Monday, October 17, 2011

The Sidney Z. Mitchell Estate

The Sidney Zollicoffer Mitchell estate designed by James O'Connor c. 1924 in Matinecock with landscaping by the Olmsted Brothers and O'Connor. Mitchell was the chairman of the board of Electric Bond & Share Co. and founder of Northwest Electric Supply & Construction Company. The house was demolished c. 1950 but click HERE to see where it stood on google earth and HERE to see what replaced it on bing. Photo from Selections From the Work of James O'Connor.


29 comments:

The Devoted Classicist said...

Too bad it's gone; it looks like it was a very livable house. For example, those divided upstairs windows indicate separate bathrooms for each of the bedrooms.

magnus said...

DC- You're going to incite a riot by posting a positive note about split/divided windows.

I love the names of Mr. Mitchell's business endevours: Electric Bond and Share Co and Northwest Electric Supply and Construction Co. Don't they sound like they figure in a 1930's movie as the source of the financial downfall of the protagonist or his elderly widowed aunt- "he was head of the Electric Supply and Construction until a run on the company...", "She had all her money in Northwest Electric Supply before the crash".

I'm sure that someone will write in to tell me that both of these firms became General Electric or some such.

Doug Floor Plan said...

I was also going to comment on those divided second floor windows -- but I was going to be mean because there's another house where there's such a divided window directly over the front door & that window drives DED to distraction.

I really like this house & also think it could be very liveable today. I know the house, landscaping, & interior decorating are not pace setting but I think they did what they did here very well. The only thing I can't understand is why the shelves in the dining room niche are empty?

magnus said...

One of my secret pleasures- that I can discuss publically at least- is looking at these photos, most of them taken by professional photographers, and disecting the very minimal "fluffing" that went into them. As I have posted before, "styling" is now a profession, and a photo shoot today would involve scads of florist flowers and a truckload of objects to fill in the blank spaces. That was clearly not the case in the early decades of the last century when the photographer seemed to have simply shot what was- or wasn't- there. As many of these photographs were evidently taken shortly after completion of the houses, there is often a barely moved in quality to them.

HalfPuddingHalfSauce said...

http://wikimapia.org/#lat=40.8529117&lon=-73.5731864&z=18&l=0&m=b&show=/4142722/LIGC-Mitchell-Estate-Farm-Complex-and-Greenhouse

The house stood here -

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=qt83qv8w22z7&lvl=19.493081524849884&dir=190.78476408781427&sty=b&where1=Thorne%20Ln%2C%20Locust%20Valley%2C%20NY%2011560&form=LMLTCC

From the property card - Doors/fls taken from former Mitchel mansion. Circular stairway, glass domed ceiling, playroom.

Anonymous said...

Why replace a perfectly fine home to build one like this? I just don't get it....

Is the farm group a private residence now,or is this where I see all the horses from time to time on my way to Coe Hall?

HalfPuddingHalfSauce said...

Off subject question for DED - Do you recognize this place -

http://books.google.com/books?id=-FMiAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA242-IA23&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&sig=ACfU3U3KYkz0pazNFDGJGuUAXj5r9f7rvQ&ci=104%2C165%2C713%2C904&edge=0

Caption reads "House at Bar Harbor, Maine - Andrews, Jaques & Rantoul, Architects".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrews,_Jacques_and_Rantoul

HalfPuddingHalfSauce said...

House built in 1956 for sale -

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/700-Chicken-Valley-Rd-Locust-Valley-NY-11560/31155496_zpid/#{scid=hdp-site-map-bubble-address}

Mitchel's Alabama plantation -

http://wikimapia.org/#lat=32.9360092&lon=-86.0395145&z=14&l=0&m=b&show=/21891369/Five-Star-Plantation

Anyone know where his NYC townhouse was?

Anonymous said...

After seeing the real estate listing I'm more depressed that they destroyed the original.

The Down East Dilettante said...

Okay kids, here goes:

These divided windows, being placed as they are, do not bother me much at all (you heard it here). Their location in the greater conposition doesn't place too much emphasis on them. The house where they drive me crazy, centering an elegant symmetrical composition over a particular grand door, is Woodside Acres, the Burden house by Delano & Aldrich.

HPHS, as to the house in Bar Harbor, it is 'La Rochelle', designed by Andrews Jaques & Rantoul for Morgan partner George S. Bowdoin, (a great grandson of Alexander Hamilton). It was next owned by Campbell's Soup heiress Ethel Dorrance Colket, whose heirs donated it to be the headquarters of the Maine Seacoast Mission. It is about 89.9% intact---lost a couple of chimneys, sadly, all of its various garden balustrades, and the windows have all been replaced. Shutters gone, but it could be worse, as it is only one of half a dozen of the biggest Bar Harbor cottages to survive at all. I blogged about 'La Rochelle' a few months back:

The Down East Dilettante said...

HPHS: And meant to include that link to the La Rochelle post: http://thedowneastdilettante.blogspot.com/2011/05/what-survives-la-rochelle.html

The Devoted Classicist said...

Thanks, D.E.D.! Magnus and Doug F.P., there are other/better ways of resolving that split window issue, but this is an example of it being handled as sensitively as it could. In a new design, I would have resolved the plan so that it was not an issue. For a renovation, I would have considered painting the windows, to lessen the importance of the variation, black or dark bronze and the shutters white or apple green. And -- dramatic pause -- whitewash the brick.

The Devoted Classicist said...

And, Doug F.P., they are also missing a mirror or painting over the console. And I would also have liked to see a Waterford chandelier.

Doug Floor Plan said...

Devoted, your points about the big space over the console & a chandelier are taken; but for some reason I like everything I see just the way it is ... except those empty shelves.

& as long as we are talking about the dining room -- that painting over the fireplace is really dark ... what is it of? To me it looks like someone on a horse ... or not.

HalfPuddingHalfSauce said...

Thanks DED for the link.

More on Mitchell - "his estate boasted one of the most elaborate sunken gardens in the world."

In 1929 his holding company was valued at 1,236,000.000.00{billion] - after Black Friday - 18 million. To him that "was halfway up the hill to the poorhouse." He closed the big house and moved into the superintendent's cottage. He sold the estate shortly after that. He died in 1944. No mention on why house was torn down. perhaps vacant for too long, fire?

His grandson is listed as owner of this place -

http://wikimapia.org/#lat=40.8573749&lon=-73.5718989&z=17&l=0&m=b&show=/21891900/LIGC-Weekend-Cottage-for-S-A-Mitchel-Jr

The Down East Dilettante said...

Re: the slightly empty dining room. Let's not forget that these houses were usually photographed for publication (and published), when brand-new. One would guess that the decoration was still in process when the photographers arrived---one sees it often, as we've all commented before, in these older spreads. Let's not forget Marny, next door, posted some time ago by Zach, which was built for Mitchell's son.

HalfPuddingHalfSauce said...

Here's the sunken garden - http://wikimapia.org/#lat=40.8545631&lon=-73.5725105&z=19&l=0&m=b&show=/21896120/LIGC-Sunken-Garden-S-Z-Mitchell-Estate

Bing link brings it in to view.

HalfPuddingHalfSauce said...

The 1976 Pre-Fab structure to the north of the garden belonged to Joan Chapin Hutton whose husband, William Edward Hutton, was the grandson of the founder of the family brokerage firm.

http://www.antonnews.com/glencoverecordpilot/2007/08/03/obituaries/

Chapin's father was the founder of Hudson Motor Company -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_D._Chapin

Anonymous said...

What was the original acreage? Going by Bing, at one time it must have been extensive.

Turner Pack Rats said...

here's the broken record - WTF - the place was only 26 years old. we've got trailers in town older than that and no one would even consider tearing them down (or painting them for that matter). and that new house - yuck. if that's some demented souls idea of luxury - give me poverty. oops - too late - they already did. 4 million for that shack is just too funny. i suppose in the BLAAANNNNDDD and restrained 50's, that was luxe - again YUCK !!!!

HPHS - sunken garden link won't work but it looks like its sunken beyond vision anyway. are there any pix of it when it was new?
while this house didn't break any new architectural ground, it still was way to nice looking for the fate it got. twas always thus.

security word def - "moddi" - a clothing style rendering those ridiculous skirts of the 70's in leather.

ChipSF said...

HPHS -
Late to the party but I will pose your question on the NYC townhouse to Daytonian in Manhattan who has a wealth of knowledge on townhouses in Manhattan.

HalfPuddingHalfSauce said...

TPR - try again, works for me. If not just "go there", garden to the west of new house. You can clearly make out the "sunken"{with some wash-out}, garden steps, balustrade fence remains. You would think with "most elaborate" behind it and Olmsted/O'Connor involved there would be some record of the garden.

Never late ChipSF. That source may be called upon in the future! Thanks!

Any Glen Cover's have tidbits into Chapin/Hutton?

The Down East Dilettante said...

HPHS, here's the garden in Long Island Country Houses. It looks large and handsome, but no more 'elaborate than dozens of comparables from the Rockefeller estate at Seal Harbor to Old Westbury and Planting fields in the sunken garden category.

http://books.google.com/books?id=jIXc9ES8qcAC&pg=PT212&lpg=PT212&dq=sidney+z+mitchell+garden&source=bl&ots=p8EK4rNGki&sig=Y4Lh2RJkZlAsoPC2oatX7OYq7PM&hl=en&ei=6KWdTvKgFejW0QG_oIyHCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCEQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=sidney%20z%20mitchell%20garden&f=false

HalfPuddingHalfSauce said...

Page 328 SPLIA book. It must have been something for its time. The text uses words such as "paradigm" and "restful in the extreme."

The Ancient said...

"Sidney Zollicoffer Mitchell was born in Dadeville in Tallapoosa County. Mitchell and the electric industry grew up together. Before entering the electric industry, Mitchell graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served on the U.S.S. Trenton, the first battleship in the world to have incandescent lights which Mitchell helped to install and operate. Intrigued about an opportunity to organize electric light companies, Mitchell went to see Thomas A. Edison. Impressed with Mitchell's enthusiasm, Edison sent him to learn about generators. In 1885, the agency for Edison products in the Northwest became available, and Mitchell applied for and obtained the rights as exclusive agent. He and Frederick H. Sparling set out to create a market for incandescent lamps in Seattle. In order to finance an electric plant, the two obtained contracts for the sale of the lamps and used the contracts to build a waterfront generating plant, the first center station electric light plant west of the Rocky Mountains. They took in an additional partner and incorporated themselves as the Northwest Supply & Construction Co. By 1888, they had organized lighting companies in 13 other cities in the territory. The Edison General Electric Co. initiated unification of all its agencies and purchased Northwest Supply & Construction Co. before merging with Thomson-Houston Co. to form General Electric Company. In 1893, Mitchell met and married Alice Pennoyer Bell. Mitchell assisted in organizing General Bond and Share Company, which under Mitchell's leadership as president and later chairman of the board, grew to one of the largest holding companies in the world. In 1927, he attended the dedication of Jordan Dam, named in honor of his mother, and three years later built a hunting lodge in his native Alabama."

http://cba.ua.edu/about/hof/sidney-zollicoffer-mitchell

The Ancient said...

More on Mitchell and his Alabama plantation:

http://www.fivestarplantation.com/history.htm

The Ancient said...

As Mitchell appears at The National Portrait Gallery:

http://npgportraits.si.edu/eMuseumNPG/code/emuseum.asp?rawsearch=ObjectID/,/is/,/39717/,/false/,/false&newprofile=CAP&newstyle=single

The Ancient said...

One last but vital item:

Sidney Zollicoffer Mitchell had a nickname: "Old Profanity."

Anonymous said...

In answer to the question as to why the house was torn down, remember, empty land was taxed differently than one upon which one stood. His grandaughter (Mary) built her house right upon the foundation and it still sits there today. RPM