Tuesday, May 8, 2012

The Gardens of 'Wooldon Manor'

 The gardens of 'Wooldon Manor', originally the Dr. Peter B. Wyckoff estate designed by Barney & Chapman c. 1900 in Southampton and later owned by Mrs. Jessie May Woolworth Donahue.  These 1914 photos were taken by Frances Benjamin Johnston.  Click HERE and HERE for more on 'Wooldon Manor'.



Photos from the Frances Benjamin Johnston Collection (Library of Congress).

11 comments:

The Down East Dilettante said...

there's something abuot seaside gardens...

The Ancient said...

Has anyone ever seen a map of the Hamptons -- circa 1920, say -- with the boundaries of all the large properties clearly marked out?


A few links --

http://www.corbisimages.com/stock-photo/rights-managed/U96250P-A/portrait-of-jessie-woolworth-and-james-donahue

(Jesse Woolworth and James Donahue -- NOT at the Bathing Corporation.)


http://www.hamptons.com/Around-Town-Southampton/Main-Articles/6962/Tale-Of-Gin-Lane-Wall-Stands-Tall-As-Bricks-Cave.html#.T6kXK1K8gm8

http://southampton.patch.com/articles/plans-for-wooldon-manor-wall-coming-along-historic-district-expansions-on-the-horizon#photo-4936852

(Controversy regarding the Wooldon Manor Wall, on Gin Lane.)


http://shvillagereview.blogspot.com/2010/03/re-valuing-accessory-structures.html

http://housesofthehamptons.blogspot.com/2010/07/wooldon-manor-pool-house.html

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.305348429503013.62902.187463437958180&type=3

(Pictures of the Pool House.)


Bonus links --

http://www.trainweb.com/cgi-bin/photos/showpic1.cgi?/mvc/year2002/pv/thesurvivor-1/mvc-878f.jpg

(Jesse Woolworth also had a private railroad car, which she called Japauldon, after her late husband. It's since been renamed The Survivor.)

http://media.caranddriver.com/images/media/51/king-of-cars-inline-2-photo-448607-s-original.jpg

(She also had a 1927 RR Phantom I.)

http://www.vincecamuto.com/Accessories/HOME/WOOLDON-MANOR-4-PC-KING-SET.html

(The current owner of the property avails himself of A Naming Opportunity. He's probably not a member of the Bathing Corporation either.)

archibuff said...

Great Links. Can't wait to purchase me a set of Wooldon Manor sheets to go with my Pembroke towels and etched Muedon glassware unless DED purchases them for himself first.

The wall story is a nice tale whether true or not. Sort of like Leland Stanford's spite wall in San Francisco back in the day. Now that was a "wall" to beat all walls.

Honestly, by the time the fees are paid for consultants, designers, the renderings, the review meetings, the re-designs, the mock-ups, the new materials and the laborers, plus the new landscaping, all to first build and then hide a crappy new stucco encased wall infront of the existing brick wall it would have been so much cheaper to just dismantle and rebuild the existing wall period.

Great looking poolhouse.

archibuff said...

oops meant Crocker's spite wall. now that is a wall!!!

http://www.sfcityguides.org/public_guidelines.html?article=1222&submitted=TRUE&srch_text=&submitted2=&topic=

Anonymous said...

Hi Zach - this is the estate where years later, Ann & William "Billy" Woodward later made a weekend, country home in the former 'Playhouse.' Anne shot and killed Billy in 1955 claiming she thought he was an intruder.
There is much, much more to this story, but my question is about the playhouse and it's current situation? Thank you Zach - Robert, InnateStyle

The Ancient said...

Site of the Woodward shooting:

http://wikimapia.org/#lat=40.851151&lon=-73.513212&z=15&l=0&m=b&show=/7127894/Sunken-Orchard-Play-House

Anonymous said...

Sunken Orchards playhouse in Oyster Bay is in good condition surviving under the ownership of the Orthodox Church. You can attend services there.

lil' gay boy said...

For those interested in revisiting the Woodward shooting:

http://books.google.com/books?id=zVQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA35&dq=woodward+intitle:Life&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1G-pT_ivEMLl6QHJl6jTBA&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=woodward%20intitle%3ALife&f=false

Lodi said...

Does anyone know what house that is beyond the garden wall in the second picture?

Gary Lawrance said...

The house beyond the garden wall was the Dr. Thomas house. It was one of the first summer cottages in Southampton. When the Donahue family bought the Wyckoff estate, they also bought the Thomas house and tore it down and built the pool house, which still survives today.

Lodi said...

Thank you Gary. It looked intriguing peeking over the fence that way. Too bad it was torn down.