Originally the bowing alley and now the student lounge at Herbert Pratt's 'The Braes' designed by James Brite c. 1912 in Glen Cove, now the Webb Institute for Naval Architecture. Click HERE for more on 'The Braes'.
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i am a member of the board of trustees of the Washburn Norlands Living History Center in Livermore Maine which was the mansion and gentlemens farm built by the famous Washburn family. If you're not familiar with them, go to the website. One of them started Gold Medal Flour and they all were either senators, congressmen or governors. one was an advisor to Abraham Lincoln. they even built a stone building on the property to house their writings. Anyway, when i saw an old pic of the place, i said to the curator, "whats that shed on the side of the barn?". yup, you guessed it - the bowling alley. guess it must have been mandatory for rich folks.
security word def - "kedimpe" - mythical creature in tennis shoes
Pretty impressive. The Pratts lived well. (I've always though that the insensitive development of their service oval was one of the crimes of the century.)
Indeed, pipe organ and bowling alley were the status entertainments of the day, just as private railroad cars were the private jets. Actually, a member of the Ford family built a new Robert Stern house near here a just a few years ago, with spectacular bowling alley, and the Rockefeller estate across the road has a vintage Tudor Bowling alley (next to the indoor tennis court and pool) that looks exactly as it did in the 1920's, right down to the arts & crafts rugs in the lounge, all of which survive, even though the 60 or 100 room house was demolished (room count depending on whom you talk to---Time magazine once said 55, David Rockefeller, who tore it down, said 100.
Zach -
I liked the fact that you had a little theme going at the end of last week showcasing some of the more obscure aspects of properties of the Whitney family. And of course there are a lot of other Whitney-related places that could be mined also (Willard Straight, Paysons, Flora Miller, Roderick Tower, etc.) Will this be the start of a Pratt theme? A theme of the work of one architect for a whole week would be interesting too. Just a thought. Thanks for ALL your posts though!
Doug
WOW. This blog is AMAZING. So very informative, and its awesome for a LI history buff like me ;) Keep up the great work!
TPR from Maine - do you know anything about this place - http://wikimapia.org/#lat=44.2615673&lon=-69.9511528&z=16&l=0&m=b&show=/12845623/Norman-Woolworth-s-Clearview-Stables-Farm&search=woolworth
thanks
still owned by the family as recent as 03 as i called them for a donation to public broadcasting when i worked there. unfortunately for me, woolworth had just handed the pres of mpbn a check for 250Gs. i went to high school with the guy who was their horticulturist in the 70s before he went to work for elizabeth ardens fat farm. i'll see what i can find out - maybe dilletante knows something.
security word def - "heraxl" - what disabled milady's auto
To Half Pudding and TPR. The Woolworth estate at Monmouth Maine(assembled by the family of F.W.'s brother Norman) is broken up---the big greek revival house is now a bed & breakfast, and last year the tudor house on the shore, a couple years after the contents were auctioned, was up for sale. I think some of the land is still in family hands.
Link to B&B: http://www.riseandshinebb.com/
link to the cottage: http://www.directhomes.com/Property/112071676/50_Pam_Dr_Monmouth_Me_04259
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