Wednesday, February 9, 2011

The James M. Townsend Estate

The James Mulford Townsend estate with alterations by William Lawrence Bottomley (under Hewitt & Bottomley) in Mill Neck. Townsend was a senior member of the law firm of Townsend & Button and was well known as a corporation lawyer in NYC. He was also chairman of the board of the New York Law School and gave lectures on corporate security at the Yale Law School. Click HERE to see the James M. Townsend estate on google earth.




Pictures from Architectural Record, 1914.

15 comments:

An Aesthete's Lament said...

Very rambly, very charming, stylish yet modest at the same time. I like this house very much.

Anonymous said...

Definitely still standing and looking exactly as in picture. Located across from Mill Neck Preserve.

J

An Aesthete's Lament said...

Also love the projecting detail above the front door. Very swagger.

magnus said...

Wonderful, manageable house. It's a quintessential example of what a talented architect can do- take a relatively simple and straightforward plan and make it thoroughly appealing.

The Down East Dilettante said...

Utter charm---everything is sort of just right. The canopy over the door is copied from an 18th century original.

An Aesthete's Lament said...

Ah, yes, canopy; I love that addition to this elegantly rugged house.

lil' gay boy said...

Quite a livable design that seems to have grown throughout the years. It appears at least two major extensions have been constructed; not all that sympathetically...but Google street views show that lovely entry detail is still extant.

The dark color detracts somewhat but the massing, roofscape & dormers still charm.

Security word - detrabl: Russian; a deprecating reference to an anarchist's meeting.

lil' gay boy said...

P.S.:

No wonder the proportions seem so sublime; according to the article in Architectural Record, this house is 222 years old.

Built in 1789, remodeled first circa 1840 & then again just prior to the publication of the article (1914) in 1912, where the house doubled in size with additions to both the north & south ends. There were again some subsequent additions constructed at the middle on the eastern façade, and again on the northeast corner of the structure.

Seems a shame that the dark brown covers the lovely silvered shingles that were used to restore the house in 1912; according to the article, they were harvested from a nearby barn & matched by being laid out on the ground during the restoration.

Old (former) Long Islander said...

Very nostalgic. We had our weekly Den meetings there as a first year Cub Scout. It really is a neat place.

OFLI

Turner Pack Rats said...

good thing its got a back side cause the front side, albeit old, very old, is pretty ho hum. i knew DED would love it but he's from maine and we're supposed to love all those old arks. i like the backside for its rambling and various add ons. i will now perform the ancient oriental act of sosueme.

security word def -"rapyjy" - the only music i listen to up her in the stix - rap by that famous rapper. get down and give it up for YJY (stands for young, jewish, and yiddish backed by a klezmer band)

Tapping World Summit said...

It seems like a very lovely home. Love it's old look and feel!

The Devoted Classicist said...

Absolutely charming! The heads of the windows in those upstairs bedrooms are awfully low, though, so the ceilings must be as well. And the person who put that plumbing vent in the roof near the front door should be shot (or disbarred from service at least).

The Ancient said...

And the person who put that plumbing vent in the roof near the front door should be shot (or disbarred from service at least).

Quite right. Let the owners make their way to the privy out back. Or have the housemaids empty the chamber pots while the family is at breakfast.

Anonymous said...

Resembles my growing-up house, overdoor canopy and all, the one that is yes slated for yes demolition to make way for you guessed it a parking lot. Painful.

"Antshlon," yes she and Uncle Shlon both will be attending.

Kirk said...

Just drove by it on my way to the Mill Neck Manor for a meeting. It really doesn't strike me as anything special. It looks like just an ordinary family home.