Monday, May 9, 2011

The Henry Otis Chapman Residence

The Henry Otis Chapman residence designed by himself c. 1902 in Woodmere. Chapman was a partner in the architectural firm of Barney & Chapman and later Henry Otis Chapman & Son. The house is no longer extant.





Photos from Architectural Record, 1904.

19 comments:

Doug Floor Plan said...

Wow, ‘significantly remodeled’ doesn’t begin to describe what the 1928 owner did to this house … & not for the better. The owner took a good looking half-timber Tudor (did I get that style correct?) & turned it into a farm house (that one I know). Zach must have found this house from property records because there is no way anyone just spotted it as it sits now. Even the fireplaces appear to have been moved.

It’s also interesting to compare the absence of any other houses in the 1904 picture verses the Bing view now. My guess is this house originally fronted what is now Clark Pl & its original front yard is now occupied by two houses larger than the remodeled Chapman house – we never know what the future will bring (sigh).

Even though I like this house the interiors are dark, which makes it an interesting comparison to ‘Forker House’ that Chapman designed for Henri Bendel in Kings Point. I’m remembering, perhaps incorrectly, that Horace Trumbauer’s personal residence was also a comparatively dark Tudor style … hmmm?

The Down East Dilettante said...

I think there's an error here. Significantly remodeled or not, there must have been a street number change, or an older directory, for the house on Bing is simply not the same house---in fact is a standard issue builder's house of the last quarter of the 19th century. I'm not in denial. It really isn't the same building. Zach, did you get your address from an old directory? Maybe the Chapmans lived here before or after this house? Or Bing Maps is having one of its occasional point to the wrong number days?

Zach L. said...

The address comes from the Spinzia's book on the Town of Hempstead. I suppose this is a good question for Ray...though I do see similarities with the two houses.

Anonymous said...

If it is the same house, I can only imagine what they did to the interiors.

Anonymous said...

Could it be the original front view was from Clark Place?

The Down East Dilettante said...

I rarely draw lines in the sand, but I have compared and examined from all sides, and even allowing for really drastic remodeling, it is Simply. Not. The. Same. House.

lil' gay boy said...

Having grown up in the area (in which we used to joke that the family trees of the town fathers never forked), it is entirely possible that the address is misleading. I am more than willing, even after just a quick, cursory glance,to accept DED's eminently sound judgment. There is nothing about the massing, siting, etc. that even remotely suggests this is the same house; even the property cards offer no definitive verification. Also, Ocean does turn into Cedar along the canal front, which is a more likely site for a well-to-do architect to construct his own home.

There are a number of instances in the Five Towns areas where street numbers (and even names) were arbitrarily changed (not to mention the fact that as these large, waterfront estates were broken up, new, intervening roads were installed as well, cutting the properties off from the water). I myself live on a street that had its house numbers changed during my childhood, and halfway along the odd/even numbers change sides.

Security word - hoelikin: colloquialism for the clientele of the old roadhouses that lined Rockaway Blvd.

Ray Spinzia said...

It is not the same house, The Chapman house in our Hempstead book, which was remodeled in 1928, predates the house pictured above by about 3 to 4 years.

"Henry O. Chatman [sic] is having erected a handsome cottage on the Boulevard near Woodmere Bay." [The New York Times August 10, 1902, p. 27.] I am pretty sure that this quote from the Times refers to the house pictured above.

lil' gay boy said...

This house on the other side of the bay, also Ocean Avenue (and overlooking the golf course) looks like the much more likely candidate...

Turner Pack Rats said...

i know my eyes are getting bad, but where did anybody get the link to bing in this post. its not on this computer. ???????
of course its not extant - i like it.
the interiors have great proportions and i think the photography made them look dark, that and a lot of dark wood. i really like the long window seat and this guy must have been down to earth as he has an upright piano. LI doesn't appear to have been kind to half timbers i.e. roslyn house, talbott house, and this place all gone.

security word def - "cureli" - despicable behavior exhibited by humans taking on the bad traits of their four footed friends.

Lodi said...

Turner - I was wondering the same thing myself and figured it was an insider thing.

Zach L. said...

I posted a link to the wrong location and thus removed it. House is no longer extant.

HalfPuddingHalfSauce said...

HistoricMapsWorks{1906, 1914} has H. O. Chapman's home here. {large lot on the west side of Woodmere Blvd with half circle drive} This fits the NYTimes quote "cottage on the Boulevard" re: Woodmere Blvd. Current home shows build date of 1939.

http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/mynassauproperty/viewphoto.jsp?txtSection=41&txtBlock=038&txtLot=720&txtSuffix=0&txtBldg=&txtCondo=&txtYear=2013


From the 1930 Blue Book -

Chapman, Mrs. Henry Otis, 39 E. 78 & Woodmere, L.I.

Chapman, Mr. & Mrs. Henry Otis, Jr.,144 Ocean ave.,Woodmere, L.I.

Jr. = son?

Zach L. said...

Indeed Jr. was his son who he went into business with after Barney & Chapman....also an architect.

Anonymous said...

My mother was an Irish immigrant. She lived and worked for H O Chapman. House was on Woodmere Blvd.

Unknown said...

I am the great-granddaughter of Henry Otis Chapman and have many original photos of this house as well as my Grandfathers on Briarwood Crossing, which was extensively remodeled by the buyers after my grandmother died. My great-grandmother Harriett moved to a smaller house in Woodmere after HOC died in 1929.

Zach L. said...

Katie...if you ever feel like sharing some of the photographs of the house I know we would all love to see them. Thanks for posting!

Katie Chapman said...

Not sure how to post personal photos on here. I have photos of the house as well as my family in the yard of the house.

Zach L. said...

You can email me at oldlongisland@gmail.com.