T WO WALNUT AVENUE
Everyone has their dream house. Maybe it’s one in your neighborhood
and you surreptitiously peek into the windows as you walk by on a warm summer night. It might be an apartment in the heart of the city or a quiet farm upstate. Whatever its form, you have probably moved into it in your imagination,
even though you have no idea if it truly suits your needs or lifestyle. After all,
isn’t the point of a dream to live a little bit outside the edges of our reality?
In 2007, the Campbells were happily ensconced in their Rouken Glen
Tudor. It was, for all intents and purposes, their dream house and the couple
swore that they’d never leave it except for a house with water views. Then 2
Walnut went up for sale. Cannon snuck a sneak-peek through the front window
and knew instantly that she had found “their house”, the one she and Bruce
had always dreamed of. But the surge of excitement was tempered with reality:
the investment in 2 Walnut - in terms of both time and money – would be significant. And as she expected, Bruce needed a little convincing before signing
on to the project.
Seven years later, 2 Walnut Avenue is Cannon and Bruce Campbell’s
true dream house, not because Cannon was able to translate a sneak-peek into
reality, or because the ensuing renovation left them, at times, wondering what
they were dreaming about. The house is their dream home, one which they
have carefully restored to a beautiful blend of past and present. More to the
point, it is the place where they are creating loving memories for their four girls
to carry into their own dream homes in the future.
By the mid 1880s, the shores of Larchmont’s waterfront were dotted with stately Victorian mansions. Due
to the ravages of time and changing tastes, these magnificent homes have largely been replaced. One of the few
remaining of these wonderful homes is 2 Walnut Avenue.
When the Campbell’s purchased 2 Walnut Avenue in
2007 what remained of its original structure had been
heavily altered over the decades. With significant and conscientiously patient effort,
the Campbell’s worked with their architect to restore one of the first, and last standing,
early waterfront Victorian Larchmont “cottages” to its former glory.
This extensive project was made possible by several strokes of serendipitous
luck in the discovery of photographs of the home estimated to have been taken around
1900. These images provided more information regarding their home’s original shape
and design than most homeowners are provided. And historians feel equally blessed
that a segment of the original plan for 2 Walnut Avenue was discovered during the
renovation. While the plan itself is only a schematic of the foundation masonry, it includes the owner’s name as well as those of the architect and builder and the date of
design. Thus we know for virtual fact that this home was built for Mr. Benjamin
Franklin Carver in 1882, designed by architect David B. Provoost.
Benjamin Carver, and his wife Sallie, were among Larchmont’s earliest residents. In November, 1880 they purchased a roughly 10 acre tract of shorefront between what is now Woodbine and Walnut Avenues encompassing the land now
occupied by the Larchmont Yacht Club, 2 Walnut, 4 Walnut and 39 Ocean Avenues.
The Carvers set out to develop their land, beginning with a residence for
themselves facing Larchmont Harbor. The work appears to have been completed by
the spring of 1881, as noted in the Port Chester Journal : “Mr. Carver’s beautiful residence, the most complete perhaps of any here, will be ready for occupancy by May
[1881].” While they clearly intended the house to be their summer residence – the
Port Chester Journal notes in December 1881 they were among those well-known
Larchmont families departed for the winter. (This property is now the clubhouse for
the Larchmont Yacht Club.)
It appears that as soon as construction on the Carver’s summer home was
complete, plans were drawn for the house that would become 2 Walnut. The masonry
schematic found by the Campbells is dated December 1881 and interestingly, the architect was not Henry Kilburn, who designed their summer home (and was later commissioned for St. John’s Episcopal Church and Helena Flint’s magnificent Cherry
Tree Cottage on Larchmont Avenue). The reason for the change is unknown but we
can speculate: Kilburn may have been unavailable. Or the Carvers were looking to
conserve funds by using a lesser-known architect. What does seem certain is that 2
Walnut was built as an investment vehicle, either as a rental property - Larchmont
being a popular summer destination for wealthy New Yorkers looking for cooling sea
breezes- or with the intention of improving the land before subdividing it.
Within months of completion of 2 Walnut, it was in the hands of Honorine
and Robert M. Vail. In November 1882, the Carvers sold the home to the Vails for
$17,000, capitalizing well on their relatively short investment as they recouped the
majority of the cost of their original land purchase.
Little is known of the Vails or their time in Larchmont. Honorine Gargiulo
Vail was of Greek and Turkish descent and apparently met her husband while he was
visiting Constantinople. Robert Minton Vail was a son of Henry Farnum Vail, who
was president of the Commerce Bank. The scarcity of information pertaining to
Robert’s professional endeavors (other that a couple of directory listings of a brokerage
partnership with his brother-in-law Joseph Gargiulo), combined with the timing of
the purchase of 2 Walnut roughly a year following his father’s death, suggest that perhaps he was reliant upon inherited funds.
Honorine, however, was apparently quite an impressive woman in her own
right. The New York Times described her as “a linguist, a highly cultivated woman,
and extremely popular in society. She is of the Oriental type, of middle height, with
a full figure, large black eyes, black hair, and a creamy skin.” Her name frequently appears in the company of Mrs. W.K. Vanderbilt in society notations, and she was the
first president (and perhaps founder along with Mrs. Vanderbilt) of a charitable organization, the Crescent and Cross Society, founded to assist Turks in the Russo-Turkish war. Similar in purpose to the Red Cross (who, in this conflict served to assist
Russians only), the Crescent and Cross was comprised entirely of women, many of
whom were wives of Red Cross members. For her work in this organization, she was
awarded the Order of the “Chefkat” by the Sultan of Turkey in 1882, the first instance
of it being bestowed upon a woman.
In 1888, the Vails sold 2 Walnut to then-Larchmont Yacht Club Commodore
Girard C.W. Lowrey for $23, 600. At the time, the name “Lowrey” was well associated
with a men’s furnishing goods business (caps, hosiery, and cravats), established by Girard’s father, Joseph, in the 1840s. Haberdashery is likely where Girard met his first
wife, Frank Shethar. Frank’s (yes, Frank) father was also in the hat business. The couple
married in 1882 and by the time the couple purchased 2 Walnut, Frank was pregnant
with their second child. Initially, the house was probably intended as a summer residence as Girard managed the men’s furnishings company which had now expanded
into several adjoining storefronts on Broadway, while his father was busy expanding
the family’s interests into railroads with the likes of Jay Gould. But by the early 1890s,
2 Walnut was a year-round home as evidenced by Girard’s entries in the New York
City directories giving his home address as “Larchmont”.
The Lowreys named the estate “Wallsea,” a grand name for a grand house.
And such a large home came with significant staffing requirements. Thus, we aren’t
surprised to learn that the 1900 census lists five household servants, outnumbering
the four family members then living in the house: Girard, his second wife Charlotte,
their newborn daughter and one of Girard’s daughters from his first marriage.
Given the home’s history with, and proximity to, the Larchmont Yacht Club,
it’s equally unsurprising to learn that Girard was an avid sailor. His yacht club memberships included the New York and Columbia Yacht Clubs and he was, from 18881892, Commodore of the Larchmont Yacht Club. In 1907, with Girard in declining
health, 2 Walnut was sold to John Olive, about whom almost nothing is known. Three
years later, John sold the home to Mary Harrington, the recently widowed wife of
John J. Harrington, a wealthy wholesale butcher and Tammany Hall leader of the
Sixteenth Assembly district.
The Harringtons were familiar to Larchmont, having acquainted themselves
with the community by renting the Jenkins Cottage (24 Helena) several years earlier.
Apparently they liked what they saw because John was listed at “Bay Ave nr Ocean
Av” in the few years preceding his death. That address is sufficiently ambiguous to be
one of several homes near that intersection but also intriguingly close to the location
of 8 Bay Avenue, another home on this year’s house tour. It is unlikely that the Harrington house was 8 Bay; more likely that it was a close neighbor.
In 1912, Mary Harrington married Charles Reisig, a former police commissioner of New Rochelle. Charles, along with his 18 year old daughter, Bessie, moved
into 2 Walnut, now named “Harbor View”.
Charles and Bessie claimed an illustrious genealogical heritage as Charles’ mother was
said to descend, on her mother’s side, from
Sarah Rapelye, believed to be the first white
child born on Long Island. On her father’s side
she was a descendent of Robert Morris, one
of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Charles had made a very good living for
himself as the proprietor of chemical and dye import business. However, after he
moved to Westchester in 1905, he found himself increasingly involved in civic affairs.
His various posts include stints as Larchmont Village Trustee and Village Mayor from
1924-25. He had an abiding interest in police work was often seen in the company of
village officers on their early morning beats. And while his personality was described
as “a ‘Diamond in the rough,’ – a man who wasn’t always understood but one who
nevertheless possessed heart of gold,” he was also the one who never forgot to play
Santa Claus at the annual police department Christmas celebration.
Mary Reisig was, for many years, the head of the Larchmont-Mamaroneck
Animal Humane Society. Upon her death, in 1941, she was described as the type of
person whose life was “devoted to thought of others and marked by a desire to bring
sunshine into dark lives and to ease the burdens of those heavily laden.” Certainly
Mary’s devotion to Charles was unquestioning; she died in 1941 less than 48 hours
after him. She had been ill for some time but her passing was said to be brought on
by a broken heart.
Following the death of the Reisigs, 2 Walnut was sold to Adele Rolland Levy.
In her youth, Adele was a well-known stage actress, rising to fame
in a 1915 production of “It Pays to Advertise.” Her acting career
came to an abrupt end on August 8, 1922 when she opted to elope
with Clarence Levy, a crockery dealer in Brooklyn, rather than
take the stage for that night’s performance of “Partners Again”.
The Levys appear to have moved to Larchmont in the
early 1940s and operated a store somewhere on Larchmont Avenue between Addison Street and the Boston Post Road. It’s possible that the store sold fine china as Clarence is listed as a china
importer in the 1940 census.
Adele purchased 2 Walnut in 1943; the deeds show that at this point the approximately 2 acre lot that came with the home was comprised of three separate lots.
When she sold the house in 1960, she retained ownership of the lots fronting Walnut
and Ocean. It was around this time that the extensive exterior porches and ornamentation are thought to have been removed from 2 Walnut. The house at 4 Walnut and
39 Ocean were built in the mid-to-late 1950s and removing
the external structures on 2 Walnut likely gave cleaner sight
lines to the water.
The new owner of 2 Walnut was Esther Williams.
Really. Ok, maybe not that Esther Williams but rather Esther
Grant Williams, wife of F. Douglas Williams, a management
consultant. The Williamses raised their family in Larchmont
and maintained ownership of the house until 1974 when they sold it to DeWitt C.
Baker III.
In 1977, the home was purchased by Robert and Ann Hiden. Bob and Ann
were already long-time residents, having moved to Larchmont in 1961 when Bob was
a more-or-less newly minted lawyer. His impressive academic credentials (Princeton
undergrad, University of School of Law) as well as extensive experience in securities,
transactional, M&A and regulatory matters eventually propelled him into a partnership at Sullivan and Cromwell, from which he retired in 1999.
Now well into their retirement years, Bob and Ann still maintain an active
participation in area activities. They are longtime members of the Larchmont Yacht
Club where, in the 1990s, Bob was Club Secretary. More recently, they have become
involved with the senior care organization, At Home on the Sound, where Bob serves
as moderator for a weekly current events discussion group. In 2007, after thirty years
in the house, the Hidens sold 2 Walnut to Bruce and Cannon Campbell.
The Campbells moved to the East Coast in 1997 after three years of working
at law firms in California. For Cannon, it was a return home as she grew up in Queens.
For Bruce, a now-transplanted Californian, it was a whole new world brought about
by job opportunities and true love. Initially, the couple (and their newborn eldest
daughter) moved into the attic of Cannon’s parent’s house. Eager for their own home,
the couple started their search in Larchmont largely because on their first day of house
hunting the New York Times Real Estate Section’s “If You’re Thinking of Living
In…” article was on Larchmont. An exploratory drive around town left Bruce surprised to find beautiful neighborhoods like Larchmont’s so close to the city. The couple
purchased a Tudor in Rouken Glen and started to raise their girls, of which they had
three by the time they moved out in 2007.
Today, the Campbell family has expanded to include one more daughter.
Bruce is an executive at a media company while Cannon manages the very busy lives
of three teenagers and a four-year old. Their home is a stunning preservation of the
past and a beautiful expression of the present. This it the first time 2 Walnut has appeared on the Larchmont Historical Society’s House Tour. LHS gratefully acknowledges the Campbells generosity in opening their home to visitors on the 2015 tour.
ARCHITECTURAL NOTES:
The current owners of 2 Walnut Avenue purchased this unique property located on the shore line of Larchmont Harbor in 2007. The spectacular expansive
view to the east encompassing the Larchmont Yacht Club and Harbor, Delancey
Cove, and Greacen and Edgewater Points, is nearly unparalleled in the Village.
The original house, built c. 1881, was designed by the “successful and prolific
[architect] of picturesque seaside and suburban cottages” David B. Provoost. According to archival documentation, the home was an asymmetrical, multi-gabled, multi-
faceted Queen Anne style residence with Eastlake and Stick style features. An array
of materials including stone, clapboards, shingles and decorative elements were incorporated throughout the exterior. It featured a generous, partially enclosed veranda
that wrapped around two sides of the first floor of the house with ornamental columns
and brackets under the entablature at the perimeter of its roof. A number of upper
level sleeping porches, balconies and protrusions augmented a complex roof system
of gabled, hipped, eyebrow and jerkin head dormers. Several monumental decorated
brick chimneys punctured the roofs, the uppermost of which was further embellished
with an elaborate copper ridge cap.
Throughout the decades the house underwent a series of renovations, not all
of which were beneficial. The mid 20th century changes in particular, which included
the demolition of the magnificent veranda, several balconies and much of the roof
line, rendered the house nearly unrecognizable.
It was these unfortunate “modifications” that the current owners sought to address and reverse when they began their extensive program of restoration, renovation
and modernization in 2010. Using old photographs, plans and found remnants of original
materials and details, the owners and their architect, Robert Keller, set about their challenging work. The result is a thoroughly updated yet respectful whole that has reintroduced many of the important characteristic elements of the original structure.
As viewed from the entry into the property at the southwest corner, the footprint and volumetric composition of the current home seem to be somewhat more
rectilinear than the original house. However, many aspects of the earlier, irregularly
shaped plan, complex massing and rooflines are clearly visible at the reconstructed
east elevation facing the Harbor.
The relocated front door is reached by a new entry porch assembly located
off a cobblestone and concrete driveway and bluestone patio. It features two masonry
stairways placed symmetrically on either side of a raised masonry planter. Large oval
windows flank the door which is shaded by the deep beadboard soffits of the porch
roof above. Wooden columns support an entablature over which a wooden balustrade
anchored by decorative corner posts sporting spherical wooden post caps define the
edge. Centered over the entry porch at the third floor is a jerkin head dormer that
penetrates the hipped shingled main roof. The semi-circular window below introduces
an element that is repeated on the opposite side of the house.
Several materials seen on the west elevation are reminiscent of those used in
the construction of the original house. These include the stone base, shingle siding, fishscale shingles, copper gutters and downspouts. Decorative motifs are introduced here
that are continued around the remainder of the exterior such as the flared band of fish
scale shingles located just below the deep eaves of the upper roofs, wide window trim
and decorative “stickwork”. This appliqué of overlaid board strips on the outside walls
was used in 19th century revival architecture such as the Eastlake and Stick styles and
was originally meant to resemble the half timbering characteristic of Tudor architecture.
A new garage located at the north side of the driveway reinforces many of
these elements and introduces a hipped roof cupola capped by a standing seam copper
roof. The garage is reminiscent of the carriage houses that would have likely been on
site as auxiliary buildings to homes constructed in the late 19th century. A trellised
pathway connects the garage to the ground floor of the north wing of the house. Here
a second floor semi-octagonal bay rests over a larger ground floor projection; the two
are visually tied together by their standing seam copper roofs.
At the south elevation, two gable end dormers connected by a shed dormer
enliven the roof massing. Towards the east, the rebuilt chimney (in its initial location)
weaves its way up through the eaves much in the way the chimneys did originally.
The east elevation of the home showcases several reinterpreted characteristics
of the Queen Ann style. Differing wall textures, frieze boards with decorative dentils,
polygonal tower elements, monumental chimneys, distinctive roof and dormer elements and overhanging eaves are all at play here.
The series of reconstructed first floor window walls allow for spectacular views
of Larchmont Harbor from each interior room across the east elevation. Although
the design of the window assemblies is harmonious, there is a range of placement
choices that add interest and variety. The tall windows are placed, from left to right,
along the strait wall with flanking doors, at the protruding bay and several windows
with varying sill heights are recessed under a deep roof overhang. At the right, an octagonal open porch anchors the northeast corner. This space is unheated but storm
windows are available for the winter months while screens can be installed during the
summer. The prominent segmented shingle roof here is echoed and balanced by the
form of the tower element on the second floor above to the left.
A particularly distinctive feature of the original house was the ample third-floor
jerkin head dormer atop a pitched roof porch on the second floor. The current owners
took great care to reinterpret and recreate these elements. From the second floor roof
deck, the array of materials used to construct these forms, including bead board, stickwork
and fish scale shingles can be seen clearly. Several copper standing seam roofs are used to
connect the complex elements involved in this in this amalgamation of forms. Above, a
number of small gables penetrate the wood shingle roof providing light into the interior
spaces and heightening the level of interest and articulation.
The configuration of patios, stairs and plantings at the east garden between
the house and the formidable stone sea wall provides the residents with ample opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and the breathtaking views. A large pool at the northeast
corner of the property enlivens the entire landscaping scheme.
In addition to their sensitivity to the form and style of the original home,
throughout the renovation, the owners insisted on using authentic materials - wood,
stone, brick and copper. They carefully reintroduced antique components as well.
This thoughtful and steadfast approach significantly enhanced the appearance and
experience of this gracious home.
INTERIOR NOTES:
Entrance Hall
When constructed in 1882, the house’s entrance faced Ocean Avenue. However, at some point in the numerous alterations that occurred over the years, the front
entrance was reoriented toward Walnut, probably when the portion of the property
that fronted Ocean was sold. A whole section of the house was removed, presumably
to give the buyers a bit of water view for their new construction. The Campbells returned the house’s entrance to the original position, complete with 19th century double doors found at Stamford House Wrecking in Connecticut.
This is just one example of how much thought went into the entire renovation
project. The Campbells hoped to revive some of the house’s original aspects and
merge them with a design for the lifestyle of a large 21st century family. They lived in the
house for a few years prior to the renovation, in order to approach it thoughtfully and consider
all angles of the project. Cannon made an effort to find and integrate 19th century elements
of the type that she thought might have been in the house originally. Bobby Noonan of Noonan Brothers Construction worked with her to ensure that these objects were sensitively incorporated into the fabric of the house. It is clear that that these aspects of the project make
the house so much more meaningful to the Campbells than if they had just purchased it
move-in ready.
Other features of the entrance hall are its high ceilings and large windows that allow
plenty of light into this open space. The parquet flooring is one of the house’s few remaining
original elements, and it was an unexpected surprise for the Campbells, hidden as it was under
wall-to-wall carpeting. They were thrilled to be able to expose it, and the floor is left bare accordingly. There is an inviting overstuffed loveseat in the windowed sunny corner to the right.
To the left is the study.
Study
In contrast to the light openness of the entrance hall, the study is an enclosed and private space. When the front door was returned to its current location, the size of this room was
decreased in order to give the entrance hall a more gracious feeling. The wall and ceiling colors
were dictated by the contemporary painting that hangs on the right wall, the first Cannon ever
bought, years ago. The colors include deep red, navy blue, and apple green. The desk faces the
left wall and a large window directly opposite the wide doorway looks out to the side yard. There
are sliding pocket doors to separate the space from the entrance hall. They were created to resemble the front doors and contain old glass that Cannon found in Pennsylvania.
The first section of the stairwell, connecting to the second floor, is original to the
house, complete with bannister with elegant white-painted turnings, and dark-stained handrail
and treads. Notice the artistically mottled effect on the risers. It was the result of the painting
process; the painters had stripped off the existing white paint and were preparing to paint
again. Cannon liked the effect and asked the painters to leave it, as-is. While not evident, the
bottom three steps are new. Previously, the wall of the study extended so that it was flush with
the left side of these steps. Thus the bottom stairs were curved on the right side but not the
left. The Campbells rounded the stairs on both sides, necessitating three new bottom steps.
The risers were faux-painted to match the others, and the section of handrail on the left was
made to match the original on the right.
The parquet floor continues beyond the stairs to the living room. There were a few
areas that required repair or replication but the result is so seamless that the difference is hard
to detect. Opposite the stairwell is the powder room.
Powder Room
The powder room occupies the location where the front entrance had been when the Campbells bought the house. A window now replaces the exterior door. The pewter sink is mounted
on an antique sideboard that was found at a fair in Connecticut; the sideboard was used in
their previous home prior to its new incarnation here. The tile floor is black with blue motherof-pearl insets. Note the 19th century doorknob and lock plate on the door. These came from
the Hotel Julien Dubuque in Iowa, an historic hotel that Cannon’s family has owned for over
fifty years. When the hotel transitioned to key cards, all of the hardware on the hotel’s doors
had to be switched accordingly. Lacking the original hardware for the home, Cannon reinstalled the hotel hardware here. You will see many other doors on the second and third floor
that also have these knobs, adding both consistency and a personal touch. On a related note,
this door is one of the few original to the house. The Campbells had it reproduced for use
throughout the upper two floors.
Please turn and walk through the very wide doorway and into the living room.
Living Room
The present-day living room incorporates an area that was originally an octagonal
shape. This is known because, in a truly remarkable discovery, the foundation plan of the design was discovered in a wall during the renovation. The plan is now framed and hangs in
the stairwell between the second and third floors. It will be seen a bit later in the tour. The
plan outlines a slightly elongated octagon for this section. The proof that the room was actually
constructed in this shape was confirmed when carpeting was removed and areas of the underlying parquet was angled accordingly. You will see this distinctive, slightly elongated octagon
in the Larchmont Yacht Club club’s trophy room. This parallel form likely comes from the
fact that both LYC and 2 Walnut were built for the same original owner, Benjamin Carver.
(In the case of LYC, the room was originally the Carver’s dining room.)
Unfortunately, there was not enough of the original parquet floor here to save. Much
of it was damaged, and part of the room was found to have plywood beneath the carpeting.
This was originally a curved, open exterior porch that had been squared off in a previous
renovation. The remaining pieces of parquet were preserved for use in repairing the entrance
hall floor and a new floor was laid. Overhead is a coffered ceiling, of the type that may have
graced the original interior. The finished product is a spacious and airy room, with an expanse
of glass on the far side in order to take full advantage of the water views. A cluster of four
green-upholstered armchairs is placed there for just this purpose.
The chimney dates to the original 1882 house; it is one of two that were part of architect David B. Prevoost’s design. The second one was in the section of the house that was
removed when the property was subdivided. The striking black fireplace surround was found
while Cannon was antiquing in Pennsylvania. It likely dates to the third quarter of the 19th
century. It was a tight fit into her new-at-the-time SUV, but she was determined to bring the
piece back with her despite the scratches it left in the vehicle’s interior! Note the Federal-style
tallcase clock to the left of the fireplace. Cannon made it in a class she took when she was a
student in boarding school. It is a replica of the type of American tallcase clocks produced in
the 1770s and 80s. In the tradition of clockmakers of the period, it even includes Cannon’s
name on the painted clock face.
Separating the living room from the dining room is an open doorway defined with
a double column structure. The structure frames the doorway and adds architectural interest.
The pair of columns on either side is joined at the base by a built-in cabinet, and at the top
by a panel centered with a square stylized stained glass panel. Cannon found the pair of glass
panels on one of her antiquing excursions and thought they would be perfect for the house
but had no specific idea about where to install them. The divider between the two rooms was
created to showcase the panels.
Dining Room
The dining room was created in what was formerly an enclosed porch. As in the living room, it features a large expanse of glass that faces the water, providing diners with a mesmerizing view at all times of day and in any type of weather.
Please step through the wide doorway and into the kitchen.
Kitchen
The house’s previous kitchen occupied only a small portion of the current space. It
was enclosed and disconnected from the adjacent rooms so the natural inclination was to expand it and give access to the views enjoyed in the adjoining rooms. The color scheme is executed in a series of blues with a grey undertone very well suited to the house’s waterside
location. The kitchen floor is polished concrete with a large-scale and colorful sinuous wave
design created to mirror the waves in the glass tiles that border the backsplash.
Before moving on to the family room, take a moment to look at the photographs
displayed on the island. They give a good sense of the house’s many alterations over the years.
Family Room
The family room is part of a two-story addition that was constructed in the mid20th century. It’s most notable feature is its double height, culminating in a soaring paneled
ceiling. The source of the ceiling’s paneling is actually the original fir flooring from the second
and third floors, repurposed after it was determined that they were too worn and thin to remain on the floor. Unwilling to dispose of them, the Campbells devised this creative solution
for their preservation.
In the manner of a late 19th or early 20th library, the room includes a balcony area
with built-in bookshelves, but designed with thoroughly modern details such as a metal railing
and glass flooring. If you walk up the stairs to take a closer look at the balcony, you will note
a children’s reading area, complete with an upholstered seat and reading light. This serves
another purpose as well, which is to conceal ductwork that extends above the balcony floor.
Another perfectly modern aspect of the room is its arrangement of comfortable oversized
seating and the large flat-screen television.
Please visit the adjacent sun room before continuing the tour.
Sun Room
The sun room has no historic connection to the house – it is not part of the original
footprint – but is simply a space that the Campbells wanted to include. As the original house
included a variety of porches in different configurations, it is a feature that has been carried
over to the current design, and it seems fitting to include this one, as well. It is screened, and
features an assortment of cushioned sofas and chairs. It is the perfect place to sit and capture
the cool sea breezes from the Sound while being sheltered from the sun on hot days. The
black-and-white tile floor was an inspiration chosen to remind Cannon of the ones at Round
Hill in Jamaica.
Please return to the kitchen and walk through the door that adjoins the entrance
hall. Pay special attention to the architectural features in this area of the entrance hall. The
paneled supporting wall of the stairwell is original to the house and had been concealed under
sheetrock. The paneling was replicated to extend it around the doorway to the kitchen and
coordinating doors featuring old glass Cannon found in Pennsylvania were installed.
Please ascend the stairs to the second floor. When the Campbells bought the house, this
original portion of the stairwell only extended as far as the second floor. Rather than replicate it,
they decided to go in a completely opposite direction. At the second floor, the stairwell changes
to glass and metal – a 21st century departure from the 19th century lower portion! In an attempt
to balance tradition with modernity, however, the handrail from the original portion of the stairs
has been reproduced for use here.
At the top of the stairs, please go straight ahead to enter the master suite.
Master Suite
The master suite was created from two bedrooms and two bathrooms. It provides
Cannon and Bruce with a private area that offers a large master bath, his and hers walk-in
closets/dressing rooms, and a bedroom with its own private terrace.
Master Bathroom
The master bath is accessed by a couple of steps up. It is a generous size and boasts
water views. The materials used are green marble and stained wood cabinetry that has a
slight Craftsman feeling.
Please return to the corridor, noting the elegant navy blue ceiling. Pause to peer into the
closet/dressing rooms on either side, designed with built-ins and painted in green and navy. In
a fun twist, the use of the green and navy palette is different in the two dressing rooms: Bruce’s
built-ins are navy with green trim, and Cannon’s are green with navy trim.
Master Bedroom
Stepping into the master bedroom, a surprise awaits: the high peaked and paneled
ceiling was discovered during renovation. It was sandwiched between a lower flat ceiling and
another roofed structure above it. By exposing it, the Campbells have resuscitated an original
feature and also added an unexpected and dramatic element to the master bedroom. To
maintain a sense of lightness in the room, the ceiling’s woodwork was pickled.
Although the room has a predominantly modern quality, there are two 19th century
details. One is the stained glass panel that Cannon purchased on an antiquing excursion, and
for which a particular bit of wall was constructed in order to display it. The other is the
wooden fireplace surround, which belonged to Cannon’s great-great-grandmother. Above
the mantel, a mirror is integrated into the structure. Another reference to Cannon’s family in
Iowa can be seen in the door hardware which, as you will recall, came from the Hotel Julien
Dubuque.
Before leaving the master suite, be sure to have a look at the private terrace. Like the
master bathroom, it is accessed by a couple of steps up. Not surprisingly, there is a spectacular
view of the harbor and the Sound.
Please return to the corridor to resume the tour. At the end of the corridor is a 19th century
pie safe, with decoratively pierced metal panels. Above it hangs a painting of Cannon’s childhood home in Forest Hills, Queens. Once back in the main second floor hallway, please turn
left to see one of the daughters’ bedrooms.
First Daughter’s Bedroom
Each of Cannon and Bruce’s four daughters has a corner bedroom, with two exposures, and an ensuite bathroom, a luxury that each girl must surely appreciate! This particular
bedroom is decorated with light blue walls and has a color-coordinated blue-tiled bathroom.
Two special features are the window above the built-in desk, spanning the corner and providing an excellent view of the water, and the private balcony, also facing the water.
Before returning to the hall, note the stained glass transom above the door. You will
see its mate across the hall in the transom of another daughter’s bedroom.
Second Daughter’s Bedroom
This bedroom is decorated in a light yellow and green palette, complementing the
vintage set of bedroom furniture. When Cannon’s parents bought their house years ago, this
suite of furniture came with it and it was used in Cannon’s childhood bedroom. The green
Craftsman-style rug unifies the décor.
The ensuite bath is decorated in green and yellow tile. The Old English-style sconces
flanking the mirror were on the exterior of the Campbell’s previous Larchmont house, a
Rouken Glen Tudor. Years earlier, Cannon replaced these lights with something larger, but
kept these. She found a new use for them here, just as she did with the antique sideboard,
also from their previous home, which holds the powder room sink now.
Please return to the hall and walk up the stairs to the third floor, stopping to see the original 1881
plan of the house’s foundation.
The Campbells’ other two daughters have their bedrooms on this floor. As on the
second floor, the two bedrooms here have matching stained glass panels set into the transoms
above the doors. Note that these are pyramidal, and the area around them has been filled in
to accommodate the difference in shape between them and the rectangular transoms. Please
turn left into the first of the two rooms.
Third Daughter’s Bedroom
This bedroom features a lime and bright blue color scheme, based on colors in the
stained glass of the transom. It is a cheerful room with a painted built-in bed against the interior
wall, and a small balcony facing the water. In another example of preservation and re-use, the
white sink in the adjoining bathroom is one that came with the house. It was in the previous
master bedroom and probably dates to the 1940s or 50s. As it was in very good condition, it
was easily incorporated into the new interiors.
Please cross the hall to see the other bedroom on this floor.
Fourth Daughter’s Bedroom
Like her sister’s room across the hall, this bedroom is shaped by the varied and sloping roofline.
There is a window set high above the bed, functioning somewhat like a skylight. The L-shape
of the room provides privacy and a separate area for relaxing or doing homework. The furry
rug adds a stylish note. As with the other rooms, the purple and teal palette refers to colors in
the stained glass transom. The ensuite bath is decorated in purple and teal tile.
Please return down the stairwell to the first floor and exit through the living room doors on to the patio.
EIGHTY EIGHT Park AVENUE
“Family home.” That’s pretty much how all of us think of our house, isn’t
it? After all, without friends and family to fill it with love and laughter, mementos and memories, a house is simply a box with four walls and a roof.
Eighty-eight Park Avenue is a family home: it was built in 1904 as a gift from
father to daughter and for thirty-one years it is where said daughter lived
with her family, entertained her friends, and filled with mementos of a life
well lived. And just in case the daughter wanted to fill her home with more
family, an invitation could be extended with a shout: her parents lived to the
left and her sister to the right.
One hundred and ten years later, the importance of family still dominates 88 Park. The present owners, Andres and Kyle deLasa are raising
their family in the house. It echoes with the voices of their three children and
sometimes a ghost-echo might be heard of Andres and his three siblings as
they, too, grew up in the house. For more than thirty years, the house has
been the physical core of the deLasa family and the scene of countless birthdays, graduations, and holidays. The kitchen in particular, always the center
of activity in any home, still resonates with the sound and scent of weekly
Sunday dinners for the deLasa’s extended Cuban family.
Andres and Kyle bought their house in 2003 from Andres’ parents,
Jose and Maria deLasa (who then moved into another 2015 House Tour
home, 12 Pryer Lane). At the time, Kyle and Andres were living in London
on the second of three overseas postings arranged by Andres’s employer, a
financial services company. When news came that Jose and Maria were putting the house up for sale - and ‘first dibs’ went to their four children - Andres
found it difficult to say ‘no’. He and Kyle always knew that they would call
Larchmont ‘home’; being able to truly move back home was an opportunity
too good to pass up.
As you walk up to 88 Park Avenue, you are not seeing double – that really is
an identical house across the driveway at 86 Park. The homes - which are frequently
referred to as ‘sister houses’ – were built as gifts for sisters, Ellenor Proctor Riley and
Henrietta Proctor Donnelly, the daughters of vaudeville magnate Frederick F. Proctor.
They form the middle portion of the former Proctor estate on Park Avenue that once
stretched from Prospect to Circle Avenues.
Eighty-eight Park Avenue was Ellenor’s house. She was born in May 1873, the
oldest child of Frederick and Mary Ann (“Polly”) Daly Proctor. Frederick was, at the turn
of the twentieth century, known as a ‘vaudeville czar’ and is credited for modernizing
and refining vaudeville entertainment. Our definition of ‘family entertainment’ comes
in part from his practice of booking only the highest quality acts in his theaters and ensuring that the content would be suitable for both male and female audiences.
However, before he was a multi-million dollar vaudeville theater owner, Frederic Proctor was Fred Levantine, acrobat extraordinaire. As a teenager, he quite literally ran away with the circus after
being discovered by a circus manager while performing on Boston
Common during breaks from his stock boy job in a local dry goods
store. By the 1870’s he was an accomplished ‘equilibrist’ (an acrobat
who performs balancing feats, e.g. a tightrope walker) and foot juggler
(one who juggles and manipulates objects with the feet; in Fred’s case,
barrels) on the circus circuit. During his circus and vaudeville career
he performed as half of a duo named ‘The Levantine Brothers’ and,
when that act dissolved, as ‘The Great Levantine’.
When Frederick died in 1929, the New York Times described his circus career
as such: “His agility attracted the attention of a circus veteran, and it was not long
before young Proctor was touring vaudeville and circuses. He became an equilibrist,
and so sensational was his work that he was engaged for a European tour, the height
of good fortune in those days. Under the name Levantine he appeared in all the better
known English and continental music halls.”
As for Ellenor’s mother, Polly, she was singer and serio-comic performer on the
vaudeville stage. Her career started at the age of thirteen when she took the stage at the
New Bowery Theater in New York City and, as the New York Morning Telegraph noted
when she died in 1901, “Her dancing and attractive personality won
for her the admiration of the public and for perhaps a decade she
was among the most popular and high salaried artists in her branch
of the profession, alike in England and America.”
Given that both her parents were active performers at the
time of her birth, it is likely that Ellenor ‘joined the circus’ as an
infant: her parents are featured on a playbills for the Virginia
Opera House (Richmond, VA) in November and Shakespeare
Hall, Syracuse, NY in December 1873.
Ellenor’s sister, Henrietta, was born in Chicago in 1874 and her other siblings, a
sister and brother, were both born in New York in 1877 and 1880, respectively. We can
track Fred Levantine and Polly Daly through the U.S. by the volume of advertisements
that were published as their vaudeville group came to town: in 1878 they performed in
Chicago, Portage, WI, and Little Rock, AR. In 1879 there were stops in St. Louis and
Boston. Undoubtedly, there were many more performances in between these.
But by the time Ellenor was of school age, the family’s living/traveling situation appears to have changed. In 1880, census records show her living with an aunt
and uncle outside of Boston while her mother and younger sisters were in Manhattan
with their maternal grandmother. Fred Levantine is nowhere to be found in the census,
not surprising given the itinerant nature of traveling entertainment. This being said,
shortly thereafter, Fred and Polly gave up the entertainment circuit. In 1881, Fred appears under his stage name of ‘Frederick Levantine,” in the Albany, NY directory as
proprietor of the Novelty Theater (later renamed the Gaiety), a theater which was
most kindly described as “small and decrepit”. During his performing days, Frederick
Proctor often said that theaters were mismanaged; in his later years he said that he
quit the circus “to show them how” (to do it). Clearly, given his success, he was a man
who practiced what he preached.
Ellenor Proctor spent the next eight years of her childhood in Albany, initially
living in her father’s theater. Money was tight and her parents worked as the theater’s
janitors, booking agents, ticket sellers, and entertainment. It is probably a safe assumption that the older Proctor children also contributed to the theater’s care and maintenance during those years. Both Ellenor and Henrietta were accomplished singers and
a 1911 Billboard article notes that they had theatrical training. It’s easy to image that
they also took the stage on occasion, particularly once their father cleaned up the theater, brought in a better class of performers, and as a result, a better class of patrons.
The theater thrived and its financial success allowed Frederick to buy or lease
more theaters in the area. He was now juggling leases, contracts, performers and by
the mid-1880’s, confident in his business success, Frederick dropped ‘Levantine’ as his
surname and returned to his proper last name of ‘Proctor’.
In 1889, flush with success in Albany, Frederick moved the Proctor family to
Larchmont to expand his theater holdings. The first step in this
plan was the opening of what ultimately became the marquee
theater in the Proctor holdings, The Twenty-Third Street Theater at 141 W. 23rd Street.
In the late spring of 1889, the family moved into 90 Park Avenue, the house to the left of 88 Park. (The house currently on
that lot was built by Proctor in 1929 when his second wife announced that she wanted a Spanish style house, similar to those
she had seen on a recent trip to Hollywood. It replaced the home
that Proctor purchased in 1889.) While the family also had a residence in Manhattan,
their Larchmont home was considered their ‘home base’. The family joined St. John’s
Episcopal Church and became prominent in religious and social activities in Larchmont.
In 1892, Ellenor was briefly married to a school friend. It’s an odd story, and
as it was laid out in the newspaper accounts of the day, entirely planned and executed
by the groom with Ellenor as a passive and unwitting participant in their ‘elopement’.
Neither of them told anyone what they had done and when her father found out, via
an anonymous letter, he had himself declared her guardian and had the marriage
annulled. This experience might explain why it appears that when Ellenor married
Lester H. Riley in 1894, she may have eloped again, this time for real. The marriage
was witnessed by the officiating pastor’s wife and another person, leaving us with the
impression that family members were not invited to the ceremony. In June 1895, the
couple’s only child, Etelka, was born.
In 1899, Frederick Proctor purchased the land on which 88 Park stands. At
the time, it was occupied by a different house and while Ellenor, Lester and Etelka
were firmly ensconced in Larchmont by then, city directories show them living a block
away in the other direction, at the corner of Prospect and Cedar Avenues. Thus, it is
possible that the purchase was initially intended as an investment. Larchmont had an
active summer cottage rental market and a home with water views and sea breezes
probably commanded a generous and reliable income stream.
In the meantime, Ellenor was an active participant in Larchmont’s social and
religious life: the Larchmont Times regularly reported on musical events in which she
participated or hosted and in 1903, the New Rochelle Pioneer happily announced
that “…Mrs. Lester H. Riley, of Larchmont, is engaged as soprano soloist for the
morning and evening services for the full conference year, commencing Palm Sunday… Mrs. Riley’s beautiful voice and her sympathetic rendering of Christian songs
and hymns will be sure to add greatly to the enjoyability and helpfulness of the regular
Sabbath services.”
In 1903, Ellenor’s sister Henrietta married Frank Donnell. Henrietta’s wedding gift from her parents was 84 Park Avenue, the house across the driveway. Given
that the homes are nearly exactly the same, down to floor plan and interior details
such as the club medallions in the library windows and the lyre emblem above the
fireplace, it is assumed that they were built and gifted simultaneously. It is interesting
to note, however, that as much as the homes were gifts, legal ownership of the property
remained with Frederick Proctor. Ellenor and Henrietta didn’t acquire the title to their
homes until their father’s death in 1929.
While Ellenor and her family might have considered 88 Park ‘home’, they
also rented it out regularly for the summer season, particularly once Etelka left for private school in Greenwich. After all, they certainly had a variety of residences to choose
from if they weren’t in residence at 88 Park. The family could live with Ellenor’s parents next door, at 90 Park. Or they could stay in the Proctor’s New York City apartment on West 34th Street, or their own apartment on West 98th St. More often than
not, however, they divided their time between Larchmont and Proctoria, the Proctor’s 1,100 acre estate (complete with man-made lakes
and a golf course) in Orange County, NY adjacent to West Point Military Academy.
Proctoria is most certainly where Etelka Riley met Lieutenant
Julius Piland, a West Point graduate. The couple was married in May,
1919 in a full military service at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Fountain Square. As an active duty officer, Julius Piland’s unit was stationed
in Manila, the Philippines, in September, 1920. Etelka traveled to
Manila to be with him and while there delivered their only child, a boy. The child
was stillborn and she died of complications from his birth. The loss of Etelka was undoubtedly a crushing blow to a family that was already in mourning. Just six months
earlier, Ellenor’s husband Lester, died unexpectedly of pneumonia at the age of 46.
Following the loss of her husband and daughter, Ellenor nursed
her broken heart by traveling. She applied for her first passport
in January 1921, and spent the next few months in Cuba, Costa
Rica and the West Indies. In the following years, Ellenor traveled
widely, meeting a variety of prominent people along the way including Queen Marie of Romania and Marshal Joseph Joffre,
Commander-in-Chief of French forces on the Western Front in
WWI.
In May 1929, at the age of 78, Frederick Proctor retired from active management of his theater chain when he sold all but two of his theaters to RKO Pictures.
(RKO was the studio behind Citizen Kane and King Kong, among many other famous
films.) The sale was in keeping with one of his primary business principles: work with
friends and family because they are the most trustworthy. The “K” in RKO was Benjamin Keith, a long-time business partner; the director of RKO was Edward .L. Albee,
also a longtime business associate (as well as Mamaroneck neighbor and the grandfather of the writer, Edward Albee). At the peak of his career, Frederick owned 50
theaters, including ones in New Rochelle, Port Chester and Mount Vernon. The terms
of the sale were not disclosed at the time but price was estimated to be between $16
and $18 million.
Four months later, Frederick Proctor died. The bequests in his will were numerous as he generously recognized his loyal friends and employees. Ellenor followed
her father’s example when she died in 1935: longtime employees received generous
gifts including money, cars, and depending on your definition of generosity, her
beloved dog.
Ellenor’s death was, in some respects, the end of an era for 88 Park. Its sale,
in 1937, was the first time in nearly 35 years that the home was owned by someone
other than a Proctor. This being said, however, 88 Park didn’t pass too far out of family
hands as the purchaser was George Wallen, secretary and confidential advisor to Frederick Proctor for fifty years. George’s association with Frederick started in 1880 in Albany with the Gaiety Theater and the pair remained close friends and associates until
Frederick’s death.
George Wallen died in 1941 but his estate retained ownership of the house
until 1955 when it was sold to Arthur and Cecilia Coleman. The Coleman’s lived in
the house for twenty years before selling to Patrick Houdart.
In 1981, Jose and Maria Theresa de Lasa purchased 88 Park. The couple
was introduced to Larchmont in the mid-1970s through their good friends, Manuel
and Rosario Delgado. At the time, Jose had recently graduated from law school and
the couple found a comfortable first house on Howard Street, a tiny little two-house
street between Stuyvesant and Mayhew. Several years later, they were returning from
a three-year job posting in Europe. The family had expanded to include four children
and the de Lasas were in search of a home that could accommodate everyone. Rosario
Delgado, now a realtor, brought Maria to see 88 Park. Maria’s initial concerns about
the limited outdoor space fell away once she saw the large and welcoming rooms, and
in particular, the water views from the upper floors. A few months – and some fresh
paint – later, 88 Park was the de Lasa’s new family home.
A little more than twenty years later, Jose and Maria sold their home to Andres
and Kyle. At the time, they had lived in Chicago for the past eleven years. Yes, for
more than a decade the senior de Lasas lived in Chicago and maintained their family
home in Larchmont. Maria explains their decision this way: at the time of the move,
their children were either married or in college. They clearly would not be moving to
the Windy City with their parents and they had no link to it other than the fact of
their parents’ presence there. But 88 Park…that was the physical nucleus of the family,
the place for holidays and celebrations, and the source of their fondest family memories. Jose and Maria felt that selling the house would be a bit like pulling the foundation out from under the family. Accordingly, they returned for summers, Thanksgiving,
Christmas and nearly every possible opportunity in between until 2003 when Jose retired and the couple returned to Larchmont. Such is the importance of 88 Park as
the family home of the de Lasas.
Since 2003, Andres and Kyle de Lasa have been the stewards of this extraordinary family home. Eighty-eight Park has appeared twice before under the ownership
of the de Lasa family. LHS is grateful for the opportunity to present this home once
again to house tour visitors.
ARCHITECTURAL NOTES:
The prominent gambrel roof end of 88 Park Avenue is the most striking feature of this outstanding house. The generous expanse of grey shingled wall, clearly
delineated at the edge by white barge boards creates an impressive street frontage.
The relative solidity of the upper part of the façade, punctured only by two elegant
double hung windows flanked by Tuscan columns and distinctive oval openings at
the second floor and a double hung window at the third, is contrasted by the relative
transparency of the first floor elevation. Here, a series of large, divided-light casement
windows separated by Tuscan columns supporting a wide architrave, run horizontally
at the front of the house and turn the corner for one bay at either perpendicular end.
It is hypothesized that this space was an open porch originally and would have balanced the exposed nature of the second floor sleeping porch, also now enclosed, above.
Entrances to 17th century Dutch urban structures were normally located on the gambrel ends of the buildings as exemplified by those along the Prinsengracht in Amsterdam. However, in free-standing Dutch revival style residential buildings, entries were
often located at the long side of the structure in order to deliver the visitor into the
center of the floor plan and to create a degree of privacy. While the front doors of
nearly all neighboring houses address the street, the entrance to this home is located
at the longer south-eastern side of the structure.
While Number 88 is in and of itself a beautiful and impressive structure, the
fact that it is one of a pair of identical homes renders it, and its twin, undeniable
“landmark” status. Facing one another across an ample cobbled driveway that leads
to a two-car garage at the rear of the property, the mirrored entry facades and perimeter plantings create an articulated boundary for the shared intermediate space which
functions as an inviting courtyard enjoyed immensely by the residents of both homes.
The main entrance to the home is flanked, unexpectedly, by massive brick piers which
anchor the corners of the gambrel end that transects the primary volume of the house.
At the south east elevation, the piers form a protective yet welcoming entry recess. At
the opposite end, a substantial bay window runs nearly the entire length of the Living
Room within. Centered directly above the entry are a gracious Palladian style window
and a horizontally oriented oculus with keyed frame at the third floor. Shallow shed
dormers are located to the left and right at the second floor, the slate roofs of which
blend gracefully into the pitch of the gambled roof line. The muntins of the upper
portions of these windows display the repeated pointed arch motif found in windows
throughout the home.
As seen from the southern corner of the property, the fenestration of these
perpendicular gambrel ends complement each other beautifully. The interplay of
horizontal and arched window frames, vertically and horizontally oriented ovoid
shapes located in large expanses of shingled siding, supported by either relatively transparent or solid ground floor elements below create this dynamic architectural repartee.
To the right of the entry is an unusual semicircular bay window form anchored to
the right by a brick chimney stack. Curiously, the roof of this element (which once
supported a perimeter balustrade and is accessible from a stair landing inside) is noticeably lower than expected. The sills of the leaded pane windows are uncommonly
located just inches above grade. Inside, a surprise awaits the visitor!
The rectilinear footprint of this home is punctuated the by several bay windows on the lower and upper floors. These features activate the envelope of the house
and invite light deep into the interior spaces while allowing visual access to the beautiful
views of Manor Park, Horseshoe Harbor and Long Island Sound beyond.
Perhaps it is fitting that two of the most prominent houses at the edge of Horseshoe Harbor should be in the Dutch Revival style for, was it not an early 17th century
Dutch ship captain who “discovered” Long Island Sound and chronicled the sighting of
Indigenous People’s campfires in what is now known as Larchmont Manor Park?
INTERIOR NOTES:
Entrance Hall
The house’s interiors represent a remarkable survival, as many houses from
this time period have been stripped or gutted. The restrained façade gives no hint of
the decorative richness contained within. For two generations, the de Lasa family has
lovingly preserved these original features. The entrance hall itself is full of decorative
elements. The dark-stained front door is enhanced by a leaded and colored glass panel
above, and flanked by matching sidelights. The flooring is parquet with a banded border. The main stairwell boasts a bannister with graceful turnings and a paneled supporting wall. Tucked beneath the turn in the stairwell is the library, located half a level
below the ground floor.
Please follow the steps down to the library.
Library
The library is extraordinary room. While it is not a large space, it feels very
grand, and evokes aspects of Gilded Age interiors of the late 19th century, when the
library was considered an essential part of a refined house. The room is curved on
one side, with a window seat stretching along the entire lower expanse, and delicately
traced leaded and colored glass windows conforming to the curves above. In the upper
register of three of the windows is a medallion representing the burgees of the Larchmont waterfront clubs: the Larchmont Yacht Club, the Larchmont Shore Club, and
Horseshoe Harbor Yacht Club. Inserted between these is a pair of identical medallions, each depicting a ship.
The walls are papered in grass cloth and the floor is covered in a sisal area
rug, coordinating with the beige and tan tones of the narrow bricks of the fireplace.
The wall covering and rug also provide a neutral backdrop that directs the focus to
the room’s many special features. The sizable fireplace and its associated wooden surround occupy the entire wall opposite the entrance to the room. The long mirror
above the fireplace is actually built into a wood structure that includes not only the
mantel, but also a pair of leaded glass panels on either end and a pair of molded–
frame doors beneath these, probably concealing small storage closets. There are also
electrified sconces mounted on either side of the mirror. These appear to be original.
To the left of the fireplace are built-in bookcases. The overall effect of the
room is both grand and inviting; one can imagine spending many cozy afternoons or
evenings here in front of a roaring fire.
Powder Room
The powder room is also very intact. Note the small decorative window, as
well as the electrified brass sconce and the diminutive sink, all of which appear to be
original to the room. Here, too, the walls are covered in grass cloth.
Please return to the entrance hall and walk through into the living room.
Living Room
Certainly, the focal point of the living room is the massive fireplace on the far
wall, centered between a graceful set of French doors and an interior window that
overlooks the adjacent sun room. The French doors are rendered in a compressed
lozenge pattern that is echoed in the windows here and throughout the house. Above
the mantel is a tripartite classical-style frieze, depicting a lyre in the central panel, and
putti in the flanking panels. The “twin” house next door apparently has this same
frieze above the fireplace. As the Proctor sisters were said to have been musically inclined, it is possible the friezes make reference to their shared interest. The brickwork
in the fireplace is the same narrow golden-toned type as in the library, although
arranged in a slightly different pattern.
Also as in the library, the living room boasts a generously sized window seat
in the bay. Like the decorative lozenge-pattern panes, these built-in seats augment
many of the windows in the house. Here, too, as in the entrance hall and library, the
floors are banded parquet, although with a slightly different, herringbone, pattern.
The oriental rugs are appropriate to the period of the house, while the simple lines of
the modern furnishings, including a pair of leather side chairs, chrome floor lamp
with a wide and dramatic arc, and a glass-topped coffee table, put the emphasis
squarely on the room’s architectural elements.
Please step through the French doors and into the sun room.
Sun Room
There is evidence to suggest that the sun room was once an open or screened
porch. The narrow bead-board ceiling, the horizontally paneled walls, the flooring
that is different and at a lower level than the living room, the interior window in the
living that overlooks the space, the windows unlike those in the rest of the house, and
the large removable panel with door and surrounding glass inserts that separates the
sun room from the similarly glass-enclosed porch at the house’s entrance. The window
configuration, too, is unlike the rest of the house, except for the original sleeping porch,
which is located directly above. The windows here and there are wood-framed casements and delineated by columns. It seems that at one time, this whole L-shaped area
was open, either with screens or without, in order to capture the breezes from the
Sound. The current windows are probably an early addition, in order to utilize the
space for more months of the year.
Note the extreme amount of settling that has occurred in the floor on one
side of the room. Kyle says that this apparently occurred within a few years of the
house’s construction. While it can feel disorienting to walk across this section of the
floor, it is, however, sturdy and perfectly safe.
As in the entrance hall and living room, the sun room is painted grey with white
trim, enhancing the sense of light and space. There are also a number of blue touches,
a reminder of the Sound, visible through the multiple windows. On the right side of the
room is a grouping of seating furniture that includes a light-blue upholstered sofa and an
old blue-painted Danish fisherman’s bench. Above the bench is a large framed woodblock print of the interior of a wooden boat. The artist is Sandra Swan, who lives on
Block Island, where the de Lasa family has vacationed for over 30 years.
Opposite the French doors is a country-style pine table holding a blue lamp.
Beyond to the left is a round drop-leaf table with a set of ladderback chairs with blue
seat cushions. There are two ceiling fans in the room, useful on hot summer days
when the sea breeze is not enough to cool the room. All in all, the room provides an
ideal place for casual family gatherings with a panoramic view of Manor Park and
Horseshoe Harbor.
Please return to the living room and walk through the wide doorway into the dining room.
Note the Doric column supports in the doorway, full-size versions of the ones in the sun room windows.
Dining Room
The dining room is painted pale grey with white trim. There are several architectural features of note. The first is the wooden beams that stretch across the ceiling. Another is the high plate railing that extends around a portion of the room. These
were popular at the turn of the century and were made for the display of ornamental
plates and dishes. There are also two built-in cabinets with leaded glass doors. The
pattern in the glass vaguely echoes the flattened lozenge pattern in the windows. The
floor is banded parquet, the same style as seen in the living room. As in the living
room, there is a bay window with a long window seat.
The décor is spare, again, drawing attention to the features of the room.
There is a striking red Chinese cabinet, a dining table with slide-out leaves is surrounded by a set of black Windsor chairs. Suspended above is a contemporary light
fixture. On the wall is a another Sandra Swan work, this one a large-scale horse.
Please walk through the door into the office. Beyond is the kitchen.
Office
Site of the original butler’s pantry, the space has been transformed from an early
20th century work area into a more typical work area for the 21st century. There is a
built-in desk, and in a nod to the established theme in the house, there is a window seat.
Kitchen
The kitchen is particularly light and airy, with numerous views of the yard.
Kyle says that this is because she is from Colorado and likes to have sun streaming in
and a feeling of being connected to the outdoors. A creative of example of how she
accomplished this was by having a small window placed in the wall behind the stove,
where a backsplash would typically be. Now she has a view while cooking!
A low half-wall separates the office from a dining area, which includes an Lshaped banquette against a window. There also black Windsor chairs that match those
in the dining room. Inserted in the sloped ceiling is a skylight. Two industrial-style
pendant fixtures provide additional light.
Beyond the dining area is a windowed alcove with a few steps down to a French
door that leads to the backyard. Kyle says that there was a small covered porch in this
location, and they absorbed it into the house. As with the window seat in the office, here,
too, the de Lasas make reference to an existing decorative element: the point where the
house previously ended has been delineated by a wide doorway accented with Doric
columns, similar to the one that connects the living room and dining room.
The white kitchen cabinets and the stainless steel appliances, in combination
with a grey-veined white marble backsplash, give the kitchen a timeless appeal that
works with the aesthetic of the house, but also feels modern. One interesting and distinctively modern touch is the use of polished cement for the countertops.
Please take the service stairs up to the second floor. At the top of the stairs, please turn left.
Son’s Bedroom
This sunny yellow room located above the kitchen belongs to one of the de
Lasas’ three sons. It has three exposures, and the windows have the flattened lozenge
panes in the upper register as they do downstairs. There is also a window seat.
Ensuite Bathroom
The walls of the ensuite bathroom are painted a deep blue that gives the white
tile with dark blue border a clean, graphic quality. The marble-topped sink with porcelain basin and exposed plumbing is quite old and may be original to the house.
Please return to the hall and proceed up the hall.
Son’s Bathroom
This hall bathroom belongs to another of the de Lasas’ sons, whose bedroom
is next door. The bathroom is painted with alternating bold horizontal stripes in yellow
and white on the upper half of the walls; the lower half is tiled in white with a checkerboard border. The red-dotted orange bathmat completes the cheerful effect. There is
a very old marble-topped sink with porcelain basin here as well that might also be
original to the house. The same may be true of the claw-foot tub.
Son’s Bedroom
Another of the sons has this bedroom, which features a Palladian window –
the flattened lozenge pattern is repeated here as well – and green painted walls. There
are white wooden twin beds and a chambray blue oversized love seat.
Please to the hall and go the room at the end.
Family Room
When the boys were younger, this was their playroom. Now it has become a
family room. Flanking a lovely patera window is a pair of built-in bookcases with cabinets below that house a television. On the opposite wall is a sofa.
The most notable aspect of the room is the alcove with decorative transom
and sidelights that resemble an exterior doorway. This alcove was originally a screened
sleeping porch and was essentially just big enough for a bed. Now there are window
seats on either side of the space, continuing the theme found throughout the house.
The wide windows that overlook Manor Park and the Sound feature the same
columns as those in the sun room directly below, and the walls have similar horizontal
paneling. Originally, there was a set of French doors that separated the sleeping porch
from the main room. The doors have not gone far; de Lasas installed them in the
doorway of the adjoining study.
Study
The study has a patera window that matches the one at the other end of the
family room. It, too, has built-in bookcases and cabinets surrounding it. In addition, the
room has a small fireplace made of the same type of brick used in the two downstairs.
Please walk back to the family room and enter the master bedroom.
Master Bedroom
The master bedroom has a very large fireplace that spans most of a wall. Unlike the other fireplaces in the house, it is composed of stone. Here again are the flattened lozenges in the upper registers of the windows. The greys walls, taupe
upholstered bed and carpet give a cool, tranquil feeling to the space. The wallmounted chrome reading lamps and the cowhide rug inject modern notes. There is
an ensuite bathroom beyond the walk-in-closet.
Please return to the hall, walk back to the other end and climb the service stairs to the third
floor, which was originally the servants’ area of the house.
At the top of the stairs, turn left.
Son’s Bathroom
One of the de Lasas’ sons lives here on the third floor of the house, and this
is his bathroom. There is white subway tile halfway up the wall, with a border of rustcolored tiles arranged in a diamond pattern. There is another of the antique marbletopped sinks with porcelain basin and exposed plumbing, and also, even here is the
flattened lozenge-pattern window.
Please continue to the son’s bedroom, diagonally across the hall from the bathroom.
Son’s Bedroom
The son’s bedroom conforms to the roofline of the house and creates a sloping
and multi-angled ceiling. There are twin beds with matching plaids duvet sets and
matching wicker trunks. Perched high above it all, the room feels like a sanctuary for
a teenage boy, complete with posters of musicians and sports figures.
Please return to the hall to see the guest room at the end.
Guest Bedroom
The guest bedroom is located under the eaves and the ceiling slopes on either
side of the window. There is a delightful view out into the treetops across the street in
Manor Park. The walls are painted tan and there is a coordinating checked Roman
shade. An oriental rug covers part of the floor and a pair of red-painted nightstands
adds a colorful accent.
Please take the service stairs back down to the second floor, turn right and follow the main
stairwell down to the first floor. Once in the entrance hall, please return to the kitchen and exit through
the French door into the back yard.