.gif)
Walker House (Garrison, New York)
Encyclopedia
The Walker House in Garrison
, New York, United States, is located on Cat Rock Road (NY 403
). It is a large Queen Anne
style
house.
It was built in 1890 by railroad magnate Sam Sloan, whose own estate was nearby, as a wedding gift to his daughter. In 1982 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
as part of the Hudson Highlands Multiple Resource Area
.
. It is surrounded by tall trees, with a ravine
and the steep slope of Fort Hill elevating the house above the road, both of which obstruct the view of the house from it. A driveway curves up the slope from the east to the front facade, on that side of the house.
The building itself is a two-story frame
home on a brick foundation
with several nested roofs shingled
in slate
. The steeply-pitched
main roof is done in a chateau
style with eyebrow vents on all sides and crocket
s on the gable
ridges.
Three large brick chimneys pierce the extensions to the north and south, and a polygonal bay
extends further from the north. A veranda with turned posts and corner brackets
extends around all sides except the west. It has been enclosed with removable panels on the east.
is nearby, is believed to have had the house built for one of his daughters as a wedding present around 1890. An 1891 map of the area shows the house and names its occupant as "Mrs. Walker".
It remained in the Walker family until 1956. Since it had been a summer cottage, modern mechanical services were added to make it a year-residence. In 1978, the owner removed the railing from the upstairs widow's walk
, but kept it in storage for a possible future restoration. There have been no other significant changes to the house.
Garrison, New York
Garrison is a hamlet in Putnam County, New York, United States. It is part of the town of Philipstown and is on the east side of the Hudson River, across from the United States Military Academy at West Point...
, New York, United States, is located on Cat Rock Road (NY 403
New York State Route 403
New York State Route 403 is a short state highway located entirely within Putnam County. It connects NY 9D in Philipstown at its northern/western end to US 9 in Graymoor, where the Appalachian Trail crosses both highways...
). It is a large Queen Anne
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
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...
house.
It was built in 1890 by railroad magnate Sam Sloan, whose own estate was nearby, as a wedding gift to his daughter. In 1982 it was added to 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...
as part of the Hudson Highlands Multiple Resource Area
Hudson Highlands Multiple Resource Area
The Hudson Highlands Multiple Resource Area is a Multiple Property Submission study supporting multiple listings in 1982 to the United States National Register of Historic Places...
.
Building
The Walker House is situated on a four-acre (1.6 ha) lotLot (real estate)
In real estate, a lot or plot is a tract or parcel of land owned or meant to be owned by some owner. A lot is essentially considered a parcel of real property in some countries or immovable property in other countries...
. It is surrounded by tall trees, with a ravine
Ravine
A ravine is a landform narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streamcutting erosion. Ravines are typically classified as larger in scale than gullies, although smaller than valleys. A ravine is generally a fluvial slope landform of relatively steep sides, on the order of twenty to...
and the steep slope of Fort Hill elevating the house above the road, both of which obstruct the view of the house from it. A driveway curves up the slope from the east to the front facade, on that side of the house.
The building itself is a two-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...
home on a brick 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:...
with several nested roofs 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 slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
. The steeply-pitched
Roof pitch
In building construction, roof pitch is a numerical measure of the steepness of a roof, and a pitched roof is a roof that is steep.The roof's pitch is the measured vertical rise divided by the measured horizontal span, the same thing as what is called "slope" in geometry. Roof pitch is typically...
main roof is done in a chateau
Château
A château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...
style with eyebrow vents on all sides and crocket
Crocket
A crocket is a hook-shaped decorative element common in Gothic architecture. It is in the form of a stylised carving of curled leaves, buds or flowers which is used at regular intervals to decorate the sloping edges of spires, finials, pinnacles, and wimpergs....
s on the 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...
ridges.
Three large brick chimneys pierce the extensions to the north and south, and a polygonal bay
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:...
extends further from the north. A veranda with turned posts and corner brackets
Bracket (architecture)
A bracket is an architectural member made of wood, stone, or metal that overhangs a wall to support or carry weight. It may also support a statue, the spring of an arch, a beam, or a shelf. Brackets are often in the form of scrolls, and can be carved, cast, or molded. They can be entirely...
extends around all sides except the west. It has been enclosed with removable panels on the east.
History
Railroad magnate Samuel Sloan, whose own OulagisketOulagisket
Oulagisket, also known as the Sloan Estate, is a historic estate located at Philipstown in Putnam County, New York. It consists of the main house and carriage house , superintendent's cottage , barns , and carpenter's shop . The main house is a -story stuccoed masonry building in the Italianate...
is nearby, is believed to have had the house built for one of his daughters as a wedding present around 1890. An 1891 map of the area shows the house and names its occupant as "Mrs. Walker".
It remained in the Walker family until 1956. Since it had been a summer cottage, modern mechanical services were added to make it a year-residence. In 1978, the owner removed the railing from the upstairs widow's walk
Widow's walk
A widow's walk also known as a "widow's watch" is a railed rooftop platform often with a small enclosed cupola frequently found on 19th century North American houses. A popular romantic myth holds that the platform was used to observe vessels at sea...
, but kept it in storage for a possible future restoration. There have been no other significant changes to the house.