'
Mondanne', the
James A. Stillman estate designed by
Albro & Lindeberg c. 1910 in Pocantico Hills,
New York. Stillman was Chairman of the Board of the National City Bank. 'Mondanne' sat on over 400 acres and adjoined '
Kykuit', the
John D. Rockefeller estate. Stillman's sister Sarah was married to
William G. Rockefeller and sister Isabel was married to
Percy A. Rockefeller. In 1929 Stillman's yacht, Wenonah II,
exploded and burned in Glen Cove, Long Island. Three years later '
Mondanne' suffered a fire that destroyed the entire house.
** To complete the trifecta, in 1926 Stillman's New York City residence at 9 West 52nd Street suffered a fire on the top floor which caused extensive water damage throughout the house. And to add insult to injury, before the fires at his city and country residences and yacht, his brother was made an honorary fire chief (Dr. Ernest G. Stillman). Photos from
Architecture, 1912.
12 comments:
It is a very interesting house, in both plan and elevation. I am curious of how the entrance was handled as I don't think it is shown in the photos.
A Cotswold thatched roof country cottage on steroids. Has the look of a small English village. The first image suprisingly looks like it could be on the windswept dunes on Long Island and not the Hudson Valley
The entrance is indeed puzzling and not very clear.
The first photo shows what appears to at least be part of the perimeter shelter that was meant to enclose a courtyard as indicated on the plan.
The Wiki page appears wildly inaccurate concerning Stillman's domestic life:
http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F20D13FE34581B7B93C6A8178AD85F408485F9
(His obit.)
I'm betting the wife blew up the boat. As for the fire...
bleak
Always wondered if this delightful place survived. Now I know
After looking at the photos and floorplans,I believe the house that is still extant, is pictued in the third picture with all wings, removed. I can send you pictures if you like...
More on this,"Mondanne", in French means(Anne's World)The book that desribes the family and estate is called POCANTICO, Fifty years on the Rockefeller Domain.
Printed 1964.The thatched roof on all buildings on the 175 acre estate were actually rolled shingles.
The extant building left could be either the one wing of the main house or it could have been Gray Cottage, the Blue cottage or possibly the laundry building.
I'm sore it wasn't the red Cottage because it had an apple tree growing through it! map-it. It is located between Bedford and Sleepy Hollow Road.
One more comment, after reviewing your photo #3 I found that it is the Superintendent's Office that is extant. Fifi Stillman had vicious German Shepard guard dogs that roamed the estate at night. She was involved in a huge society divorce scandal, and loved children who ran rampant over the property. She is described as very tall, beautiful,had fiery red hair, and was considered quite menacing to the help....
"Mondanee" (also known as the Thatched Palace"), was situated on a long oak? tree lined drive that you entered from Bedford Rd.the gates there originally were connected to a thatched gate lodge. Currently you can see a lot from Stillman Rd. I am guessing the new current house is not exctly where Mondanne sat-but close by.I wonder if there is a change of height there to allow for the lower level entrance to accend to the first floor...?
If that is where it sat the large English garden retaining wall and gazebos
on the far end must have been demolished. With the amount of the estate left, I would be suprised if these were removed.
There are many more estate buildings or elements left than I thought... the large chicken house a large barn,the superintendent's cottage, a few ornamental lakes
rock lined streams, carriage house, stables, the gardener's cottage, (also known as the Red Cottage) and had the apple tree growing through the roof, greenhouses, a potting shed - all are matching in style.
I grew up in the Red Cottage. Pieces of the apple tree still exist in the attic. I remember the main house, probably the most romantic house I have ever seen. I was but a child yet freely roamed the place and played in the courtyard and corner pavilions regularly. Fifi was gone and the Rockefellers eventually owned it and tore it down in 1971 (despite my father's protests to them to preserve it). The estate was featured in the November 1910 issue of the Architectural Record. My mother has a photograph of the Red Cottage, with the apple tree growing through the west half-timbered wing, in the hallway.
I also know the other cottages quite well.
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