns. garden maintains its original foot- The margins themselves print which is the exact size & shape The Fiske bench were densely planted so Verandah garden stair railing of the house. As it was in the 1870s, that the grounds appears it is planted with foxglove perenni- eliminated. The setting visually reflects the time, place and personality of to be on the edge of the wilderness. Lord & Burnham greenhouse and the artist studio Foxglove Garden annual bedding als (Digitalis), rose standards, priv- Joseph Stiner, who created this architectural and landscape marvel. In their 1985 Site Visit Report for the Armour-Stiner House, Garden et shrubs (Ligustrum vulgare) and four The Octagon House picturesque landscape is as advocated by Historians Doell & Doell make the correlation between Joseph Stiner’s & Burnham Greenhouse and a studio for an artist to be located in their sheared junipers (Juniperus virginiana). From spring to autumn, blooming Hudson River valley resident Andrew J. Downing in his 1841 book, A landscape and “the Victorian frame-of-mind...treating the establishment 1872 location. Lord & Burnham, the premier maker of greenhouses in the foxglove cultivars are rotated from the greenhouse to the garden to main- of the entire home ground in its larger context”. 19th century, was based in Irvington, NY. tain a continuous bloom, The lawn was an important feature of the Victorian landscape An entire ensemble, including the iron frame, glass, mechanisms Surrounding the rose stan- and the Octagon House follows this premise with long views across the and plant tables, of an early Lord & Burnham greenhouse was acquired dards and foxglove cultivars is bed- open lawn to the southeast. from an estate near Philadelphia. Through slight adjustments to the pur- ding in the colors of the house - pink The relationship of the house to the grounds is evident in the use of begonias (Begoniaceae), blue ageratums floral motifs embellishing the architecture of the house. Roses, lilies and spi- (Asteraceae) and silvery gray dusty mill- der-lilies ornament the capitals of the verandah colonnade and stylized ivy ers (Senecio cineraria). Announcing the leaves can be seen in the garden stair railing, the cast-iron verandah railing Foxglove Garden, the metalwork on and roof cresting. The well pa- the gate features the profile of a fox vilion has been conserved and with a glove in its mouth. At the four the carriage house and tool corners of the house are tree wis- shed, destroyed by a fire in the terias, the northwest one being the 1940’s, were reconstructed in original 19th century vine. their original location in the Extant features have been 1990s. The finalization of the preserved, the overall form and detail conservation of the historic have been restored and incompatible landscape required the recon- 19th century tree wisteria or conflicting uses or features were Porch column capitals struction of the original Lord The well house The carriage house & shed

68 69 ing. The size and number of windows facing into the grounds is based For four decades as owner and restoration architect I advanced the con- upon the original nineteenth century artist’s studio at the Thomas Cole servation of the marvelously intact Octagon House exterior, interiors, Studio at the Thomas Cole National Historic Site, Cedar Grove. grounds and outbuilding to their 1872 appearance. During this time, the The urns, located between the columns, were recast from the house has been the subject of numerous articles and awards. pieced together shards of 4 urns discovered in an archaeological dig My son, Michael Hall Lombardi, is the next generation to contin- where the original barn had stood. ue the Octagon House efforts. Michael has masterfully researched, man- The grounds of the Octagon House were originally carefully con- aged and executed conservation work throughout the house. In the 20th 1882 Recovered shards Restored urns trived and continue to be maintained in a setting which appears as if it century he conserved the lady’s kitchen and pantry and performed exten- was created by nature. The plantings frame the house with great care and sive work on the grounds. In 2011-2012. Michael oversaw an enormous- chased greenhouse, the area and layout of the building footprint was cause it to appear as a garden ornament in its landscape. ly complicated task - the research and reinstatement of the only domes- made the same as that of the original Octagon House greenhouse. tic Egyptian Revival room still in existence with its original 19th century The configuration of a greenhouse, with a potting shed inthe furnishings and decoration. In 2016, Michael rear, was a standard configuration used for Lord & Burnham - green directed the re-installation of the 19th centu- houses and identical to a The Octagon House 2018-Present ry Lord & Burnham Greenhouse on its origi- 19th century greenhouse nal footprint using a salvaged greenhouse with which existed 1,500 feet “Preservation is a family ailment.” its original cast iron gears, glass and framing 1990 World Monuments Fund Gingerbread House Competition to the south at the ad- Octagon House visitor and the reconstruction of the artist studio and jacent Alexander Ham- October 25, 2019, National Trust Tour in 2018 the conservation of the Basement in- ilton property. The crest- cluding the Service Kitchen, Pantry, Laundry ing for the greenhouse is Room and Staff Room. in a size and rhythm of In response to numerous requests and other Lord & Burnham with the skilled guidance of Michael and his 19th century cresting and wife, Jessica Lombardi, in the spring of 2019 the cresting design fol- the Armour-Stiner (Octagon) House opened as lows the cresting on the a museum Fridays to Mondays, April 1st to De- main house. cember 30th. Jess has completed numerous im- The design of the portant tasks including the research and design studio for an artist is in of the needlepoint upholstery for Stiner’s Egyp- a style similar to the al- tian Revival suite, graphics for the brochure and ready reconstructed car- the museum activities. riage house and tool shed The maxim of the restoration continues to be to not remove all trac- employing the same color es of age, but to hold together the fragile exotic beauty of this lyrical structure. scheme, exterior board & batten cladding and roof- The Foxglove Garden looking towards the house Michael Lombardi helping his father, 1979 Jessica & Michael Lombardi, June 21, 2014

70 71 tial use of a Midtown Manhattan tower, nine commercial buildings in SoHo and NoHo, Manhattan being converted to residential use and the creation of a new contextual residential tower on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Mr. Lombardi owns many of the projects in which he is involved. He is the owner of the National Historic Landmark, Armour-Stiner (Oc- tagon) House in Irvington-on-Hudson, New York, the only Roman tem- ple form, domed octagonal house in the world and the first property to have been sold into private ownership by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Lombardi also owns and continues to conserve several other major historic homes including Château du Sailhant, an early medieval château-fort in the Auvergne region of central France, Alfheim Lodge, a rustic, storybook lodge in the mountains north of New York City and the Parsonage in Peru, an 1850 Greek Revival home in Peru, Vermont. Joseph Pell Lombardi served on the Venice Committee of the World Monuments Fund and was Chairman of the World Monuments Fund Weeping Higan cherry trees, Jessica Lombardi, photographer Founders Society. He has served on many boards including the New York City Historic House Trust, the New York City Historic Districts Council, the National Trust for Historic Preservation – Lyndhurst Advisory Council and Joseph Pell Lombardi, by Mark Seliger the Zoning and Historic Preservation Committee for the Alliance for Down- town Manhattan. He is a member of the Society of Architectural Historians. With degrees in both Architecture (B. Arch.) and Historic Preservation (M.Sc.), Joseph Pell Lombardi established his firm in 1969 as one of the first Joseph Pell Lombardi has received many awards including: to specialize in restoration, preservation, adaptive re-use and contextual new 1990 Victorian Society in America Preservation Award; buildings. With offices in New York, France and Hungary, the Office of Jo- 1991 Preservation League of New York State Achievement Award; seph Pell Lombardi has served as architect for over 1,000 projects worldwide. 1993 New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission Certificate of Lombard’s efforts range from preservation projects, as in the con- Merit; servation of a 10th century château to large-scale adaptive re-use projects 1993 City of New York, Department of General Services Professional such as Liberty Tower, an early 20th century 33-story Gothic skyscraper Service Award; in New York City’s Financial District converted to residential use. As both 1995 Municipal Art Society of New York Preservation Award. architect and principal, Mr. Lombardi’s 1978 conversion of Liberty Tow- 2017 La Médaille Paul Harris Fellow, Rotary club de Saint-Flour, France; er introduced residential use to lower Manhattan. 2019 La Médaille, d’argent du Tourism, Française Ministère De L’europe Lombardi has conserved and converted to residential use over 300 et des Affaires Étrangères commercial buildings in Manhattan and has conserved and restored over 200 Numerous articles have been published about his work and for many years Winter scene, Michael Lombardi, photogrpher Octagon House, 2010 houses throughout the world. Current projects include conversion to residen- he has given an annual lecture at Yale University’s School of Architecture.

72 73 “When terrorists attacked the World Trade Center, most people nearby Joseph Pell Lombardi fled down stairs and uptown, but Joe Lombardi did the opposite: despite injuring his leg in the tumult, he headed to Liberty Tower, one block from ground zero, and took an elevator to his penthouse apartment on the 29th Biography floor.” The New York Times, October 18, 2001 “Like an architectural Sherlock Holmes, Mr. Lombardi patiently unravels houses’ secrets, then fervidly restores them. To say that the 49-year-old New York architect and developer has a commitment to historic preserva- My architectural practice and the five homes presently in my stew- tion is an understatement. The man is obsessed.” ardship have become a lifetime passion. The New York Times, July 5, 1990 For further information: www.JosephPellLombardi.com I have always been obsessed by houses - old houses. I think about hous- es most waking hours and they occupy my dreams. My earliest memo- ries are houses and I cannot remember when I wanted to do anything Background other than nurture them. I am a restoration architect and owner of five homes. For over “Some people collect salt and pepper shakers. Joseph Pell Lombardi 50 years I have specialized in the conservation of historic houses, con- collects houses.” verting commercial buildings to residential lofts and the creation of The New York Times, July 5, 1990 contextual residential buildings. Weekdays are spent on my architectur- al practice and real estate investments. Early mornings, evenings and As a child in the 1940s and 1950s, I wan- weekends are devoted to my homes. dered the streets of my New York City Har- My libraries are filled with books about houses; I visit endless lem neighborhood discovering Romanesque, old houses and serve on numerous historic house boards. Each day Italianate, Moorish and Renaissance Revival alerts from upcoming auctions in the US and Europe bring possible houses and comparing them to original ex- furnishing additions for my homes and few things make me happier amples in my Sir Banister Fletcher’s A History Acknowledgments than locating a missing feature or finding appropriate furnishings for of Architecture. them. I was consumed by my family’s Rus- The history the Armour-Stiner (Octagon) House relies substan- My propensity for homes began with a great affection for a tic Storybook Style summer lodge at Val- tially on decades of research by Lombardi family members and architec- childhood summer home which evolved into a lifetime focused on the halla Highlands, in the mountains north of tural historians at the Office of Joseph Pell Lombardi, Architect. Michael conservation, restoration and creation of residences. New York City. The lodge was my first love Hall Lombardi coördinated the photography and Jessica Hale Lombardi At times my passion has meant uncertainties, including finan- affair with a house; they became my child- provided the graphics. A special thank you to Nan Hall Lombardi who cial and physical risks. On September 11, 2001, I would walk back into hood friends, foreshadowing the way I would produced the layout and Mary DaRos, Doina Stefanovici & Jessica Lom- hell in order to guard one of my homes. live my life. I spent my childhood explor- bardi who finalized the production. ing abandoned houses, excavating ruins and Joseph Pell Lombardi, Winter, 2020 reading everything I could about them. 8 Sniffen Court, Manhattan

74 75 As an architectural house on a mews in Manhat- New York City Townhouses student, I did what I could tan and Haldane House, an to advance my studies in the 1870s Second Empire Style “You had these gorgeous one-family brownstones that had been turned into history of houses. The ear- house in rural Cold Spring. rooming houses, but the additions were easily reversible, and it didn’t take ly 1960s was the heyday of In the 1970s, I too much work to restore their grandeur.” modernism; my professors switched from Haldane Inside the Home of Joseph Pell Lombardi, and fellow students couldn’t House to an intact, but in The Real Deal November, 2008 imagine a career restoring old need of help, 1850s Greek buildings instead of creating Revival parsonage in Peru, In 1969, I established my architectur- new structures. I was consid- Haldane House, Cold, Spring, NY Vermont, as a ski home for Armour-Stiner House, Irvington, New York al firm in New York City. Professionally pur- ered a heretic for my consum- my family and a weekend suing my passion for old houses, my new firm ing interest in historic build- conservation project for me. specialized in conservation and restoration ser- ings instead of the new forms During the 1970s Re- vices, focusing on New York townhouse reno- of Modern Architecture. In cession I bought Liberty Tow- vations. In order to develop business, I located that era, historic preservation er, a 33-story 1909 Gothic townhouses needing restoration and proposed in America was more a pas- style skyscraper located in the them to potential clients. The former one sion than a profession. Financial District of Manhat- Alfheim Lodge, Cold Spring, New York family townhous- tan – it’s conversion from of- es had been con- fices introduced residential In the late 1970s, I purchased the extraordinary and challenging verted to rooming Parsonage in Peru, Vermont use to lower Manhattan. On Armour-Stiner (Octagon) House in Irvington-on-Hudson, 25 miles north houses during the the 29th floor, I transformed Erdödy-Choron Castle, Jánosháza, Hungary of New York City. In the 1990s, I added Erdödy-Choron Kastély, a moat- Great Depression When the Columbia University the former board rooms of ed Renaissance castle in Central Europe and then exchanged it for Châ- and the hous- Graduate School of Architecture began Sinclair Oil into a quintessential New York apartment for my family. teau du Sailhant, a powerful and romantic thousand year old château in ing shortages of a program in Historic Preservation, I en- Beginning in the 1970s my the isolated volcanic mountains of central France. the World War rolled and obtained a Master’s degree efforts shifted to the con- In the 21st century, I returned to Valhalla Highlands, the location II. Each room in under the great preservationist James version of the neglected, of my first love affair with a house, by reconstructing Alfheim Lodge, a a rooming house 68 State Street, Brooklyn Marston Fitch. magnificent commercial summer lodge which had not been completed in its intended Rustic Sto- was inexpensively After graduation, I established my buildings of Lower Man- rybook Style because of the interruption of World War II. rented to separate tenants sharing a hall bath- architectural firm specializing in conser- hattan into residential lofts The Octagon House, the Parsonage, the apartment at Liberty room. The low rents resulted in lack of mainte- vation and restoration of New York City’s and, after the 1989 fall of Tower, Château du Sailhant and Alfheim Lodge continue their place in nance and deterioration. deteriorating townhouses. For my fami- the Communist Regime, my lifelong passion. New York still had many of these ly’s use and following my firm’s mission, my efforts were also spent former gracious townhouses which had been I bought and restored 8 Sniffen Court, a on the faded, majestic converted to rooming houses with limited Liberty Tower, Lower Manhattan 19th century Romanesque Style carriage Château du Sailhant, Andelat, France buildings of Hungary. 45 E. 74th St., New York changes. The rooming houses had a run-

76 77 down appearance, yet discernibly hidden be- Practicing archi- New York City Lofts ment cost. hind shabbiness, their former grandeur was evi- tecture by being an own- Like the townhouses of the dent in the remaining original fireplaces, ornate er was very much against “What looks like a junk heap to most developers is priceless history to 1960s, exploring lower Manhattan plasterwork, hardware, wood doors, trim and the norm. In the 1960s, architect Joe Lombardi” was the discovery of treasures. Be- early bathrooms. Because rooming houses were architects were not devel- Rubble with a Cause, hind the beautiful, but poorly main- deteriorated, numerous and had a stigma, prices opers, yet since antiquity New York Daily News Magazine, January 17, 1988 tained facades of lower Manhattan were remarkably low. architects had also been were magnificent lobbies, high ceil- I began to acquire rooming houses, builders. The difference At the beginning of the 1970s, as I be- inged spaces with large windows, converting them between my type of prac- gan to discover the fading magnificent top floors with multiple skylights and back to one and tice and my peers was also commercial buildings of lower Man- beautifully detailed interiors -- it was two family hous- mirrored in philosophy. hattan, my architectural practice shift- a preservation architect’s dream. es, eventually ac- The modernist would ed to converting warehouse and com- At first there was little com- quiring groups tear down a 19th century mercial buildings to residential use. petition in the residential conver- of houses so that townhouse or put in mod- In the heart of the greatest city sion field from other architects be- their restoration ern interiors. Architects in the world, stood substantially empty cause it was an off-beat specialty impacted entire 129 East 17th Street in the 1960s and 1970s 12-16 East 62nd St., New York consisting less of conventional ar- blocks. Over the New York strongly felt the need to next few years, my leave their fingerprint on their work; I felt that the more successful proj- acquisition, restoration and sale of town- ect was when intervention was indiscernible. I embraced the historic 140 Fifth Ave., Ladies Mile, New York houses increased dramatically and my ar- buildings inside and out. By the turn of the 20th century these delightful 140 Fifth Avenue, Ladies Mile, New York chitectural practice expanded rapidly. townhouse and home commissions numbered well over one hundred. 12 East 65th St., New York Beginning in the 1970s the focus of my work would change, but chitecture and more about pres- I continue to serve as architect for several private homes each year. These ervation, retrofitting, zoning ob- commissions remain as one of the particularly enjoying aspects of my 889 Broadway, Ladies Mile, New York stacles and building code issues. practice. It was also a waiting opportuni- districts containing some of the most ty - I was in the right place at the architecturally distinguished 19th right time. As a New York archi- and early 20th century buildings in tect and a preservationist already the world. Although physically and focused on creating residences economically distressed, confined from historic townhouses, I had Manhattan is too valuable to have the ability to see opportunity for for too long waning districts with these architecturally rich, neglect- fine under-used buildings with prices 1970s - 102 Prince/114 &116-118 Greene St. ed commercial buildings and help West 78th St., New York The Colonnade, New York 644 Broadway, NoHo, New York equal to a fraction of their replace- SoHo, New York pioneer the development of what

78 79 came to be known as loft liv- sion procedures were a routine ed amenities of a hot plate, refrig- night, crowded party in a vast, high ing. for me, not a new obstacle. erator and a bathtub or shower, the ceilinged loft accessed via an oversized As the loft phenom- Finally, because loft high-ceilinged, large-windowed, in- manual freight elevator was the place to ena grew, my architectural buildings were often financially expensive, unheated spaces became be and to be seen. Black clothing was de practice mushroomed and, failed buildings, they involved living spaces as well. The antiestab- rigueur, loud music, a strobe lit dance like the townhouse work, I complex real estate issues. For lishment combination of living in a floor and a wandering video camera- was often both architect and these, I had developed exper- work space with functions overlap- man rounded things off. owner. The obstacle to all ear- tise as a real estate owner and ping in one large open space created In a 50 year span, I witnessed ly residential conversions be- through courses taken at Co- a particular style of living, with ear- the loft phenomena broaden from ful- gan with municipal approvals. lumbia University and the New ly loft occupants typically designing filling the needs of economically-chal- Since loft buildings were al- York University Real Estate In- their own layouts and making im- lenged artists to supplying luxuriously most always in an area which stitute. United States Sugar Building provements at their own expense. finished, multimillion dollar lofts to in- did not permit residential use, Juilliard Building, 18 Leonard St., TriBeCa, New York With these skills, I had TriBeCa, New York Like my townhouse activi- vestment bankers and hedge fund man- an important step in advanc- the tools to play a significant role ties in the 1960s, in exchange for agers. Ultimately, the new names of the ing the loft movement was having the ability to navigate through the ap- in loft conversions. The idea of living and working in the same neighbor- discovering projects, providing lower Manhattan districts, SoHo, TriBe- provals required to change commercial use to residential use. With input hood, much less in the same physi- the architectural services and ob- Ca, Flatiron and Ladies’ Mile, became from my father, an architect cal space as in a loft was, at first, un- taining the necessary approvals I household names synonymous with this Mohawk Atelier specializing in zoning and familiar. But the buildings prevailed found investors for developing loft The Grabler Building, 44 Laight Street new and vibrant domestic form. 36 Hudson St., TriBeCa, New York code issues, I studied the zon- because, though failed, empty and projects. My skills benefited both TriBeCa, New York ing and building regulations inconveniently located, they were and developed skills as to how beautiful, solidly built and they con- my development partners they could be applied to loft tained extraordinary interior spaces as well as my clients. conversions. readily adaptable to residential use. The underground Most loft buildings With high ceilings, an elevator that off-beat nature of the were in historic districts pro- opened directly into the unit and downtown art scene was tected by the New York Land- with only one unit per floor, there stylish, with artists attract- marks Preservation Com- were no shared hallways and they ing art patrons and dealers mission. Since I was both an had double-exposures with win- and celebrities. The quiet architect and a preservation- dows facing onto both the street and nighttime streets of down- ist and had often presented to the back yard. These characteristics town would have the seem- the Landmark Commission define the quintessential “loft.” The ingly incongruous uptown during my 1960s townhouse early lofts were rented by artists to limousines in front of run- stage, the required Land- Atalanta Building satisfy artists’ needs for studios for Riveted Steel Building down, semi-occupied beau- Fairchild & Foster marks Preservation Commis- The Ice House, TriBeCa, New York 25 North Moore St., New York the creation of art. With the few add- 107-11 Greene St., SoHo, New York tiful old buildings. A late 415 Washington St., TriBeCa, New York

80 81 The popularity of lofts even- Southeast Asia, Castles and Central Europe music academy, museum, hotel and learning facility for the European restoration project in Hungary. I was given a list of 12 castles in need of tually spread throughout the world. “He restores castles in Europe, but Joseph Pell Lombardi lives Downtown.” Mozart Academy. Eszterháza is Hungary’s grandest palace, a beautiful- restoration which were owned by the Hungarian government. Many were In 1970, it was impossible to imag- ly proportioned 18th century Baroque palace 50 kilometers southwest fascinating obscure properties in remote areas of the country. Touring ine that 30 years later, in the winter New York City Downtown Express March 28, 2000 across the border from Vienna. and discovering these forgotten treasures was an enormous pleasure. After of 2000, lofts had become so popu- Called the Versailles of Central Europe, the 1760 Eszterháza Pal- several weeks, I narrowed my choice to two, Prónay Palace in Acsaújlak lar that I would be asked to collab- ace consists of a 21-bay façade with horseshoe-shaped wings curving in to and Erdödy-Choron Castle in Jánosháza. orate on a new 16-story residential For many years I provided pro bono create an enormous, fully enclosed entrance court. The interior contains Prónay Palace was reconstructed in the 18th century in a Baroque building in São Paulo, Brazil with services to the World Monuments Fund, elaborate Rococo style suites. Joseph Hayden was the resident conductor style from the ruins of a medieval castle damaged during the Turkish oc- open loft-like apartments aptly called an organization which sponsors the con- and composer for 29 years. He composed his most important works at cupation. It was built by a nobleman to the designs of Giovanni Carlone “Grand Loft”. servation and preservation of architec- Eszterháza. Battista, a master builder SoHo eventually became a ture and art throughout the world. In the Family disuse in the from Italy. With its four tur- famous international shopping cen- 1980s, I had served on their Venice Com- 19th century and dam- rets and hilltop location, it is ter and destination with clogged mittee, provid- age during and after the a late Renaissance interpre- streets and retail and residential rents ed pro bono World War II had some- tation of a castle. After the equal or greater than the highest in services on the what compromised the World War II, it had been adaptation of Palazzo Cappello-Memmo palace. For three years, used by the Russians for dis- two Venetian pala- the World Monuments abled soldiers. In 1994, the zzi to a museum and Fund, the European Mo- palace was vacant, in need residences for Ve- zart Academy, the Hun- of intervention, but substan- Glass Atelier 401-3 Greenwich Street netians and assist- garian National Board tially intact with much of its TriBeCa, New York ed in the creation for the Protection of His- Baroque detailing in place. of public access to toric Monuments and my Changes and insertions were Manhattan. By the end of the Comte Hubert de Eszterháza Palace, garden and south façade firm labored to advance reversible. Being a magnif- Prónay Palace, Acsaújlak, Hungary, south façade,1998 first decade of the 21st - centu Commarque’s 12th 12th C. vernacular house this worthy project. This icent building in a hand- ry, in addition to a dozen in-fill century Château Ankor Wat stone carving involved the preparation some, rural location only buildings, my office had convert- Château de Commarque de Commarque in of reports, plans, cost es- 26 miles from Budapest, re- ed to residential use over ten mil- the Périgord region timates and several meet- turning Prónay Palace to its lion square feet of space in over of France. In the 1990s, I provided input on ings each month in Bu- former grandeur was a very 300 commercial buildings in low- the conservation of vernacular houses in Siem dapest, Vienna and at logical choice. I started re- er Manhattan. Reap, Cambodia, the town adjacent to the An- Eszterháza. search, began planning the kor Wat temple sites, where the World Mon- In 1993, with the conservation and furnish- uments Fund was performing archaeological Eszterháza project well ings and submitted tenders work. In 1992, I worked on the adaptation of Present vernacular house advanced, I decided to for a 99 year lease with a re- 660 Madison Ave., Upper East Side, New York Eszterháza Palace in Fertőd, Hungary into a Siem Reap, Cambodia Eszterháza Palace, music room take on a conservation/ quirement to complete the Aerial view of Prónay Palace from the south

82 83 conservation. But the response was a clause that the lease could be ter- century castle. In 1721 it was sold to Palatine Miklós Illésházy who, in turn, tural, mechanical and structural drawings and submitted everything to Liberty Tower minated upon a 90 day notice without cause and without compensation left it to his daughter Anna Illésházy, who made changes in accordance the Hungarian government. After much discussion, approvals were grant- New York, NY for my improvements. I turned my attentions to Erdödy-Choron Castle with the taste of the time including richly decorating the principal rooms ed. During the process, I stabilized the uninhabited castle by sealing the in Jánosháza, which was in the stewardship of the Hungarian National with genre wall paint- openings and repairing the copper clad onion dome. “The ‘World’s Tallest Building on so Small a Plot’...it introduced the Board for the Protection of Historic Monuments. ings and applying flow- Upon completion of the construction drawings and specifica- Gothic style to skyscrapers and is one of the earliest of the romantic The Erdödy-Choron Castle is located in the Transdanubia region ery ornamentation to tions, I solicited bids from contractors to perform the work. But the prices skyscrapers which changed the skyline of Manhattan at the beginning of of southwestern Hungary near the Austrian border standing on a hill at the wood beams and were astronomical. Finally, in 2008, with great reluctance, I returned the the 20th century. In 1978, it was restored and converted to residential the edge of a small town overlooking a river. It is one of the very few sur- ceilings. Following the property to the Hungarian government, fully stabilized, extensively re- use by Joseph Pell Lombardi, Architect. It was the world’s first residential conversion of a skyscraper.” viving medieval castles in Eastern Europe. The castle had been encircled 1765 death of Anna searched, with a complete set of restoration/conservation drawings and by a wet moat and there is a tower surmounted by an onion shaped dome. Illésházy Erdödy, the specifications and all approvals in place. New York City Landmarks Initially built in the castle passed to Count Preservation Commission Wall Plaque 15th century, it passed Kajetán Erdödy whose through prominent Hun- family continued to On the first day of May, 1978, Dave Waldman, an old friend from Helms- garian families including own it until World War ley-Spear, called and said. “Listen Joe, I just got in a troubled piece down- Pál Kinizsi, the chief com- II. After the War, the town. When I looked at it and saw mander for King Matthias Castle, under the Com- Erdödy-Choron Castle, interior, 1997 the gargoyles, I could see that it of Hungary, János Zápo- munist Regime, became had your name written all over lya, who became King of State owned and was used as a children’s school until 1979, followed by it”. My excitement was hard to Hungary in 1526, Tamás research, archaeological investigation and conservation by the Hungarian contain. Liberty Tower, designed Bakócz, Archbishop of National Board for Protection of Historic Monuments. by Henry Ives Cobb and built in Ezstergom, Péter Erdödy. In 1994, I sub- 1909, had the distinction of be- who encircled the castle mitted a tender for a ing the “World’s Tallest Building Erdödy-Choron Castle, 1998 with defensive walls and 99 lease with an option on so Small a Plot.” Without set- a moat and Command- to purchase the castle backs it rises thirty-three stories er András Choron and his from the Hungarian and is terracotta-clad. Predating son János, who was grant- government. After four the Woolworth Building, it in- ed the title of Baron by the and one-half years of troduced the Gothic style to sky- Hapsburg King Rudolf. negotiations the lease scrapers and is one of the earliest When János Choron died was signed in 1998. For of the romantic skyscrapers that in 1583, the castle passed ten years I conducted changed the early twentieth cen- to Margit Choron, who research, including a tury skyline of Manhattan. married Kristóf Nádas- thorough analysis of its A marvelous skyscraper, dy whose family seat was earlier configurations Onion dome Erdödy-Choron Castle Liberty Tower has one of the most Erdödy-Choron Castle, 1998 Sárvár, a nearby late 13th and prepared architec- Onion dome repair, 2000 completion, 2000 Demonstrating its appearance after completion of the work. beautiful facades in the world. But Liberty Tower, Joseph Pennell (1857-1926)

84 85 in 1978 it was an economical- partitions. Like a SoHo or TriBeCa loft, this The furnishings are gathered up early twentieth century furniture New York City from its es- ly failed office building. Sub- allowed the purchasers to create their own found throughout the building which would be equally at home in a men’s tablishment in the mid-sev- stantially vacant, it was in a individually designed interiors to meet their club of the same time (“it looks like a run-down men’s club” was the best enteenth century to the dra- rundown condition with an- design inspirations and their budget. compliment received). matic northward growth in tiquated mechanical facilities Purchasers also had freedom as to The former kitchen remains where it had been and the vice presi- the mid-nineteenth century. and only one stair (two were the size of their unit. None of the 89 units dent’s offices became bedrooms. Originally accessed by a private elevator For the next hundred years, it required). New York was in were the same. On any floor an apartment from the floor below, the principal missing ingredient was a central room to was the center of commerce the midst of a severe recession door lead to a California modernism, a connect the living room (former board room), dining room, library (former for the world. The end of and soothsayers were predict- neo-Gothic or a Oriental style interior -- all sitting room) and entrance gallery. Because of the complexity of the space, the twentieth century saw its ing that the Financial District in a different size and layout. a rotunda was the most suitable shape, above which a plaster dome was in- aged buildings being reused would never recover. Even in that deep recession, great stalled. Green and white terrazzo in a checkerboard pattern was used for for residential and cultural With high ceilings, excitement was generated by the notion that flooring and the walls, ceilings and trim were finished in faux stone. uses. At the beginning of the Liberty Tower rotunda large windows on all four Liberty Tower entrance one could own, create a design and reside in From the late 1970s, the neighborhood that surrounded Liber- twenty-first century it had sides and a small floor plate, such a venerable structure. Liberty Tower was ty Tower changed dramatically. After my conversion of Liberty Tower, a come full circle as both a commerce, residential and cultural center. I saw Liberty Tower as a per- the first residential conversion of a skyscraper – it initiated residential number of smaller and medi- Liberty Tower is one and one half blocks from the World Trade fect candidate for residential use in the Financial District. Much to my um sized office buildings were Center site. On the morning of September 11, 2001, I left my apart- conversion. critic’s surprise, and to my delight, owning converted to residential use. ment and walked north to a meeting on the roof of a nearby building Because payments to an apartment in an historic, beautiful sky- During the 1980s and the bank were not current scraper was sufficiently appealing to over- 1990s, the empty land fill cre- Liberty Tower was in a fore- come the then strangeness of living in a ated from the World Trade closure action. Within a week nonresidential district. Center excavation became a public auction was to be Liberty Tower, 1910 On the 29th floor, Harry Sinclair, Battery Park City, with 7,500 held with the building going head of the Sinclair Oil Company, had creat- residents and residential relat- to the highest bidder. ed his private offices with a boardroom, din- ed shops. Enlargement of Bat- Rather than waiting for the auction, I visited both the owner and ing room and sitting and reception rooms. tery Park City and conversions the bank. I offered the owner $25,000 for the ownership with myas- The floor looks out over Lower Manhattan in continued to occur during the sumption of the mortgage and I told the bank, I would pay the past-due four directions and has views of both rivers. last two decades of the twenti- $50,000 mortgage payments. Both parties agreed to my proposals; the With floor to ceiling walnut panel- eth century. By the turn of the owner because he was on the verge of losing everything and the bank ing, grain painted steel trim, pressed glass twentieth century, the Finan- which did not want to own a deteriorated, empty skyscraper in the finan- doors with gold lettering, hanging globe light cial District had become a very cially distressed Financial District. fixtures and brass hardware in a neo-Gothic comfortable place to live. Following the same procedure I had used in the loft districts to design, it is an early definition of an execu- The tip of Manhat- the north, I installed the common area improvements and sold units as tive office suite. I adapted it, without chang- tan had been the residential “raw space” - totally unfinished units without bathrooms, kitchens and ing its character, to be my apartment. Liberty Tower, 1976 and commercial center of Liberty Tower floor plan Liberty Tower living room

86 87 I was working on. The meeting was Château du Sailhant cade du Sailhant, a mystical waterfall that drops sixty feet into a perfectly pattern shows that the crossbow shooting slits were added, evidencing interrupted by a large jet plane flying Le Sailhant, France round crater-lake formed from a prehistoric volcano. Sailhant looms atop that the tower pre-dates the crossbow. over at an impossibly low elevation fol- the volcanic promontory like a menacing bird looking for prey. In the 14th century, with the advent of the Hundred Years’ War, lowed, fifteen minutes later, by the sec- “Thanks to the passion of an American architect, Château du Sailhant, Due to its impregnable topographical characteristics, the small Sailhant was seized several times by marauders with owning family re- ond plane. in the heart of the Saint-Flour (Cantal) region, escaped a tragic destiny. knob at the tip of the spur has been occupied from the remotest times. At claiming it by buying it back from The upper floors of the twin After fifteen years of work, it reveals a crusty transition modeled on the the end of the 10th century, the crusader Etienne Saillans, replaced ear- the marauders. original version.” towers were quickly engulfed by an lier wood shelters on the knob with a traditional Auvergnat multi-storied In 1398, Béraud Dauphin Massif Central December, 2016 intense fire and the sky filled with a square stone tower two or three stories taller than its present height. It was I de Saint-Ilpize, the then lord large, black smoke flume. The desper- separated from the main part of the spur by a deep ravine-dry moat. With of Sailhant, took his two sons, ate workers on the window sills of the Château du Sailhant a seigneurial room of justice and a prison at its lowest level, for centuries, Béraud II and Robert, to fight at upper floors are permanently etched in is an ancient châ- the Donjon was also used by the occupants as a final refuge during a siege. the battle of Agincourt in 1415. my mind. teau-fort located in the The Sailhant territory (domain) encompassed many thousands All three Dauphins were killed. I instinctively, but irrationally, Auvergne Region of of acres. By the 13th centu- In 1436, Sailhant was returned to my Liberty Tower apart- Central France. It is ry, Sailhant was composed of again seized, by Rodrigue de Vil- ment. This choice was rooted in the surrounded by the vol- high walls enclosing the in- landrando, a Spanish pillager; pattern of my life — the desire to canic Cantal Moun- ner court, the old multi-sto- payment bought it back in 1438. Enzo Lombardi - 2017 safeguard a home even if it risked my tains, the remnants of ried donjon and a 2½ sto- During The Renaissance, well-being. an enormous ancient ry seigniorial residence built Sailhant was sold for the first time in five hundred years to the Dubourgs. After my return to my apart- stratovolcano — the against the inner side of the In 1569, during the Wars of Religion, the Catholic leader and governor ment, the towers collapsed causing largest in Europe. north wall. Liberty Tower to shutter and the area Rising out of Château du Sailhant Of the four great to be plunged into total blackness. With dramatic one hun- semi-circular towers protrud- the failure of phones and internet, all dred-foot perpendicular volcanic cliffs on two sides of a triangular shaped La roseraie ing from the north façade, the communication ceased. promontory, blocked by a most easterly and the one to For weeks, the sealed off sec- deep trench-moat on the the west of the entrance are tions of Lower Manhattan remained View from the 29th floor, Liberty Tower wide end and contain- medieval. isolated from the rest of the world. Life September 12, 2001 ing a knob with a tow- The two shoot- was slow to return to any form of nor- er at the point, Sailhant ing slits in the tower to the malcy. At Liberty Tower there was no reprieve. For too many months the speaks of forbiddance. west of the entrance are the sound of an ambulance siren meant another victim had been discovered. With impregnable walls shorter type used for a cross- In early 2002, my vitality began to slowly return, but the despair constructed of ancient bow which is unlike the 13th remained in the streets. black lava blocks and century and earlier longbow roofs of stone slabs, Sail- shooting slits which are taller. Aerial view hant overlooks the Cas- L’entrée The non-contextual masonry La grande salle

88 89 of Auvergne, accompanied by his troops, forced their way into Sailhant, 1753 to Francois Jean Roger, squire, lord of Colombelle, financial advisor to the east of the entrance to match the medieval tower to the west of subdivided the first floor Grande Salle into three bedrooms with lower ceil- seized Charles-Antoine Dubourg, a protestant, and forced him into the and secretary to the King and notary of Chatelet in Paris. the entrance and another on the far west end. At the same time Raynaud ings. A chapel was installed at the most westerly end of the ground floor. kitchen oven where he died of asphyxiation. After the Revolution, the incumbent tenant under the farming raised the two existing north side medieval towers above the roofline so At a 1904 auction of Château du Sailhant, Doctor Paul Delbet Two monumental fireplaces inside the château date from the time lease bought the château and part of the lands. The château was in disre- that all four towers became the same height. Raynaud also added four was the successful bidder. Doctor Delbet was a Parisian whose family of the Dubourgs. With their flat hoods, and mantels supported by classic pair, providing only very basic comforts, but it had not suffered any direct more bays to the seigniorial residence creating a unified building behind originated from town nearby to Sailhant. His widow, Antoinette, married columns, these fireplaces are typical of the Renaissance period.- Fabri destruction. In 1881, the château and the lands were bought by Hippolyte the north wall. On the interior, Raynaud added bathrooms, a kitchen and Comte Claret de Fleurieu, who died in 1945. Antoinette died in 1961. cated in the volcanic stone of the Au- Mary Raynaud. vergne, they were painted in polychro- Born to farmer parents in 1844 at the foot of the château, Ray- matic colors. naud was an adventurer with grandiose ambitions. In the 1870s, he start- At the beginning of the 17th ed a bank in Paris named Banque d’Etat, bought a town house on the century, a Dubourg married Jacques avenue de Bois de Boulogne d’Estaing bringing Sailhant back to and married an actress of a descendant of the ancient Sailhans the Royal Palace. In 1888, family. In the late 17th and early 18th Raynaud began a spectacu- century, Joachim-Joseph d’Estaing was lar restoration, but in 1890, the bishop of Saint-Flour. The prox- a bankruptcy was disclosed imity of Sailhant to Saint-Flour led and by 1891, the work on the Bishop to use his brother’s châ- Sailhant was suspended and teau as his country estate. The 1710 Sailhant was sold at auction date on the blazon above the main en- with the winning bidder be- La salle à manger La chambre du seigneur trance to Sailhant memorializes resto- ing Mary Raynaud’s wife. ration work done for the Bishop. Joe and Joy Lombardi By 1896, Raynaud Jessica, Michael and Enzo Lombardi In the early 17th century, the seemed to have overcome upper levels of the donjon were re- his difficulties. He opened moved and it was made into a pavil- a new bank in Paris named ion. At the same time, the surround- Credite Internationale, but ing walls were lowered. The principal at the beginning of 1904 transformation during the eighteenth this bank also bankrupt- century, was the opening of windows ed. Raynaud fled the coun- on the court façade. try, dying in England in the The d’Estaing succession was 1920s. crippled by debts with the main cred- Raynaud’s work in- itor being the famous writer, Voltaire. Luca Pell Lombardi and cluded adding two towers The debts lead to a sale by auction in Christopher Pell Lombardi - 2017 on the north façade, the one La bibliothèque La Chapelle - 12th Century Auvergnat virgin La cuisine with tiles containing early scenes of the Auvergne

90 91 Dr. Paul Delbet’s only son, Dr. Jean-Paul Delbet, took over the Although very much a home, the Château and its gardens, ful- The Old Parsonage the publication of pat- château. He died in 1996. During their 20th century ownership, the Del- ly conserved and furnished, are open as a museum seven months each Peru, Vermont tern books depicting bets applied finishing touches to the châ- year. The 18th & 19th century farmhouses in the classical orders of teau. Much of the Mary Raynaud interi- Le Sailhant, the small village at the base of the “Finding historically accurate furniture proved thorny because Greek architecture and their Revival pieces around were ‘too citified’. Mr. Lombardi said. He was or decoration and some of the furniture of Château, can be rented. They provide swim- looking for ‘lesser Greek Revival’ in a style known locally as high country application to vernac- remained. ming in the volcanic Château Lake with its 60 or country Sheraton’. The sparse interiors are decorated with hooked rugs, ular architecture. The In 1997, I purchased Sailhant. All foot high cascade, fishing in nearby streams, scrimshaw, antique Vermont maps, gilded mirrors, paintings and old classical architectur- available historical material was assem- hiking and skiing on the renowned exotic vol- Vermont legislative directories. In the study, an 1850 parson’s desk where al details finding their bled. My conservation directive was to canic mountains, touring of 12th century Ro- weekly sermons were written (it folds flat for travel-ling) now holds Mr. way into American understand its chronology, conserve and manesque chapels and surrounding châteaux Lombardi’s blueprints.” buildings was known leave intact the existing composition, to and wild boar hunting in the forest. The New York Times, July 5, 1990 as the Greek Revival remedy structural problems, to install new The site has been listed Site Remarquable de style; the exterior de- mechanical systems and to follow the pres- France since 1945 and Monuments Historiques Peru, in southern Vermont, is a quintessential New England village with tailing of the Congre- “Old Home Day” front lawn of the Old Parsonage, c. 1914 ervationist maxim that “the facsimile is al- de France since 2019. With its rugged, mysteri- only ten houses, a general store, a church and a minuscule post office. gational Church and ways worse than the ruin.” ous beauty perched on a remote volcanic prom- The early habitants were the Parsonage were designed in this prevalent style of the time. My efforts were not to remove trac- Salle de bain ontory, Château du Sailhant speaks of ancient farmers who deforested the The roofs are covered in traditional gray-black Vermont slate. The es of age, but to hold together Sailhant’s La table d’echecs times and the unique remote Auvergne region. surrounding hills for sheep frame of the house is of hand-hewn posts and beams fastened together fragile unity so as to respect the work of grazing. Roads, edged with with wooden pegs. The floors are wide pine boards. The interior was used the previous proprietors. The grande salle, the Seigneur’s bedroom, the For further information please visit: 150-year-old sugar maple in a semi-formal manner as befitted a country parson with the detailing entrance hallway and the Donjon retain their 13th to 17th century detail- www.sailhant.com trees, lead to the center of of rooms reflecting their hierarchy. ing and are furnished with medieval furnishings and decorations from lo- the town where there is a tri- There is a careful separation of the cal sources. angular commons used, in service areas from the living areas. The kitchen, informal dining room, library, main dining room, salon, the 19th century, for grazing Nineteenth century vernac- chapel, bedrooms and bath- of travelers horses and gath- ular New England houses relied rooms retain their 18th & 19th ering for civic events. The Peru, VT, early 20th century postcard upon the newly available paints for century detailing. The salon roads leading to the com- their decoration. Paint was applied contains a collection of late mons are lined with the original 19th century architecture. on all surfaces including the ceil- 19th and the early 20th centu- The Old Parsonage was built in 1850 for the Peru Congregation- ings, walls, woodwork and furni- ry landscape and genre paint- al Church. Occupied by parsons for over one hundred years, it has re- ture. To give the furniture the look ings of Auvergnat locations mained substantially intact, including some original furnishings and the of the more costly wood, the fur- and the library contains an ex- books originally forming the 19th century town library. nishing were typically grain paint- tensive suite of neo-Gothique The early American Republic had looked to classical Greece, the ed and stencil decorated, giving pieces matching the existing highest symbol of democracy and independence, for its architectural inspi- them greater expression than the Cave à vin bookcases and room trim. Château du Sailhant library, Joseph Pell Lombardi ration. In the mid-nineteenth century, archaeological discoveries resulted in Dining room costly woods. Likewise, the sim-

92 93 ple pine floors and furni- glish style perennial garden that annually grows better as it becomes more The Armour-Stiner (Octagon) House white and the outside painted gray ture, usually stripped and established. The borders were planted with colorful perennials and the Irvington-on-Hudson, NY and white, its appearance belied its stained by city escapees beds in the meadow planted with wild flowers. My neighbor, Dr. Roger extraordinary original polychrome “This polychromed wonder, now a National Historic Landmark, was (“flatlanders”), were also Fox, set up a bee hive that took advantage of the wild flowers. The simple literally come apart at the seams when Mr. Lombardi bought it in 1979 surfaces. Even before the paint anal- originally painted and gardens are one of my great pleasures. from the Endangered Properties Fund of the National Trust for Historic ysis commenced, a slight scraping of grained. In the center of the area immediately behind the house, I installed Preservation… ‘Everyone has their thing’, said Mr. Lombardi, ‘Mine is the surfaces hinted at the delight to Until the mid- a traditional cistern consisting of fieldstone walls capped by a one piece the mystery of bringing it all back together’.” come. 1950s, the church em- granite circle easily obtainable from the local Vermont quarries. The New York Times, July 5, 1990 After my acquisition in 1978, ployed a parson, with The Parsonage quickly became a home filled with memories the house was barely habitable. the Parsonage’s princi- of country weekends, often shared with friends, enjoying winter skiing, By the time I was six years old, I had already decided I wanted to be an Nonetheless, Nan and my two sons pal rooms being used spring fly fishing, summer swimming and the colorful autumns. architect specializing in the restoration of old houses. As a teenager in Ir- “camped out” on weekends with a for church dinners,bible Chris, Mike, Nan and Joe Lombardi vington in the 1950s, I was familiar with the Octagon House and had even patched together kitchen and mini- readings, sewing circles delivered newspapers to the mum heat. and a small lending library. Carmers several times as Dome stabilization and paint Acquired in 1976, a historically accurate restoration and conser- a substitute newsboy. Ex- analysis commenced while at the vation was possible because each parson left the house, with its simple, traordinarily strange and same time early owners were be- The Armour-Stiner (Octagon House) c. 1882 rural New England decoration, essentially intact. haunting, the Octagon ing tracked down and the history of The conservation steps included paint analysis, wallpaper repro- House fascinated me be- Joseph Stiner, octagon houses and duction, decoration, furnishings and reestablishing the historic gardens. cause it was also a candi- phrenology were being delved into. The meadow behind the Parsonage had been used for the grazing of the date for my selected career. The 1882 photograph was enlarged parson’s horse and cow. At the back of the meadow I dug a small farm In 1976, I met with and endlessly studied – other than the pond, a typical method the Carmers and had my house itself, it was the most important of supplying water for first tour of the interior. source of historic information. the animals. In Vermont, With great pleasure I ob- The Armour-Stiner (Octagon) House from the east As in all my conservation with its high water table served that the house, un- efforts, the preservationist maxim from the spring run off derneath many layers of paint, was essentially untouched since its cre- that “the facsimile is always worse from the mountains, the ation 104 years earlier. than the ruin” was religiously fol- pond consisted of simply The extent of the remaining historic fabric was remarkable - no lowed. having a large whole dug changes had been made to the layout other than those which were eas- At Octagon house, if it with a backhoe. Here it ily reversible (a toilet, sink and a hung ceiling had been added to the wasn’t immediately repairable with became a picturesque Tea Room), no additions had been made (a wraparound porch made ad- an identical vintage item we did frog pond. ditions impossible) and the nineteenth century kitchens and bathrooms without, rather than replace. This The traditional New were substantially intact. applied to door knobs, faucets, Parsonage gardens, photo by Hubert Schriebl England garden is an En- The Old Parsonage With every surface on the inside, including the woodwork, painted hinges, etc. It was a rather imprac- Enzo in the Foxglove Garden

94 95 tical approach, but it reinforced the Slowly, but ever so satisfyingly the hidden wonders of the house that the ceiling was not desire to locate what was needed emerged. Some of the wonders, like the multi-color vibrant exterior and uniformly blue, but had, as quickly as possible. Prior to the the decorative wall paintings had been concealed immediately after Stin- in fact, originally con- Internet, a herculean effort was re- er’s sale to Dibble in 1882 – it seems that owners subsequent to Stiner had tained the white clouds quired to find obscure, no longer a more somber view of and doves in the child’s manufactured pieces necessitating how a house should ap- memory. endless letters and phone calls too pear. The Egyptian Re- often resulting in wild goose chases. For us it was just the vival Woman’s Gymna- Everything was carefully re- opposite, the more ex- sium is as unusual as its corded by written description and traordinary – the more name. photography. Over and over in the delightful. In every Octagon House not ensuing years these important ar- room we worked exact- Joy Lombardi in her 1946 MG TC “Emily” only “amuses and enter- chives proved invaluable. A house ingly with the early re- tains its visitors,” it pro- rule was that nothing was ever to be maining details and ex- Joy and Joe Lombardi at the Octagon House vides an endless fascination for it owners through new discoveries and the thrown out – one room was set aside pected the unusual - we finding of another missing piece in the 500,000 piece jigsaw puzzle. for artifacts, small and large. Luca Lombardi were rarely disappoint- they are always welcome. Old photographs and visitor’s recollections have Although very much finished and furnished as an 1872 home, the ed. It was a preserva- been priceless in answering our questions. Several years ago an elderly house is open as a museum nine months of the year, please visit: Entry hall tionist’s dream. woman recalled seeing clouds and birds in the salon ceiling while visiting Quite remarkably, the house in the 1940s as a child. A repeat of the paint analysis proved www.ArmourStiner.com at times answers occurred just as questions were posed. The 1882 pho- tograph showed all of the original cresting except the top portion of the observatory dormers, which were slightly out of focus. A kind visitor brought us a photo tak- en in the 1960s show- ing the missing portion of the cresting which had been haphazard- ly placed on top of the well house. Contributions of information continue Early autumn Carriage House, greenhouse and writer’s studio to flow in to this day – Verandah and grounds Mike and Chris Lombardi at the Octagon House

96 97 AlfheimLodge World War I and World War II for retreats in the rural areas of Unit- Cold Spring, New York ed States. Like the Adirondack Style, Rustic Storybook lodges are distin- “In the 21st century, Lombardi returned to the location of his first love guished by the use of log construction and fieldstone walls and chimneys, affair with houses, his family’s summer lodge at Valhalla Highlands, but they differ by having asymmetrical peaked, swooping, multi-color north of Manhattan” roofs, cantilevered entry canopies, Antiques & Fine Art Magazine, Winter 2017 free-standing peeled log arches at the entrances, window awnings, Alfheim Lodge is a recon- rock gardens with elf figurines struction of, a Rustic Story- and knotty pine interiors with book Style lodge in Valhal- oversize fieldstone fireplaces. la Highlands, an isolated, The whimsicalness of 1930s, stylistically cohesive, Alfheim Lodge and Valhal- lakeside summer commu- la Highlands is described in the nity in the mountains near National Register designation Alfheim Lodge overlooking Lake Valhalla Alfheim Lodge library Cold Spring, New York, 55 report as: “With creative play- miles north of New York fulness, picturesqueness and Storybook style lands interpretation blurs the line of fantasy and reality with an inherent More than 90 years old and being an entire ensemble, this completely in- City. nostalgia, the Valhalla High- sense of humor and playfulness. From swooping variegated asphalt shin- tact lakeside community is a unique and elegant American treasure. Multi- Having summered gle roofs to rock gardens with elf figurines – the fairy-tale aesthetic of Val- ple years went into the planning, decorating, furnishings and assembling of at Valhalla Highlands as Valhalla Highlands aerial view halla Highlands matches the community’s theme as a Nordic paradise”. the parts for Alfheim Lodge. It is finished and furnished in context with the a child, I returned, recon- structed a lodge which had been planned in the 1930s, but interrupted by World War II, and placed the entire district (55 lodges and 10 communi- ty buildings set on a lake in an untouched 730 acre for- est) on the New York State & National Registers of Historic Places. Valhalla Highlands is the only known, planned community comprised en- tirely of “Rustic Story- book” architecture. The Storybook Style was pop- 1945 Valhalla Highlands, home from the war ular in America between Alfheim Lodge From the west Alfheim Lodge great room Alfheim Lodge dining porch

98 99 Similar restored 1930s Rustic Storybook Style lodges in the com- Illustration Credits Bibliography munity are available for rent. In a remote setting, they provide swimming, boating, fishing, tennis, skating and hiking in the private forest and the All illustrations were furnished by the author except those listed below: Carmer, Carl Lamson, “The Screaming Ghost and Other Stories” 1956 surrounding 9,000 acre State Park Corvisier, Christian, “Château du Sailhant, Monographie Historique et Arc Light Images for Buffalo Lumber, p. 96 Architecturale, Étude Approfondie de Documentation et d’Anal Information history of Valhalla Highlands can be seen here: Cunningham, Bill, p. 90 yse Historique et Archéologique,” 1999 ValhallaHighlands.com Fowler, Orson Squire, engraving by Max Bachert, p. 33 Dietz, Ulysses G., “A Major New Piece in the Jelliff Puzzle,” in The User Name: Valhalla (case sensitive) Dupin, Leslie, p. 66 Magazine Antiques, May, 1986 Password:1940 deGoumoëns, Patick, p. 85 Doell & Doell, Garden Historians, “Site Visit Report for the Armour- Globus, Stephen, p. 56 Stiner House,” 1985 Historic American Buildings Survey, p. 52 Douët, Alfred,“Le Château de Saillans et Ses Seigneurs,” 1925 Life Magazine, p. 48 Downing, Andrew J., “A Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Landscape Lombardi, Jessica, pp. 12 & 70 Gardening, Adapted to North America and further publications,” 1841 Alfheim Lodge kitchen Lombardi, Michael, pp. 16, 21, 22, 23, 26, 28, 30, 43, 60, 62, 64, 65 & 70 Fowler, Orson Squire, “The Octagon House,a Home for All,” 1848 Neal Auctions, p. 63 Johnson, J. Stewart, “John Jelliff, Cabinetmaker,” in The Magazine community with its adzed wood beams, neo-Medieval lighting, 1930s Rit- “One thing hastens into being, another hastens out of it. Even while a New York Historical Society, pp. 6, 57, 59 & 92 Antiques, August, 1972 tenhouse log furniture, Gnomeman furniture (each piece has a small carved thing is in the act of coming into existence, some part of it has already The Real Deal, p. 70 Stowe, Harriet Beecher, “The American Woman’s Home,” 1869 gnome - the spirit of the wood), peeled log cabinetry, 1940s kitchen appli- ceased to be. Flux and change are forever renewing the fabric of the Rhodes, Laurie, p. 94 Vitruvius, Marcus Pollo, “The Ten Books of Architecture” ances and bathroom fixtures and period paintings of the community. universe just as the ceaseless sweep of time is forever renewing the face Sagarin, David, p. 84 Wheller, Gerase, Homes for the People,” 1867 of eternity. In such a running river, when there is no firm foothold, Schriebl, Hubert, p. 90 Zerbe, Jerome, “Les Pavillions of the Eighteenth Century,” 1979 what is there for a man to value among all the many things that are Seliger, Mark, p. 55 racing past him?” Smithsonian Institute, p. 48 Marcus Aurelius, Mediations (V1, 15) Swann, Fred (Oil Painting), p. 91 Toth, Bela (Oil Painting), p. 83 The New York Times, p. 85 Underhill, p. 84 Soissons, Pierre, pp. 88, 89 & 90 Werry, John, p. 63

Alfheim Lodge great room

100 101 About the Author

Joseph Pell Lombardi is an international architect and preservationist and the owner of the Armour-Stiner (Octagon) House. During the past 50 years he has conserved over 1,000 historic structures throughout the world.

Mr. Lombardi owns most of the projects in which he is involved, and serves on many boards concerned with the built environment. Recipient of numerous awards and a worldwide lecturer, Mr. Lombardi has had extensive articles written about him and his work.

Back Flap: Photo by Mark Seliger Back Cover: New York Historical Society The Armour-Stiner (Octagon) House. Circa 1882