Thursday, August 4, 2011

The J.F.D. Lanier Estate

Another shot of the J.F.D. Lanier estate designed by James Brown Lord c. 1891 in Old Westbury. Click HERE, HERE and HERE for more on the Lanier estate. Photo from Trees for Long Island, 1908.

7 comments:

The Devoted Classicist said...

The funky towers looked better in the rendering in the first link. But I don't think they ever had the porticos quite right.

Doug Floor Plan said...

Looking at the photographs I believe the summary is:

J. F. D. Lanier’s circa 1891 house designed by James Brown Lord began as sort of a quirky, not well proportioned mansion flanked by some odd looking towers to which Charles Steele added this & that wing etc. until the towers finally disappeared & the resulting residence looked, as Magnus stated, like “a big summer resort hotel.” At some point Charles Steele’s grandchildren decided to tear the structure down & build a new residence from scratch keeping the name “Sunridge Hall.”

Here is the new house on Wikimapia: http://wikimapia.org/#lat=40.7791928&lon=-73.5859752&z=17&l=0&m=b & here it is on Bing: http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=qswx638w13ns&lvl=18.44677376670162&dir=7.9578473540531744&sty=b&where1=Jericho%2C%20NY&form=LMLTCC

I know we each would have tweaked the new house this way or that, but I wonder how many would have kept the house it replaced? (I wouldn’t have)

HalfPuddingHalfSauce said...

http://www.historicaerials.com/aerials.php?scale=4E-06&lat=40.7794969303077&lon=-73.5832330638573&year=1966 Zoom in.

I can't help but wonder what this square tower and terraced land are from. Farm Group?

DFP if you want I can post the easy steps to MyNas.

Anonymous said...

I would have kept the original, unlike the rest of you, I find this house grand, and old-world charming.

Doug Floor Plan said...

HPHS, thanks for the historical aerial. When you referenced the square tower & terraced land I’m guessing you mean that area directly to the east of the house in the 1966 aerial. My best guess is that the square pointed roof (tower) is a water tower & the – what looks to be a hedged rectangular area – is a kitchen / cutting garden. I know it doesn’t look like a garden in the aerial but that is my best guess, especially since a road comes right up next to it. As best I can tell this area is higher terrain than the house, which makes sense for a water tower. I also noticed the rectangular lake south of the house in the current Bing view is not there in the 1966 aerial, which sort of supports my terrain guess.

HPHS, thanks for your offer to “post the easy steps to MyNas” (easy for you … you have no idea how I struggle daily just to get here [joke … but with elements of truth]). Yes, please post them – if not me I’m sure others will find it helpful & useful.

Anon 11:05pm: Yes, I think most of us would have kept the original house … but I’m talking about the final resort-sized mansion that the Steele grandchildren were faced with managing. Even if money were no object I doubt that house was very owner-friendly in the latter 20th century; & architecturally the exterior wasn’t that attractive in spite of all the remodeling. & even if it were attractive there are multiple stories of wealthy owners building & living in smaller houses on the same estate just out of personal preference; something I totally understand.

Zach L. said...

No post today...will return Monday. Have a good weekend all.

Turner Pack Rats said...

DFP - so, who wants to live in the late 20th century and def. not in the 21st. when somebody gives me one of these enormous crocks, i won't update a thing. true, some of them are upkeepers nightmares but they're overpoweringly overpowering so who cares about all that outdated practical stuff. A/C etc. is vastly overrated. and, i would have kept the second iteration. as i have said many times before, it may not be in good taste but it sez "i've got it and you don't" in a very loud voice. it's the american way.

security word def - "rollysto" - what you say when riding to the hounds when extremely inebriated. don't fall off that horse now.