At long last, here is the second part of our Hudson River series by Richard Holt. Enjoy!
*
The next morning we
begin with a visit to Teviotdale
(c.1773) which is more inland, in Linlithgo. Built by Walter Livingston, a son
of Robert Livingston Jr., the stone and brick Georgian style house is
considered to be one of the finest examples of this style from this period.
*
Our next stop is another
former property of the Livington clan, Forth
House (c.1835), in the actual town of Livingston. An imposing brick home of
high-style Greek Revival form, the structure and architectural details have
remained essentially the same since it was built, with the exception of an
Edgewater-style conservatory added in the 1960’s.
We are greeted warmly,
with bundt cake and cider, by the current owners, architect James Joseph and
composer Scott Frankel, who have been restoring the house since they bought it
in 2004. They have done a magnificent job with the gardens, exterior, and the
interiors, especially the conservatory, which they have turned into a kitchen.
Their biggest project now is fortifying the actual structure of the conservatory.
Beneath an enormous
acanthus, our happy group gathers for a photo on the front steps. Then off we
go to Claverack.
*
Here we visit Hillstead (c.1817, c.1835) originally
built in the Federal style, and painted brick red, by descendants of the Van
Rennsalaers. In the 1830’s a Greek Revival cornice was added to the main part
of the house, and it was all painted white, as we see it today.
*
It’s lunch time, and we Classicists head to Athens for pizza at Howard Hall Farm (early 1800’s). This is one of our few stops on the west side of the Hudson, and the attraction is not just the pies from the beehive oven. Here we also find a fascinating restoration in progress, with an inspirational team of skilled craftsmen, who work on period houses with a focus on lime mortar and plaster, as well as green finishes and materials.
Reggie Young, the
proprietor, provides a tutorial in lime mortar, as opposed to Portland cement.
As he takes us through the house, we are mindful of our newly heightened
awareness of plaster.
*
Our destination is the Plumb-Bronson House (c.1812, 1839,
1849), truly a ghost of its many former selves. Abandoned for more than thirty
years, and nearly forgotten, this house is now beginning to get the attention
it deserves.
In 1838 the 263-acre
property was bought by Dr. Oliver
Bronson, who hired Alexander Jackson Davis to redesign and expand the home. At
this point in his career, Davis had recently transformed himself from a
traditional classicist to an impassioned champion of the Picturesque, in a
variety of styles including Tuscan, Gothic and Italian Villa.
So in 1839, the house
took on a new identity, in Davis’s unique new “Hudson River Bracketed” style.
He remodeled the house’s exterior, building an ornate veranda along its east façade,
and adding wooden brackets under the eaves. The landscape was changed as well,
possibly through collaboration with Andrew Jackson Downing.
Standing inside this
decrepit structure we can sense the graciousness of these spaces. In
particular, we marvel at—and actually ascend—the extraordinary three story
staircase dating to the house’s original construction.
Absolutely lovely, and fascinating to learn of the last house. But, I cannot find part I anywhere in the blog? Link?
Posted by: Brad Emerson | June 22, 2010 at 10:51 AM
Brad, try:
http://classicist.blogs.com/weblog/2009/12/an-extraordinary-excursion-along-the-hudson-river-valley-part-1-.html
Posted by: G Shue | June 30, 2010 at 06:47 PM
Truly wonderful!
Posted by: Daniel Storto | July 23, 2010 at 04:46 PM