Wednesday, November 9, 2011

'Portledge'

'Portledge', the Charles A. Coffin estate designed by Howard Greenley c. 1910 in Matinecock. Coffin was a founder, president and chairman of the board of General Electric Company from the time of its organization in 1913 to his retirement in 1922. Click HERE for more on 'Portledge' and Charles A. Coffin. Click HERE to see 'Portledge' on google earth and HERE on bing.




Photos from Architecture, 1912.

13 comments:

Doug Floor Plan said...

This reminds me of an English country house -- not overly attractive (to me) but still with a certain quality. I like the floor plan quite a bit -- public rooms opening one to another on the back [garden] side & a series of more private rooms on the front. FYI the rooms across the front (L to R) are:
1) Glass enclosed room
2) Covered porch then Writing room
3) A Den is to the right of the stairs.
The servant's wing looks efficient & well laid out.
I'm glad this house has survived. It appears in good shape although whoever slapped that 1960s box onto the west end of this house should be forced to remove it with their bare hands.

& Magnus is correct -- recessed lighting is wrong for these houses ... even "the man who put electricity over" in this country didn't have it (joke).

The Down East Dilettante said...

Actually, right or wrong, many of these houses did have recessed lighting features, because electricity was a new novelty.

'with his bare hands'. Doug, that's too light a punishment.

To HPHS. Do you remember what publication or book you found the picture of La Rochelle that you asked me about the other day? I keep a list of primary sources, and forgot to ask.

The Down East Dilettante said...

Oh, and as for the Coffin house, neither love nor hate. But the garage is very tasty.

The Devoted Classicist said...

Hmmm, a chronological history of light fixtures would be a good topic for a post. I have seen some recessed lights with a glass lens than might have been as early as the teens, but I do not recall seeing a version of the recessed downlight that is so over-used today before the 40s. But D.E.D.'s comment will make me keep a look out for earlier examples.

Isn't it interesting, in some cases, when the auxiliary building is more architecturally successful than the main house?

The Ancient said...

Hasn't that auxiliary building been dramatically enlarged? Take a look at it on Bing.

Charles said...

Portledge has been a private school for many years. My children attended school there.

Anonymous said...

Ancient the auxiliary building has been enlarged and quite done sympathetically unlike the main house. An attractive neighborhood that stretch of Duck Pond Road is.

Old Former Long Islander said...

Hidden away in the woods behind the former service buildings is a very old and spacious lodge, complete with large stone fireplace. Very cool. When you're there you feel like you're miles from nowhere.

Anonymous said...

Is this the lodge OFLI?


http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=qtbdpg8w13nx&scene=21221734&lvl=2&sty=b&where1=Locust%20Valley%2C%20NY

Anonymous said...

Wait...that's not what I linked...

Old Former Long Islander said...

Anon,

If you back off the full sized Bing image three clicks, it will appear top center as a small light colored speck surrounded by woods. If you're a local. I imagine you can still walk by it without getting arrested. It's pretty much surrounded by the preserve.

OFLI

James said...

On google earth it's tagged as Heron House

Anonymous said...

The lodge does indeed give one the impression of being upstate New York on 100's of wooded acres, not merely yards away from a busy school, surrounding homes and the LIRR tracks to the morth. It is set within Coffin Woods, a great preserve that is little known to most local residents. Years ago it was well maintained and the yard was filled with stacks of clay pots, gardening tools and wooden furniture, but haven't walked the preserve in many years and never knew what the building's purpose was except as a unique getaway from the main house.