Thursday, July 12, 2012

'Kiluna Farm'


'Kiluna Farm', the Ralph Pulitzer estate designed by Walker & Gillette c. 1910 in North Hills.  Pulitzer was the son of Joseph Pulitzer and publisher of the New York World.  The estate is pictured here in 1942 under the ownership of William S. Paley (before his 1947 marriage to Barbara Cushing Mortimer, better known as Babe Paley).  Click HERE and HERE for more on 'Kiluna Farm' which was demolished c. 1990 after an arson fire destroyed much of the building.










Photos from the Library of Congress.

9 comments:

The Ancient said...

A few links -


http://siris-archives.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1C420978J1413.25271&profile=all&uri=link=3100007~!195052~!3100001~!3100002&aspect=Browse&menu=search&ri=2&source=~!siarchives&term=Kiluna+Farm+%28Manhasset%2C+New+York%29&index=PSUBJ

(Garden pictures.)


http://vintagemuffy.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/babepaley1964.jpg

(Obligatory picture of Babe Paley sitting by her pond.)


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304636404577299831059349576.html

(For anyone who missed it, an article from the WSJ which shows the interiors of the Paley apartment in Manhattan.)

magnus said...

I especially remember the living room in the early '70's. The wooden floor was painted in high gloss emerald green enamel to resemble snakeskin. I'd never seen anything like it before. It was stunning.

The Down East Dilettante said...

The WASP country club look personified.

The first Mrs. Paley owned a famous mirrored bed which has been much copied in recent times by decorators like Miles Redd. I think that Flo's favorite decorator has one, perhaps the original, in her NY apartment. But I digress.

Anonymous said...

By God you're right.

"John purchased the 1930s mirrored bed at Sothebys.

The bed was originally made by French designer Serge Roche for Dorothy Hart Hearst Paley Hirshon."

http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/NYSDhouse/bunnywilliams.php

Now if I could just find a pic of that high gloss emerald green snakeskin floor...

-F

Anonymous said...

I had to look. Otherwise, the image of Bunny Williams and John Rosselli in a mirrored bed would have kept me up nights.

http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/NYSDhouse/images/bunnywilliams/P1150394.jpg

magnus said...

And the library was lacquered green as well- with a collection of those Rockingham tulip vases on the mantel. I was quite young at the time, but was still struck how stylish it was

Anonymous said...

Chronicle of a Wood Floor Foretold in Wool:

http://stylecourt.blogspot.com/2008/09/wall-to-wall-ii.html

-frustrated

The Down East Dilettante said...

Back before Babe, in the era that these photos of Kiluna were taken, Bill and Dorothy Paley hung out during the week in this Beekman Place townhouse. Clearly the first Mrs. Paley was not without style either--and Flo, you will notice the aforementioned bed in some of the shots

http://collections.mcny.org/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult_VPage&VBID=24UP1GYHXWJG&SMLS=1&RW=1440&RH=785

Unknown said...

My distant relatives were farmers here for Mr Pulitzer - Frederick & Minnie Hitchman. They were from Spratton, UK, and were related to my grandmother's family of Higgs.
Thank you for these wonderful photos.
Ron