A bird garden and rest house (Cromwell House) for Mrs. Payne Whitney designed by J.H. Phillips c. 1917 on 'Greentree' in Manhasset. The paneling and fixtures of the small house were removed from a Tudor house in Stroud, England that were said to have been occupied by Oliver Cromwell as a sleeping chamber. For more on the bird garden and Cromwell House click HERE. Click HERE to see Cromwell House on Bing (it appears to no longer be in use) and here to see 'Greentree' on google earth.
Pictures from Architectural Review, 1918.
8 comments:
hmmm, exquisite building, loads of charm, beautifully crafted---and it isn't if the Whitney estate has no money to spend on maintenance. One can only hope it isn't as thorougly abandoned as it appears on Bing.
BTW, how is Greentree used now?
I would be very happy living there.
It belongs to the Greentree Foundation.
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Greentree_Foundation
I think that Greentree Foundation uses it for conferences, many involving the U.N. It's really too bad as the place was magnificent up until the day Mrs. Whitney died (only a decade or so ago). It was a real window into a vanished world, run in pre-World War II style- footmen, greenhouse gardeners and a staff of house painters. The main residence is a huge, overgrown Colonialesque farmhouse, deceptively simple in initial appearance, that goes on and on and on- encompassing a huge indoor swimming pool and what I think is the only private court tennis court in the world. I was at school with one of Mrs. Whitney's grandsons, and was lucky to visit Greentree several times. Even in the farthest reaches of that enormous rambling house, the brass doorknobs were polished like mirrors and the basement windows sparkled. Sad if things aren't kept up today.
Truly fantastic building. It is correct that Greentree is used primarily for high level conferences by the Secretary General of The UN as per Mrs. Whitney's wishes. It is also used by other not for profit group, particularly those dealing with Long Island related environmental issues. I was there recently and it is still exquisitely maintained and staffed and functions very much like a gracious home.
J
magnus you should write a book.
however, that the birdhouse and its garden are so abandoned while the main house is maintained to perfection is almost sadder than it just being demolished. it was such a beautiful and peaceful garden spot and now..... what a waste.
security word def - "inguffi" - where food is in a disney cartoon character
I want to remember being small wanderering onto the estate and some masonry was there and you could tell it was a house and a garden but it was abandoned, in the 60's
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