Monday, June 11, 2012

'Ivycroft'

 'Ivycroft', originally the Perry Tiffany estate designed by Gage & Wallace c. 1891 in Old Westbury.  The estate was sold to William Gray Park in 1892 and remained in the Park family until 1920 when it was sold to Harry Payne Bingham.  In 1925 Bingham sold the estate to Eliot Cross of Cross & Cross.  Click HERE to see the brochure from when 'Ivycroft' was for sale and HERE to see current listing photos as the house is again for sale.


Photos from Architecture, 1901.

16 comments:

The Ancient said...

http://search.danielgale.com/IDXDetail.aspx?mlsnum=2486162&city=Old-Westbury&page=2&mlstableid=LIBORMLSDGALEOFFICERES&sp=y&segmentid=4203020&uid=69510&htmlfile=shell_idxsearch.html&origurl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.loiskirschenbaum.com%2fproperties.html

(Zach -- Correct link.)

The Devoted Classicist said...

So the gate lodge and the stables are still extant but now separate residences no longer associated with the property?

Glen said...

An unfortunate ghost of it's former glory. It is curious that previous owners reduced the size by removing an entire wing leaving it very lopsided rather than removing the added extensions from both ends and returning the house to its original size and symetrical configuration. The loss of the garden portico is also regrettable, but IMO the front, as shown in the original sales brochure, is more attractive without the former entry porch. I agree with others that the window choice seems odd and underwhelming. What is the liklihood a a buyer patient enough to breathe life back into this forlorn pile?

Glen said...

I meant - What is the liklihood there will be a buyer patient enough to breathe life back into this forlorn pile?

The Ancient said...

I've been idly calculating what it would cost to restore this house to something of its former appearance, as well as redoing the bathrooms, kitchen and utilities. Plus landscaping. Plus architectural fees.

At the end of all that, I think you'd be several millions beyond the actual market value of the house.

(And on top of that, the existing property tax bill -- already over $100k p/a, would increase dramatically.)

P.S. This means it's "a waiting game." (As in waiting for the owners to succumb to the bid of the developer who will tear it down.)

The Ancient said...

More...

For example, for what it would cost to restore this place, you could buy something else, such as this:

http://search.danielgale.com/IDXDetail.aspx?mlsnum=2398571&page=2&city=Old-Westbury&mlstableid=LIBORMLSDGALEOFFICERES&sp=y&uid=69510&segmentid=4203020&htmlfile=shell_idxsearch.html&origurl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.loiskirschenbaum.com%2fproperties.html

(And you'd have enough money left-over to redo the kitchen, baths, HVAC, etc. And to hire a Famous Lady Decorator to spruce up the interiors. Etc., etc.)

Anonymous said...

There are not so many true Famous Lady Decorators anymore, but I am presuming that The Ancient would not limit the recommendation to only those born female.

The Ancient said...

Hey, I meant it facetiously.

(And perhaps as a vague reference to free-spending 35-year-old hedgies who confuse brand names with quality.)

lil' gay boy said...

I must admit that, despite some lovely interiors, this is one house I have just never warmed to.

The fenestration is awkward as is the massing, and the whole is just an unsettling composition...

But hey, that's me.

Anonymous said...

Rent Ivycroft's Stables here:

http://www.mlsli.com/rentaldetails.cfm?MLNum=2482523&typeprop=5&start=1&rpp=10

Anonymous said...

Edit for above. Meant to say gatehouse.

The Ancient said...

The house seems to have been associated with more than one owner who couldn't afford it...

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F0071FFA3A5414728DDDAA0894D8415B818CF1D3

(Perry Tiffany's 1901 Bankruptcy Referee says, "Under the circumstances of the case as between the claim of the creditors on the one hand that there has been perjury and fraudulent concealment of assets by the bankrupt, and the claim of the bankrupt himself on the other hand, of ignorance of indifference to ordinary business affairs closely relating to his own comfort as would hardly be conceivable even in a person of immature years and utterly devoid of experience, I am inclined to think that the weight of the evidence is in favor of the bankrupt's claim, and that the omission in the schedules and oaths arose from as rarely equaled and almost incredible ignorance and neglect displayed by the bankrupt in regard to his own affairs.")

The Down East Dilettante said...

Actually, the house, even as it is, has no problems that divided light window sash and some well made shutters can't fix, and the interiors are extremely handsome, and have good flow---and an offset service wing is hardly an anamoly.

The Ancient said...

Dilettante --

Being one of those shallow people who do not judge by appearances, I see no reason to assume that the parsimony and neglect which is reflected in the exterior and the grounds doesn't also extend to the interior. We see on the realtor's site only a few public rooms.

This isn't just a house that needs a facelift.

archibuff said...

Ancient is spot on.

This sad looking, lopsided, mutilated home will thank its next owner who will surely put an end to its current misery with one swing of the wrecking ball. The loss of symmetry, porticos, main roofline, chimneys and any dignity it once had will certainly doom this home. It also sits smack in the center of the property spoiling any number of bland subdivision layouts from being super imposed on the land. When a real estate doesnt even show photos of the kitchen or baths you know the place is an outdated mess.

So the new clueless buyer with deep pockets and no taste will contact an OW developer and together they will build six maybe seven, 3.5 to 5.5 million dollar dryvit covered chateaus and haciendas. In this case, it will be a blessing.

The Ancient said...

Now let me say something positive.

For the right person, 3500 a month for the converted gatehouse seems like a very good deal.