Hart-Cluett Mansion
Encyclopedia
The Hart-Cluett Mansion is located at 57 Second Street in Troy
, New York, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1973, and is a contributing property
to the Central Troy Historic District
created in 1986. Since the 1950s it, and the Carr Building next door, has been the main office of the Rensselaer County Historical Society
, The house is open to the public as a historic house museum.
Built in 1827 from a plan by most likely by architect Martin Euclid Thompson, of New York City
,, it is a Federal style townhouse
with decorated
marble
and limestone
facing considered one of the best and most intact houses in that style in the city of Troy. The house was built by John Bard Colgrove, who moved to Troy, NY in 1826 to oversee the construction of the Hart House. Immediately after constructing the Hart House, Colgrove built the first Rensselaer County Court House (1828-31). It was constructed as a gift for his only child, Betsey Howard Hart, and her husband, Richard P. Hart, by wealthy New York City
merchant and banker William Howard, done in a style similar to contemporary mansions there. Those homes have since been demolished, making Troy the only extant place visitors can experience an early 19th-century New York City mansion.
In the late 19th century it became the property of another local businessman, George Cluett, who expanded it in the early 20th century. He and his family donated the house to the Historical Society in 1952.
. The short end facing the street to its east and the long end wrapping around the brick house to its north. The front facade
is four bays
wide; the southern facade, accounting for the house's full depth from the street and overlooking a narrow alley
, nine. All other facades save the front are done in brick
.
That front facade is dominated by its off-center entrance. The recessed door is set in a portico
, with elliptical fanlight
supported by small column
s and sidelights. Around the portico are a marble architrave
with vermiculated keystone
and quoin
s. No similar marble houses, are found in Troy, or the vicinity. The marble is presumed to come from a Berkshire quarry, possibly near Great Barrington, Mass. The marble has vertical comb finish, approximately 6 to the inch and is laid with 1/8" lime mortar joints.
The tin
gable
d roof has two dormer windows on the east side. Two chimneys apiece rise from the north and south ends. There is one outbuilding, a former carriage house
, in the rear of the building.
Inside, the house follows the standard Federal-style central hall plan, with high ceilings and narrow, tall windows. Much of the original furnishings and trim remain. The plaster
and woodwork
are unaltered, as are such details as a marble mantelpiece and dining room
mirror. The original basement kitchen remains, along with a late 19th-century one on the first floor.
and then in commerce from the Erie
and Champlain
canals. He later served as president of the Schenectady and Troy Railroad
and several local philanthropies. He had a political career as well, serving as a state assemblyman
and mayor of Troy.
To build the house, 29-year-old John Colegrove was hired. He moved to Troy from New York in 1826 to supervise the job, and stayed there, going on to build many other notable buildings in the city. His obituary
in 1860 referred to the mansion as his first major local accomplishment.
The original house was just the square block. Four years after Richard Hart died in 1843, Betsey added to the rear slightly to accommodate the 14 children she had to raise, beginning the extension that would eventually lead to its current shape. In 1892 the family sold it to George Cluett, a local textile magnate, who had a new kitchen built with modern conveniences such as a gas stove
and refrigerator
, and who passed the house on to his own relative, Albert E. Cluett, in 1910. Albert E. Cluett was the owner of Cluett Peabody & Company
, a shirt and collar manufacturer, prominent in Troy.
The next year the Albert Cluetts made the last significant alteration to the house. After taking possession of the house, he built the rear addition and made alterations on the third floor. New oak floors were laid on top of the original white pine floors, and alterations were made to the third floor. The old wallpaper was removed and the walls were painted ivory. New panels were added to the walls of the Drawing Room, Living Room and Reception Room. A scenic mural was painted on walls of the Entrance Hall and Stair Hall on the first floor.
Albert Cluett and his wife donated it to the newly-formed RCHS in 1952, after challenging to raise enough money to preserve
it. The society has maintained it as a museum and used the adjoining Joseph B. Carr Building as offices ever since. It has even made them part of its logo
.
In 1983, a chest full of Betsey Hart's financial records was found in the attic
of the nearby Troy Savings Bank
building. While not complete, they are meticulous and have provided the RCHS's staff with guidance in recreating the house's appearance and use during the latter half of the 19th century.
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
, New York, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1973, and is a contributing property
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
to the Central Troy Historic District
Central Troy Historic District
The Central Troy Historic District is an irregularly-shaped, area of downtown Troy, New York, United States. It has been described as "one of the most perfectly preserved 19th-century downtowns in the [country]" with nearly 700 properties in a variety of architectural styles from the early 19th to...
created in 1986. Since the 1950s it, and the Carr Building next door, has been the main office of the Rensselaer County Historical Society
Rensselaer County Historical Society
The Rensselaer County Historical Society is a non-profit, historical society and museum, to promote the study of the history of the Rensselaer County, NY. RCHS was founded in 1927, and originally operated out of a single room in the Troy Public Library, collecting manuscripts and published...
, The house is open to the public as a historic house museum.
Built in 1827 from a plan by most likely by architect Martin Euclid Thompson, of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
,, it is a Federal style townhouse
Townhouse
A townhouse is the term historically used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and in many other countries to describe a residence of a peer or member of the aristocracy in the capital or major city. Most such figures owned one or more country houses in which they lived for much of the year...
with decorated
Ornament (architecture)
In architecture and decorative art, ornament is a decoration used to embellish parts of a building or object. Large figurative elements such as monumental sculpture and their equivalents in decorative art are excluded from the term; most ornament does not include human figures, and if present they...
marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
and limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
facing considered one of the best and most intact houses in that style in the city of Troy. The house was built by John Bard Colgrove, who moved to Troy, NY in 1826 to oversee the construction of the Hart House. Immediately after constructing the Hart House, Colgrove built the first Rensselaer County Court House (1828-31). It was constructed as a gift for his only child, Betsey Howard Hart, and her husband, Richard P. Hart, by wealthy New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
merchant and banker William Howard, done in a style similar to contemporary mansions there. Those homes have since been demolished, making Troy the only extant place visitors can experience an early 19th-century New York City mansion.
In the late 19th century it became the property of another local businessman, George Cluett, who expanded it in the early 20th century. He and his family donated the house to the Historical Society in 1952.
Building
The house is L-shaped, two and a half stories high with a full basementBasement
__FORCETOC__A basement is one or more floors of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. Basements are typically used as a utility space for a building where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, car park, and air-conditioning system...
. The short end facing the street to its east and the long end wrapping around the brick house to its north. The front facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
is four bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
wide; the southern facade, accounting for the house's full depth from the street and overlooking a narrow alley
Alley
An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane found in urban areas, often for pedestrians only, which usually runs between or behind buildings. In older cities and towns in Europe, alleys are often what is left of a medieval street network, or a right of way or ancient footpath in an urban setting...
, nine. All other facades save the front are done in brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
.
That front facade is dominated by its off-center entrance. The recessed door is set in a portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
, with elliptical fanlight
Fanlight
A fanlight is a window, semicircular or semi-elliptical in shape, with glazing bars or tracery sets radiating out like an open fan, It is placed over another window or a doorway. and is sometimes hinged to a transom. The bars in the fixed glazed window spread out in the manner a sunburst...
supported by small column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s and sidelights. Around the portico are a marble architrave
Architrave
An architrave is the lintel or beam that rests on the capitals of the columns. It is an architectural element in Classical architecture.-Classical architecture:...
with vermiculated keystone
Keystone (architecture)
A keystone is the wedge-shaped stone piece at the apex of a masonry vault or arch, which is the final piece placed during construction and locks all the stones into position, allowing the arch to bear weight. This makes a keystone very important structurally...
and quoin
Quoin (architecture)
Quoins are the cornerstones of brick or stone walls. Quoins may be either structural or decorative. Architects and builders use quoins to give the impression of strength and firmness to the outline of a building...
s. No similar marble houses, are found in Troy, or the vicinity. The marble is presumed to come from a Berkshire quarry, possibly near Great Barrington, Mass. The marble has vertical comb finish, approximately 6 to the inch and is laid with 1/8" lime mortar joints.
The tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d roof has two dormer windows on the east side. Two chimneys apiece rise from the north and south ends. There is one outbuilding, a former carriage house
Carriage house
A carriage house, also called remise or coach house, is an outbuilding which was originally built to house horse-drawn carriages and the related tack.In Great Britain the farm building was called a Cart Shed...
, in the rear of the building.
Inside, the house follows the standard Federal-style central hall plan, with high ceilings and narrow, tall windows. Much of the original furnishings and trim remain. The plaster
Plaster
Plaster is a building material used for coating walls and ceilings. Plaster starts as a dry powder similar to mortar or cement and like those materials it is mixed with water to form a paste which liberates heat and then hardens. Unlike mortar and cement, plaster remains quite soft after setting,...
and woodwork
Woodworking
Woodworking is the process of building, making or carving something using wood.-History:Along with stone, mud, and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked by early humans. Microwear analysis of the Mousterian stone tools used by the Neanderthals show that many were used to work wood...
are unaltered, as are such details as a marble mantelpiece and dining room
Dining room
A dining room is a room for consuming food. In modern times it is usually adjacent to the kitchen for convenience in serving, although in medieval times it was often on an entirely different floor level...
mirror. The original basement kitchen remains, along with a late 19th-century one on the first floor.
History
Hart, an early member of Troy's business elite, was a personal friend of Howard when he married Betsey. He had made his money first by supplying the Army during the War of 1812War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
and then in commerce from the Erie
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
and Champlain
Champlain Canal
The Champlain Canal is a canal that connects the south end of Lake Champlain to the Hudson River in New York. It was simultaneously constructed with the Erie Canal and is now part of the New York State Canal System and the Lakes to Locks Passage....
canals. He later served as president of the Schenectady and Troy Railroad
Schenectady and Troy Railroad
The Schenectady and Troy Railroad was incorporated May 21, 1836. The stock was divided into five hundred shares at one hundred dollars each. The building of the road began in 1841, and trains began running from Schenectady to Troy, New York in the fall of 1841 . It was constructed by the city of...
and several local philanthropies. He had a political career as well, serving as a state assemblyman
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
and mayor of Troy.
To build the house, 29-year-old John Colegrove was hired. He moved to Troy from New York in 1826 to supervise the job, and stayed there, going on to build many other notable buildings in the city. His obituary
Obituary
An obituary is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person's life and information about the upcoming funeral. In large cities and larger newspapers, obituaries are written only for people considered significant...
in 1860 referred to the mansion as his first major local accomplishment.
Gas stove
In cooking, a gas stove is a cooker which uses natural gas, propane, butane, liquefied petroleum gas or other flammable gas as a fuel source.-History:...
and refrigerator
Refrigerator
A refrigerator is a common household appliance that consists of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump that transfers heat from the inside of the fridge to its external environment so that the inside of the fridge is cooled to a temperature below the ambient temperature of the room...
, and who passed the house on to his own relative, Albert E. Cluett, in 1910. Albert E. Cluett was the owner of Cluett Peabody & Company
Cluett Peabody & Company
Cluett Peabody & Company, Inc. once headquartered in Troy, New York was a longtime manufacturer of shirts, detachable shirt cuffs and collars, and related apparel. It is best known for its Arrow brand collars and shirts and the related Arrow Collar Man advertisements...
, a shirt and collar manufacturer, prominent in Troy.
The next year the Albert Cluetts made the last significant alteration to the house. After taking possession of the house, he built the rear addition and made alterations on the third floor. New oak floors were laid on top of the original white pine floors, and alterations were made to the third floor. The old wallpaper was removed and the walls were painted ivory. New panels were added to the walls of the Drawing Room, Living Room and Reception Room. A scenic mural was painted on walls of the Entrance Hall and Stair Hall on the first floor.
Albert Cluett and his wife donated it to the newly-formed RCHS in 1952, after challenging to raise enough money to preserve
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
it. The society has maintained it as a museum and used the adjoining Joseph B. Carr Building as offices ever since. It has even made them part of its logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
.
In 1983, a chest full of Betsey Hart's financial records was found in the attic
Attic
An attic is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building . Attic is generally the American/Canadian reference to it...
of the nearby Troy Savings Bank
Troy Savings Bank
Troy Savings Bank, now owned by First Niagara Financial Group is a bank in Troy, Rensselaer County, New York, U.S.A.. It is notable for having a music hall constructed on the second floor above the bank itself, the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, which is renowned for its acoustics and includes a...
building. While not complete, they are meticulous and have provided the RCHS's staff with guidance in recreating the house's appearance and use during the latter half of the 19th century.