Dedicated to the preservation of Long Island's 'gold coast' estates and other things old.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
'Bayberry Land' Gardens
The Marian Coffin designed gardens at 'Bayberry Land', the Charles H. Sabin estate designed by Cross & Cross c. 1918 in Southampton. Click HERE and HERE for more on 'Bayberry Land'.
Sometimes it all comes together--an enlightened client of great taste, the right architect, craftsmen, and landscape designer, and a work of art is produced, as here at Bayberry land. It is on any short list of the best country houses of the first quarter of the 20th century--or perhaps the entire century---the ne plus ultra of its type. In England, it would be a listed building--Grade I--and strong attempts, likely successful, made to secure it for the public good for all the reasons above. In our more aggressive culture, things are different, and houses like this--or the vernacular, and appropriate, Bedel house in Old Westbury, disappear with barely a whimper. Now that so many people consider it a status symbol to buy a fine house only to tear it down, the process is accelerated to Dunkirk levels in places like Long Island
Ancient, although I THINK I've seen a handcolor view, maybe an albertype postcard, of the sunken garden looking toward the house, for the life of me I cannot suss out where.
However, in other news, I just noticed that the iron lantern frame from atop the forecourt gates has been repurposed above the old main gates at Bayberry Land, now entrance to Sebonack Golf Club.
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Sometimes it all comes together--an enlightened client of great taste, the right architect, craftsmen, and landscape designer, and a work of art is produced, as here at Bayberry land. It is on any short list of the best country houses of the first quarter of the 20th century--or perhaps the entire century---the ne plus ultra of its type. In England, it would be a listed building--Grade I--and strong attempts, likely successful, made to secure it for the public good for all the reasons above. In our more aggressive culture, things are different, and houses like this--or the vernacular, and appropriate, Bedel house in Old Westbury, disappear with barely a whimper. Now that so many people consider it a status symbol to buy a fine house only to tear it down, the process is accelerated to Dunkirk levels in places like Long Island
Have I missed some link to color pictures of the gardens?
Ancient, although I THINK I've seen a handcolor view, maybe an albertype postcard, of the sunken garden looking toward the house, for the life of me I cannot suss out where.
However, in other news, I just noticed that the iron lantern frame from atop the forecourt gates has been repurposed above the old main gates at Bayberry Land, now entrance to Sebonack Golf Club.
Sort of...
http://www.oldlongisland.com/2012/03/bayberry-land.html
...and as usual, I forgot to paste the link: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sqBIHPQVTeY/RmCu1OWLUgI/AAAAAAAAAM0/Nsg7BquUCyE/s1600/DSCF1343.JPG
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