Thursday, February 9, 2012

'Spring Hill'

The upper portion of 'Spring Hill', the Henry Carnegie Phipps estate designed by John Russell Pope c. 1903 (for William L. Stow) in Old Westbury. Pictured above is where the house stood overlooking the terraced gardens below. These pictures were taken in 2008 and since then the tree pictured in front of the wall was hit by lighting and destroyed and the garage in the fourth photo was demolished in 2009. Click HERE to see the lower portion of 'Spring Hill'.




14 comments:

The Down East Dilettante said...

I think we of the OLI Greek chorus can agree that no hand wringing is necessary over the loss of the garage?

As for the development of the land, let the murmering begin..

Anonymous said...

Bowing to Coryphaeus DED, I lower my mask, exit in shame, loving and adoring the garage. Before it collapses, might I appeal for the 3 pairs of doors, sir.

-Flo

Anonymous said...

Ah, she's too late, demo'd in '09. Exits a second time, waving her banner "look first, talk second, read third." Glad to have the glimpse, though.

-F

Charles said...

In the second picture, from the vantage point of the top of the hill, the vista across all that open space...it's so beautiful. It really is heart breaking to see it all go away.

Zach L. said...

It's not going away.

So far no one has purchased the wall lot so for now it remains the same (though it is supposed to be restored sooner or later). I assume if and when it eventually is sold a house will be sited where the original house was but I don't necessarily see the new owner substantially altering the open space. It's a large lot, about 10 acres if I remember. Probably about 60% wooded.

Flo...the garage was a very cool building but in very rough shape towards the end. It is deceivingly large...probably only 20 feet wide but at least 60 feet deep. The demolition was forced by the Village though it's likely that a new owner wouldn't want to keep it anyway (not all of us of course).

The Down East Dilettante said...

It is almost the standard garage of the early 20th century---I cannot count the number of variations in stucco or shingle that populate the old estates up here.

Zach ya know I love ya, but your youthful optimism that whoever buys the terrace lot will simply site a house on the spot flies in the face of all the many, many lost landscape features plowed under by McMansions (0r is this one protected by convenant?

Verification word, pormo---as in when we OLI addicts look for ever more house porm.

Zach L. said...

DED...there are only two possible locations for the house in order for it to fit inside the required setback in the zoning code in Old Westbury...I believe. Either on top of the wall or in the field on the lower level beneath the wall.

No covenant.

Parnassus said...

If you magnify the garage picture it suddenly looks quite nice. What at first looked like broken, exposed rafters is actually wide overhanging eaves. Also, the building was reasonably substantial--there is a brick chimney hinting at either living or other usable space inside. Most of these garages are pretty cool inside anyway, and they seem to be now the most likely place for little vestiges of the past to be found--old forgotten tools, product containers, etc.

archibuff said...

The top of the hill is the only logical location as it also has the benefit of the long range southerly views and while Kean, the developers are definitely no angels, they being responsible for demolishing Burrwood a few years back, they have gone out of the way here at Spring Hill to preserve the setting and allee of trees to some degree so a homeowner would be encouraged, if not forced to build above the wall. That being said, all bets are off if the owners bring in their own ego driven, talent challenged architect.

lil' gay boy said...

The suggested styles on the developer's website seem a cut above McMansion; perhaps another Oliver Cope opus may rise here?

The Down East Dilettante said...

Well, since the only obvious place is upon the terrace, that means they will either demolish the terrace or build in the field, thus destroying that too. One learns to expect the expected.

Archibuff, did you say talent challenged architects? Hmmmm, nope, it passed....I resisted...

archibuff said...

DED..lol

Zach L. said...

DED...the wall is safe from manmade destruction. Whether or not nature gets to it first is another story.

The Down East Dilettante said...

Then there is a covenant?