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Scribner House (Cornwall, New York)
Encyclopedia
The Scribner House is located on Roe Avenue in Cornwall
, New York, United States. It was built in 1910 as the main house for the summer estate
of New York City
publishing executive Charles Scribner II
, one of Charles Scribner's Sons
.
It combines Colonial Revival
interiors with a Shingle style
exterior, including some hints of the Arts and Crafts Movement
. After the Scribners sold the estate, most of the land was sold and this is all that remains. In 1996 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
It is a two-and-a-half-story frame
building with a gambrel roof shingled
in wood. It is similarly sided
. A large stone central chimney is complemented by a smaller brick one at the northeast corner.
Two pavilion
s project from the main block, separated by a gable
-roofed dormer and a pent-roofed dormer on the second story. The south side has a one-and-a-half-story gambrel-roofed wing, and there is a two-story gabled wing on the east side. A one-story hip-roofed
porch is located on the north, and the east wing has a one-story addition that extends around its southern and eastern sides.
The main entrance, on the west, is a centrally-located recessed wooden double door with a molded
wooden surround and sidelights. Atop it are patterned glass transoms
. It opens onto a porch with a stone foundation
and steps. Its flat roof is supported by two round Doric
column
s. A wooden balustrade runs along the top of the porch.
Inside, the house retains much original finishing. There is oak woodwork
, including architrave
s and wainscoting on the walls and ceilings. The main staircase has an intricate newel
at its base trimmed in garlands
and a Doric balustrade at the landing. Also in the house are brick fireplace mantel
s, a wood-burning stove
and the original light fixtures.
and nearby Highlands
, is a distinctive feature of country estate houses such as the one the Scribner estate originally was. Its more detailed landscaping distinguishes it from the country houses of earlier periods in Cornwall.
The architecture combines a Shingle-style exterior treatment with a Colonial Revival
interior. The former is most visible on the outside not only in the choice of siding but features such as the projecting dormers, strips of windows, and recessed entrance.
The exterior also shows the influence of the contemporary "Parks" period of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Houses of the "Parks" period, many of which were built in the Adirondack and Catskill parks elsewhere in New York in the early 20th century. It focused on the relation of people in the house to their surroundings, particularly the natural environment. Features of the Scribner House that reflect that period are the large window areas and interior spaces, meant to integrate outside and inside, and the use of natural motifs such as leaves and flowers in the wood detailing and stained glass
in the house.
Most of the interior trim reflects the Colonial Revival movement, also current at the time of construction. Its most notable features in the house are the woodwork: the oak staircase, landing, wainscoting and corner fireplaces.
, was the architect.
In the 1950s, the original large veranda along the second story was removed, leaving only the current section atop the porch. This is the only significant change that has been made to the house during its entire existence. Scribners' heirs sold the property in the 1960s, and the estate was gradually subdivided until only the current ten acres were left.
Cornwall, New York
Cornwall is a town in Orange County, New York, USA. It is located about 50 miles north of New York City on the western shore of the Hudson River. The estimated population in 2007 was 12,827....
, New York, United States. It was built in 1910 as the main house for the summer estate
Estate (house)
An estate comprises the houses and outbuildings and supporting farmland and woods that surround the gardens and grounds of a very large property, such as a country house or mansion. It is the modern term for a manor, but lacks the latter's now abolished jurisdictional authority...
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...
publishing executive Charles Scribner II
Charles Scribner II
Charles Scribner II was the president of Charles Scribner's Sons and a trustee at Skidmore College.-Biography:...
, one of Charles Scribner's Sons
Charles Scribner's Sons
Charles Scribner's Sons, or simply Scribner, is an American publisher based in New York City, known for publishing a number of American authors including Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kurt Vonnegut, Stephen King, Robert A. Heinlein, Thomas Wolfe, George Santayana, John Clellon...
.
It combines Colonial Revival
Colonial Revival architecture
The Colonial Revival was a nationalistic architectural style, garden design, and interior design movement in the United States which sought to revive elements of Georgian architecture, part of a broader Colonial Revival Movement in the arts. In the early 1890s Americans began to value their own...
interiors with a Shingle style
Architectural style
Architectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture...
exterior, including some hints of the Arts and Crafts Movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
. After the Scribners sold the estate, most of the land was sold and this is all that remains. In 1996 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...
.
Building
The house is located near the front of a 10-acre (4 ha) lot along a residential section of Roe Avenue opposite Woodside Lane, just outside the Cornwall-on-Hudson village line. Large evergreen trees shield most of it from public view and provide shade.It is a two-and-a-half-story frame
Framing (construction)
Framing, in construction known as light-frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping...
building with a gambrel roof shingled
Roof shingle
Roof shingles are a roof covering consisting of individual overlapping elements. These elements are typically flat rectangular shapes laid in rows from the bottom edge of the roof up, with each successive higher row overlapping the joints in the row below...
in wood. It is similarly sided
Siding
Siding is the outer covering or cladding of a house meant to shed water and protect from the effects of weather. On a building that uses siding, it may act as a key element in the aesthetic beauty of the structure and directly influence its property value....
. A large stone central chimney is complemented by a smaller brick one at the northeast corner.
Two pavilion
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
s project from the main block, separated by a 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...
-roofed dormer and a pent-roofed dormer on the second story. The south side has a one-and-a-half-story gambrel-roofed wing, and there is a two-story gabled wing on the east side. A one-story hip-roofed
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
porch is located on the north, and the east wing has a one-story addition that extends around its southern and eastern sides.
The main entrance, on the west, is a centrally-located recessed wooden double door with a molded
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
wooden surround and sidelights. Atop it are patterned glass transoms
Transom (architectural)
In architecture, a transom is the term given to a transverse beam or bar in a frame, or to the crosspiece separating a door or the like from a window or fanlight above it. Transom is also the customary U.S. word used for a transom light, the window over this crosspiece...
. It opens onto a porch with a stone foundation
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
and steps. Its flat roof is supported by two round Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
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. A wooden balustrade runs along the top of the porch.
Inside, the house retains much original finishing. There is oak 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...
, including 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:...
s and wainscoting on the walls and ceilings. The main staircase has an intricate newel
Newel
A newel, also called a central pole, is an upright post that supports the handrail of a stair banister. In stairs having straight flights it is the principal post at the foot of the staircase, but it can also be used for the intermediate posts on landings and at the top of a staircase...
at its base trimmed in garlands
Garlands
For other uses, see Garland Garlands is the 1982 debut album of Cocteau Twins. It is the only album with original bassist Will Heggie.-Track listing:#"Blood Bitch" – 4:34#"Wax and Wane" – 4:04#"But I'm Not" – 2:45...
and a Doric balustrade at the landing. Also in the house are brick fireplace mantel
Fireplace mantel
Fireplace mantel or mantelpiece, also known as a chimneypiece, originated in medieval times as a hood that projected over a grate to catch the smoke. The term has evolved to include the decorative framework around the fireplace, and can include elaborate designs extending to the ceiling...
s, a wood-burning stove
Wood-burning stove
For a list of stove types see Stove .A wood-burning stove is a heating appliance capable of burning wood fuel and wood-derived biomass fuel. Generally the appliance consists of a solid metal closed fire chamber, a grate and an adjustable air control...
and the original light fixtures.
Aesthetics
The large scale of the house and its siting, with views available of the Hudson RiverHudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
and nearby Highlands
Hudson Highlands
The Hudson Highlands are mountains on both sides of the Hudson River in the U.S. state of New York, between Newburgh Bay and Haverstraw Bay, which form the northern region of the New York - New Jersey Highlands....
, is a distinctive feature of country estate houses such as the one the Scribner estate originally was. Its more detailed landscaping distinguishes it from the country houses of earlier periods in Cornwall.
The architecture combines a Shingle-style exterior treatment with a Colonial Revival
Colonial Revival architecture
The Colonial Revival was a nationalistic architectural style, garden design, and interior design movement in the United States which sought to revive elements of Georgian architecture, part of a broader Colonial Revival Movement in the arts. In the early 1890s Americans began to value their own...
interior. The former is most visible on the outside not only in the choice of siding but features such as the projecting dormers, strips of windows, and recessed entrance.
The exterior also shows the influence of the contemporary "Parks" period of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Houses of the "Parks" period, many of which were built in the Adirondack and Catskill parks elsewhere in New York in the early 20th century. It focused on the relation of people in the house to their surroundings, particularly the natural environment. Features of the Scribner House that reflect that period are the large window areas and interior spaces, meant to integrate outside and inside, and the use of natural motifs such as leaves and flowers in the wood detailing and stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
in the house.
Most of the interior trim reflects the Colonial Revival movement, also current at the time of construction. Its most notable features in the house are the woodwork: the oak staircase, landing, wainscoting and corner fireplaces.
History
The Scribners built the house in 1910, at a time when Cornwall was still the popular summer destination it had become late in the previous century. Originally it was part of a much larger estate in a park-like setting outside the village of Cornwall-on-Hudson, where most other resort housing was. Mead and Taft, a local firm also responsible for other summer houses in Cornwall like Cherry CroftAmelia Barr House
The Amelia Barr House, also known as Cherry Croft, is located on Mountain Road in Cornwall on Hudson, a village in Orange County, New York, USA. It is on the slopes of Storm King Mountain, near Storm King School...
, was the architect.
In the 1950s, the original large veranda along the second story was removed, leaving only the current section atop the porch. This is the only significant change that has been made to the house during its entire existence. Scribners' heirs sold the property in the 1960s, and the estate was gradually subdivided until only the current ten acres were left.