SPRING 2015 – WINTER 2016 NEWSLETTERS€¦ · honorees of the 2016 Wunsch Award. Christie’s hosted the fourth annual Eric M. Wunsch Award for Excellencein the American Arts on

S P R I N G 201 5 – W I N T E R 201 6 N E W S L E T T E R S

In 2015 and yet again this year, the operative word in historic preservation for Classical American Homes Preservation Trust is“history.” Throughout last year we celebrated the history of the building of Ayr Mount in 1815, as well as the Scottish heritage of

its original proprietor, William Kirkland. In 2016, throughout the year, we will be turning our attention to Millford, the greatest of allGreek Revival house in South Carolina, if not the entire United States. Millford’s history, as it were, began 175 years ago, when it wascompleted for its dashing young owners, John Laurence and Susan Hampton Manning. Both of these great houses were intended asbeautiful country seats and centers of plantation life in the Carolinas.

The more recent histories of these great houses — Ayr Mount and Millford — are worthy of celebration as well, especially their initialpreservation by Dick Jenrette when they were purchased respectively in 1984 and 1992, and since then given to Classical AmericanHomes Preservation Trust. Thank you for being our partners in keeping these exceptional classical American homes and theirsurrounding landscapes, as well as their collections, vital today and for the next two centuries and more. And please join us as wecelebrate Millford’s 175th anniversary throughout the year. It is your support that fuels our passion for history, for preservation, andfor beauty. We hope you enjoy this compendium of news and articles about Classical American Homes, its properties and collections,and look forward to greeting you personally later this year at Millford or any other of our very special houses.

All the best,

Margize Howell and Peter M. KennyCo-PresidentsClassical American Homes Preservation Trust

SPRING NEWS 2016

Happy 175th Anniversary! Come visit us at Millford during this special year.

Cover: Millford’s cylindrical porch with wisteria infull spring bloom. (Photo: John M. Hall) Follow us on Instagram.

(Photo: Megan Manus)

WINTER NEWS 2016

Wunsch Award recipients Peter Kenny (left) and Morrie Hecksher (right) withPeter Wunsch (center).

Wunsch Award 2016Christie’s — New York, NY

We are very pleased to share the news that ClassicalAmerican Homes’ own Peter Kenny, Co-President, and Morrie Heckscher, EmeritusChairman of the American Wing, were thehonorees of the 2016 Wunsch Award.

Christie’s hosted the fourth annual EricM. Wunsch Award for Excellence in

the American Arts on January 20th, 2016 attheir Rockefeller Center Galleries. This yearthe award honors Morrison H. Heckscherand Peter M. Kenny for their dedicationand contributions to the field of AmericanDecorative Arts.

Heckscher and Kenny are recognized for“the expansion and modernization of theAmerican Wing at The Metropolitan Museumof Art. They oversaw renovations to theAmerican Wing from 2003 to 2012, whichmodernized the existing building —comprised of the original 1924 structure andits 1980 expansion — adding galleries forAmerican paintings, sculptures and 18thcentury decorative arts. They spent muchof their careers at The Met acquiringarchitectural elements, whole rooms andfragments, all for this ultimate installation andupdate, carrying on the museum’s history ofcollecting interiors.”

Wunsch Americana Foundation PresidentPeter Wunsch states, “it’s an honor to knowthese two accomplished scholars and leadersin the field, who consistently delivered thebest of the best for The Met with such graceand academic rigor.”

Richard H. Jenrette and Classical AmericanHomes Preservation Trust received the awardin 2014.

Mary Ellen Kenny, Peter Kenny, ClaireKenny, and Emily Walter.

Gerry Ward, Martha Willoughby, andJon Prown.

Lulu Wang, Sylvia Yount, BetsyKornhauser, Leslie and Peter Warwick.

Mike and Lucy Danziger.

Noah Wunsch, Susi Wunsch, Peter Wunsch,Eric Wunsch, and Roisin McElroy.

Courtenay Daniels, Martha Willoughby,and Daniel Ackermann.

Attendees at the 2016 Wunsch Award hostedby Christie’s.

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It Don’t Mean a Thing if itAin’t Got that “Swing”By Peter M. Kenny

Fig. 1. Marika and Thomas Smith with theirswing dressing glass before conservation.

Fig. 2. View of recently installed bedroom at Millford with original “swing” dressing glass byD. Phyfe & Son in left corner.

We’ve got our “swing” alright, thanks tothe generous gift of one of the original

“swing” dressing glasses from Millford bylongtime friends and supporters Marika andThomas Gordon Smith (fig. 1), architect andformer Chairman of the School ofArchitecture at the University of NotreDame. Handsome and architectural, thisdressing glass now stands in the southeastcorner bedroom at Millford (fig. 2) quitepossibly in the place it occupied when it firstwas uncrated and assembled. Two “swingglasses” packed in their own custom cratesare recorded on a June 2, 1841 bill of ladingsent from Duncan Phyfe & Son to JohnLaurence Manning at Millford. Fortuitously,two also survive today, our recently acquiredexample and a second one in a privatecollection (fig.3). With four bedrooms andtwo dressing rooms on the second floor atMillford, however, it was always suspectedthat there may have been more. Now, due tosome surprising discoveries made during thecourse of the restoration/conservation of theCAHPT dressing glass, it can be statedunequivocally that there were at least three.

Described simply as “swing glasses” on thePhyfe bill of lading, other period termsinclude “screen” and “horse” dressing glass,the latter appearing in Thomas Sheraton’sCabinet Dictionary (London, 1803) andreferring to the frame, constructed of a trestle

base with four legs and two upright pillarsbetween which the swinging glass issuspended. The swinging action of the glassallowed it to be tilted at any angle to suit theheight of the person dressing at it. In France,where the form probably was invented in thelate eighteenth century, a swing dressing glasswas called a cheval glass, a stylish Frenchtranslation of the more prosaic “horse dressingglass,” a glacé écran (fig. 4), or a psyché.

The word psyche, in Greek, means soul oranimating spirit. It is also the name of theancient Greek goddess who was thepersonification of the human soul. In psychéacquired its name, in France, after theheroine in Jean de La Fontaine’s pastoralnovel of mixed prose and verse, Les amours dePsyché et de Cupidon (1669), in which she isreputed to have glimpsed a full-lengthreflection of herself in a pool of water. Thestory of Cupid and Psyche goes back evenfurther in western literature to the Latinnovel, Metamorphoses, written by Apuleius inthe 2nd century AD, and provided a richsource for visual artists from the Renaissanceinto Neoclassical age who depicted the well-known tale of Psyche’s discovery of the nakedCupid sleeping and, less commonly, theimage of Psyche gazing at her reflection. In alate-eighteenth-century colored engraving byBartolozzi (fig. 5) it may appear that Psyche isadmiring her beauty, but as the personification

Fig. 3. D. Phyfe& Son. “Swing”dressing glassmade for Millford in 1841.Collection of Mr. and Mrs.Richard Kelly.

Fig. 4. Pierre de la Mésangère, Plate No. 244from Collection de Meubles et Objets de Goût(Paris, 1806).

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of the human soul she is also looking at herwhole self, its goodness as well as itsshortcomings. In this sense, a dressing glasscan be viewed as the most metaphysical ofobjects in which one can ponder his or herown being and identity. As we consider theswing dressing glasses from Millford, it isintriguing to contemplate, for instance, whatJohn Laurence Manning may have thoughtas he gazed at his reflection during one of themost challenging periods of his life, as heconsidered the implications of signing theOrdinance of Secession for South Carolina.

Of course, a swing dressing glass principallyserved the purpose of providing a full-lengthreflective surface to see if one was properlyturned-out for polite society. And though weknow little about John Laurence and SusanHampton Manning’s personal wardrobes,their 1838 and 1839 portraits by DeVeaux(figs. 6 and 7), he in a late Regency high-collared coat, white shirt and black neckstock, and she in a buff-colored dress with anElizabethan style trellis-laced bodice under asilk-lined cloak, indicate that the youngcouple were quite fashionable and must havemade good use of their tall dressing glasses.

In addition to the swing dressing glasses, amahogany wardrobe with a full-length lookingglass in the door (fig. 8) and a mahoganydressing bureau with a smaller swing glasssuspended between two obelisk-shaped pillarsare also known. So many looking glasses in onebedroom may seem excessive, but these alsoserved an architectural purpose, making thespace appear more expansive and by reflectingboth natural and artificial light throughout theinterior. British satirists lampooned stylishRegency dandies, for vaingloriously admiringthemselves in front of their dressing glasses(fig. 9). There was a seriousness of purpose

about Governor Manning, however, thatwould seem to exempt him from such censure.

Furniture that is 175 years old survives invarious states of repair and the Smith’s giftcame to Classical American Homes with thenot insignificant loss of its original frieze andcornice (compare figs. 1 and 3). Clearly atsome point in time it had been completelydisassembled into its component parts and putinto storage with at least one other of themahogany dressing glasses from Millford. Itsfrieze and cornice, which are built as a separateunit, somehow became disassociated with therest of its parts and sadly may have been

Fig. 6. James DeVeaux (1812-1844).John Laurence Manning, 1838. Oil on canvas.Classical American Homes Preservation Trust.

Fig. 7. James DeVeaux (1812-1844). Susan Hampton Manning, 1839. Oil on canvas.Classical American Homes Preservation Trust.

Fig. 8. D. Phyfe & Son. Wardrobe madefor Millford in 1841. Private Collection.

Fig. 9. An Exquisite, plate 327 from The Caricature Magazine, or HudibrasticMirror, by G. M. Woodward, vol. 5, Folio 75.

Fig. 5. Francesco Bartolozzi (c. 1727-1815).Psyche at the Bath, colored engraving, late eighteenth century.

discarded. Despite this loss, the Smith’s werestill able to put the dressing glass to good use intheir home. Returning it to one of the high-ceilinged bedrooms at Millford, however,required that the frieze and cornice be restored.The second surviving Millford example, whichluckily retains all of its original parts, served asa model for a precise restoration (fig. 10).Reproducing the frieze and cornice after theoriginal was no mean feat and required all theskill and experience that master craftsman NeilVan Alstyne could bring to bear in order tomatch the exquisite materials and meticulousworkmanship that are a trademark of the Phyfe

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Fig. 10. Detail of the swingdressing glass in Figure 3.

Figs. 11. Neil Van Alstyne and Peter Kenny inVan Alstyne’s workshop during the restoration/conservation of the Millford swing dressing glass.

Fig. 14. Grecian bedstead, basin stand, and nightstand from the suite of rosewood-veneeredbedroom furniture made for Millford in 1841.

Fig. 12. Neil Van Alstyne and Peter Kennyfitting the frieze and cornice to the squarepillars of the Millford swing dressing glass.

Fig. 13. Wetting the cornice and frieze withmineral spirits to reveal the figure of the veneer.

shop (figs. 11, 12 and 13). A short video ofVan Alstyne in his workshop helps to explainthe challenges involved in the restoration of thefrieze and cornice.

A further consequence of the dressing glasshaving once been disassembled and stored withanother was that it had two left pillars when itwas acquired by the Smiths. This required thatthey make one of the left hand pillars serve onthe right side, a task that was accomplished byrotating the pillar 180 degrees so themechanical pivot mounted on its inside facewould be properly aligned. This change alsoresulted in the front face of the pillar with thefanciest veneer being turned to the back.Phyfe’s original system of registration marks,coded in Roman numerals and used to insurethat the pillars and the the square plinths theyrest upon were properly matched for assembly,was also out of synch. This may all seem a bittechnical and confusing but what it confirmsfor us without question is that a thirdmahogany swing dressing glass was made forMillford. And, if it still exists, it has two rightposts! There may even have been a fourthswing dressing glass. This one, however, wouldhave been veneered with expensive and exoticBrazilian rosewood, the same as several othersurviving pieces of furniture from the finestsuite of bedroom furniture made for Millford.These include the Grecian bedstead andnightstand acquired by Classical AmericanHomes in a trade with the MetropolitanMuseum of Art in 2012, as well as a rosewoodbasin stand already in the collection (fig. 14). Arosewood-veneered wardrobe on display todayin the Hampton-Preston house in Columbia,South Carolina was also part of this suite.

When Duncan Phyfe and his son Jamesfinally closed down the family business in 1847,after fifty-five years in the trade, they held anauction of the remaining contents of theirfurniture warehouse. The auctioneer, Halliday& Jenkins, offered a catalogue of the sale thatlisted four cheval glasses among its remainingstock. The most magnificent of these, listed aslot 323, calls to mind what a rosewood examplefor Millford may have looked like: “1 largerosewood splendid cheval Glass, 60in by 30in7 feet high, OG cornice, back lined with purplesilk.” It’s just too bad that Dick Jenrettecouldn’t have been at that auction, otherwiseour rosewood bedroom suite at Millford wouldalmost be complete! But there are no shortcutsto historical authenticity, and hope springseternal that one day a swing dressing glass fromthe rosewood bedroom suite will be discoveredand returned home to Millford.

It Don’t Mean a Thing if it Ain’tGot that “Swing”

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WINTER NEWS 2016

WunschFoundationThe George F. Baker Houseand The Metropolitan Museumof Art — New York, NY

AmericanaWeekWinter Antiques Show 2016 —The George F. Baker House — New York, NY

To honor and celebrate the accomplishmentsof Morrie Heckscher and Peter Kenny,

the Wunsch Americana Foundationorganized a tour of The MetropolitanMuseum of Art’s American Wing followedby a cocktail reception at the George F. BakerHouse. Almost 150 people attended the tourled by Alyce Perry Englund, Assistant Curatorof American Decorative Arts, which includeda discussion about the major acquisitions of18th and 19th century American furniture,many acquired by Mr. Heckscher and Mr.Kenny as former curators of the AmericanWing. Special beverages provided byDomaine Chandon and Brooklyn Gin cappedthe evening!

January in New York was an exciting andbusy month at Classical American

Homes. CAHPT founder and chairmanRichard H. Jenrette welcomed guests to theGeorge F. Baker house in New York City tocelebrate Americana Week. We enjoyedcatching up with friends from ColonialWilliamsburg, MESDA, and Winterthurfor this annual get together which kicks off theWinter Antiques Show. Thankfully, we weregraced with mild weather on the night of theevent — in years past guests had to braveblizzards to make it! Please visit our Facebookpage to see more photos of the evening andshare your own pictures from the party.

Counter clockwise from aboveright: Welcoming remarks given in theDrawing Room at the George F. BakerHouse; Wunsch Foundation cocktailparty at the George F. Baker House;and Wunsch Foundation at TheMetropolitan Museum of Art’sAmerican Wing.

Left to right: Robert Leath, Chief Curator and VP Collections and Research; Courtenay Daniels, and Dick Jenrette; at right: Tom Savage, Director of Museum Affairsat Winterthur, and Dick Jenrette.

Left to right: Margaret Pritchard, Senior Curator of Prints, Maps, and Wallpaper atColonial Williamsburg Foundation; and Melanie Christian, Decorative Arts TrustGovernor; at center: Daniel Crouch of Daniel Crouch Rare Books & Maps; HenryTaliaferro of Cohen & Taliaferro Maps; Daniel Ackerman, MESDA Curator of Collections;Janine Skerry, CWF Curator of Metals; at right: Barbara Fuldner and John Stuart Gordon.

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First Lady of Cyprus, AndriAnastasiades (at right) with MargizeHowell, Co-President of CAHPT,at the Baker House.

Students and professor fromClemson University, College ofArchitecture, Arts and Humanitiesat the Roper House.

The American Friends of the Georgian Groupat the Baker House: (left to right) RalphHarvard of Ralph Harvard, Inc.; Tim Lykins,AFGG Executive Director; William Rutledgeof Ferguson & Shamamian Architects; andDavid Wood, AFGG Secretary.

WINTER NEWS 2016

Edgewater’s Gate HouseAcquisitions — Hudson Valley, NY

In December 2015, Classical American Homes received a charitablegift from Richard Jenrette of the Edgewater Gate House and roughly

2.3 acres of Hudson River-front land, situated on a point across a lagoonfrom Edgewater in Barrytown, New York. The neo-classical Gate Housemarks Mr. Jenrette’s own architectural imprint on the property.Edgewater was originally built in 1825 by Lowndes and MargaretLivingston Brown then sold to Robert Donaldson in 1852. Mr. Jenrettecommissioned architect Michael Dwyer to build the Gate House, and itwas constructed by Michael Pelletier in 1997-98.

The house is designed as a small temple, with four Doric columnsframing a large porch looking down the Hudson River. The house,viewed from Edgewater’s front porch across the lagoon, serves as anarchitectural folly extending the sweep of landscape to the north. Thisproperty includes the main gates and entrance to the property and is anintegral part of the Edgewater estate, which will eventually be ownedin its entirety by CAHPT. The property also includes part of a scenic,one-mile meandering footpath, largely along the riverbank, whichsurrounds the estate. Classical American Homes currently coordinatesgroup tours of Edgewater by appointment, which can be scheduled byvisiting our website.

Tours and Visitors

The 2015 tour season was yet another busy and successful year forClassical American Homes due to the many individuals and groups

who visited our properties - and we are looking forward to continuingthis enthusiasm in 2016. Thank you so much to all who visited us!

Some highlights from the end of the year include a group fromClemson University’s College of Architecture, Arts andHumanities to the Roper House in Charleston, SC; The DanishHistorians to Estate Cane Garden in St. Croix, USVI; and TheAmerican Friends of the Georgian Group to the George F. BakerHouses in New York City.

To kick-off the start of the new year, we hosted the fourth annualcocktail reception with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, theMuseum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, and Winterthur

The Gate House at Edgewater.

Museum, Garden & Library during Americana Week in New York.And, this month, we have been honored with a notable visit from the FirstLady of Cyprus, Andri Anastasiades, who is married to the Presidentof the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades.

Although the weather has been unpredictable, as it keeps vacillatingbetween arctic winter and warm spring-like temperatures, the sitesupervisors at each of the CAHPT properties are working hard toprepare the houses for the many groups who have already madereservations to visit us this year. We are very much looking forward tovisits from the Atlanta Ceramics Society, The Thomas JeffersonFoundation, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, The SantaBarbara Museum of Art, the Sandlapper Garden Club, and theHistoric Charleston Foundation, this spring.

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Phyfe Unveiled: Two Bedrooms with Original Furniture Recently Installed at Millford

Millford, one of the great Greek revivalhouses in America, is renowned for its

spectacular giant order colonnade, puregeometric massing, and look of stately classicalrepose on the sand hills of Clarendon County,South Carolina. It is also justifiably famous forits superbly proportioned and beautifullyfurnished ground floor interiors. Over the years,Millford has welcomed thousands of visitors totour its ground floor rooms — the commodiouscentral hall, magnificent double parlor, apse-ended dining room, and handsome, bookcase-lined library. After completing this ground floorcircuit they are ushered into the staircaserotunda at the rear of the hall where they canmarvel at the spectacular spiral staircase, lit fromabove by an oculus painted in jewel-like colorsand looking every bit like a miniature rosewindow from a Gothic cathedral. The staircasebeckons, but unfortunately this is where the tourends. At least that was until September 13, onthe occasion of our fourth annual Music atMillford benefit concert when two newlyinstalled bedrooms were officially opened forspecial tours of the second floor.

Over the past several years ClassicalAmerican Homes Preservation Trust has beenfortunate to acquire through gift, purchase,and trade six additional pieces of Duncan Phyfe& Son furniture from Millford – all of itbedroom furniture – that allow us to presentthese bedrooms furnished with the same mixof authenticity and unmistakable DickJenrette/Bill Thompson style that has madethe ground floor rooms so strikingly beautifuland popular with the public. Having thechance to tour the second floor we hope willalso help visitors imagine how the house wasoriginally designed and functioned for itsbuilders, John Laurence and Susan HamptonManning. Ascending to the top of the stairsone enters a wide, elegant hall with classicallyornamented door architraves that is onlyslightly narrower than the one on the groundfloor (compare ground and second floorplans). Flanking the hall are four bedroomsthat occupy the four corners of the house.Dividing these bedrooms, two on each side, arethree smaller rooms and a staircase to the attic.

Due to their position in the corners of thehouse, each bedroom enjoys ample light thatstreams in from two directions through fourlarge-paned windows. Each bedroom also hasa fireplace with a handsome marble mantel ofthe finest quality, made of white statuarymarble in the two bedrooms on one side ofthe hall and black and gold Egyptian marbleon the other, a pattern that is repeated on the

View of recently installed brown and gold bedroom room at Millford. In the foreground is anoriginal French bedstead by Duncan Phyfe & Son and one of the four original marble-topped basinstands. In the back left corner is one of the original cheval glasses made for Millford. The June 2,1841 bill of lading for furniture sent to Millford by Duncan Phyfe & Son includes two “swingglasses,” named as such because the large looking glass frame “swings” or pivots between the twocolumns that flank it. This handsome mahogany cheval glass is the recent gift of Marika andThomas Smith. Watch for an upcoming article on their generous gift, its conservation, and thehistory of the form. (Photo by John Teague)

Plan of the principal or ground floor ofMillford by master builder Nathaniel Potter,1839. South Caroliniana Library, Universityof South Carolina.

Plan of the second floor of Millford byNathaniel Potter, 1839. South CarolinianaLibrary, University of South Carolina.

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ground floor. On the surviving 1839 plan ofthe second floor of the house all fourbedrooms measure 22 feet wide (see secondfloor plan). The largest bedroom in thenorthwest front corner of the house measures20 x 22 feet and enjoys a stunning, near eye-level view of the Corinthian capitals of thecolonnade. Diagonally across the hall from itis the second largest bedroom, which is just atad smaller at approximately 19 x 22 feet.Each of these bedrooms has a privateentrance to a dressing room. (In the 1920sthese dressing rooms were turned intomodern bathrooms and continue to functionas such with their original sinks, showers,tubs, and fixtures.) The smaller bedroom inthe southwest corner at the rear of the housemeasures 16 x 22 feet and also has a doorwayleading to a smaller adjacent room. Thissmaller room, however, has a second doorthat communicates with the hall, which maysuggest it served as a sitting room or abedroom for a nurse or servant who stayednearby the family at night. The other smallerbedroom, diagonally across the hall at thefront of the house, did not have an adjacentroom. These two smaller bedrooms may haveserved as a nursery for the Manning’s first-born child, Richard Irvine Manning (1839-unknown), and a guest room for relatives orclose friends.

John Laurence and Susan HamptonManning most likely occupied the two largestbedrooms. The presence of a private dressingroom for each lends strength to such asupposition. It is tempting to imagine thatSusan occupied the largest bedroom at thefront of the house with its white marblemantel and view of the Corinthian capitals,and John, the bedroom diagonally across thehall at the rear with the black and goldEgyptian marble mantel, though it just aslikely could have been the other way around.Documentary evidence to prove such anarrangement has yet to be discovered.

Packed in some of the forty-seven boxes offurniture sent by Duncan Phyfe & Son toMillford in 1841 were one “Grecian Bedstead”,one “French Bedstead,” and one “‘single”bedstead. A letter of September 11, 1841 fromDuncan Phyfe & Son to Manning indicatesthat an additional thirty-nine boxes of furniturewere destined for Milford as well. Contained inthis second shipment almost certainly was asecond Grecian bedstead and possibly anotherFrench bedstead as well. We can surmise thisbecause among the three bedsteads withMillford histories recently acquired byCAHPT are two of the finer and moreexpensive Grecian models and one of the

Candlelight improves everything,especially when reflected in the DuncanPhyfe & Son cheval glass. The cheval glassretains its original brass candle arms andlarge imported looking glass plate. (Photoby John Teague)

Ladies writing firescreen, attributed to DuncanPhyfe & Son, ca. 1840. This example, recentlypurchased by Classical American HomesPreservation Trust, is identical in design to onein a private collection that appears in the June 2,1841 bill of lading from Duncan Phyfe & Sonand is described as a “screen for Mrs. Hampton.”Here it is shown in the bedroom with its frontflap lowered for writing. (Photo by John Teague)

View of recently installed red bedroom at Milllford, featuring an original Duncan Phyfe & Son,rosewood-veneered Grecian bedstead and en suite nightstand and basin stand. A large rosewood-veneered wardrobe now at the Hampton-Preston house in Columbia, South Carolina was part of theoriginal rosewood bedroom suite at Millford, as most likely was a yet to be discovered rosewoodcheval glass. The cheval glass now in the bedroom is not original to Millford but is attributed toDuncan Phyfe, ca. 1825. (Photo by John Teague)

Phyfe Unveiled

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simpler French design. (The Grecian bedsteadshave scrolled ends that terminate in the Phyfeshop’s signature applied flattened discs, morefully articulated elliptical-shaped feet, andveneered head and foot boards contoured tofollow the s-shaped curves of the scrolled ends.)

Another telling document is a letter ofJanuary 7, 1842 to John Laurence Manningfrom Phyfe & Brother of New York – DuncanPhyfe’s nephews – who provided all of thecurtains and curtain hardware for Millford. Inthis letter they mention a recent shipmentmade to Manning’s agent in Charleston andspecifically describe the contents of box “No.2” as “2 Octagon canopies,” and box “No. 3 –1 round and 1 Oval canopies for blue andwhite curts [sic].” Accepting the notion thatthe largest and most desirable bedrooms werereserved for the master and the mistress of the

house, it also makes sense that the moreelaborate octagon–shaped canopies and thefiner and more expensive Grecian bedsteadswere made for their use. One of the recentlyacquired Grecian bedsteads is veneered withmahogany and the other with rosewood, themost exotic and expensive cabinet wood usedin the period. Would this superfine Grecianbedstead have been reserved for SusanHampton Manning? One likes to think thather chivalrous husband may have insisted onthis but it also should be remembered thatSusan’s inherited wealth largely underwrotethe cost of building Millford!

It is fun to try to interpret the historicalevidence provided by the 1839 plan and theDuncan Phyfe & Son and Phyfe & Brotherbills of lading to theoretically reconstructhow these second f loor bedrooms rooms

Rosewood-veneered basin stand made forMillford by Duncan Phyfe & Son, 1841. The basin stand is veneered and finished on all four sides and has casters under itsflattened bun feet, indicating that it was meantto be placed out in the room. The basin standsat Millford were used either in the bedroomsor else in the adjacent dressing rooms. (Photo by Bruce Schwarz)

Rosewood veneered Grecian bedstead from Millford by Duncan Phyfe & Son, 1841. The crimsonsatin bed curtains and wide borders with silver threads are based on a surviving set of window curtainsfrom Millwood, the nearby house of Wade Hampton II. By tradition these were rescued before thehouse was burned in the Civil War. The bed curtains and canopy were fabricated by the MetropolitanMuseum of Art prior to its 2012 retrospective on the work of Duncan Phyfe. In a letter to JohnManning from Phyfe and Brother, who fabricated the curtains and canopies for the bedsteads atMillford, is a description of the method used to suspend the canopies from the ceilings: “The ironbolts to support the canopies must be passed from the floor above, and secured by the nut on theunder side of the canopy, should the bolts be too long the same must be shortened from the screwedends.” (Photo by Bruce Schwarz)

may have originally functioned and looked.But historical accuracy, or our idea of whatthat might be, is not really what we werestriving for in this first venture intoinstalling two of the bedrooms at Millford.For these installations we tried to takeadvantage of the best of the past – originalPhyfe bedroom furniture – as well as thebest of the present – the decoration by DickJenrette and Bill Thompson – to reimaginetwo beautiful and interesting rooms. And, asDick likes to say when I try to implicate himin my magical thinking about the past atMillford – “Quien sabe, I wasn’t there,” asound and cautionary note for any historiantrying to reconstruct the past.

The newly installed bedrooms at Millfordare the two closest to the top of the stairs.When Dick acquired Millford and occasionallylived there he turned these two bedrooms intoa library and an office/television room,furnishing them in ways appropriate to thatuse. The window and carpet treatments, likethose in the ground floor rooms, were high-toned and stylish, and maintaining thesefeatures does not break with the overall designaesthetic at Millford. When the rooms werecleared and the recently acquired bedroomfurniture was placed where much of itoriginally stood, however, something magicalseemed to happen. The bold scale of Phyfe’sGrecian plain style furniture as well as its cleanlines and richly figured veneers meldedperfectly into the mise-en-scène. It looked likeit was made for the place. And it was!

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Music at Ayr Mount Saturday, September 19, 2015

When the Kirkland family resided atAyr Mount in the mid-19th century,

their 1797 Grand pianoforte was at the centerof family gatherings, filling the West Parlorwith music that would float throughout thehouse. On September 19th, Keiko Sekinoand Andrea Edith Moore, along with theoriginal Kirkland pianoforte, once againbrought music to Ayr Mount’s West Parlor,furnished with beautiful early 19th centuryclassical furniture, sculpture and paintings.Additionally, the 1797 pianoforte, similar tothe one used by Beethoven, was recentlyrestored for this concert.

Opening with Sonata in A minor, K. 310 (i. Allegro maestoso), Keiko Sekino began withher deft handling of Mozart’s emotional work.This opening piano solo set a high mark thatcontinued for the remainder of the program.In the second set, Ms. Sekino was joined bysoprano, Andrea Edith Moore, for a selectionof Franz Schubert that took the audience on ajourney through time and place, andbeautifully evoked a sense of romance.

Ms. Sekino’s second solo was anotherShubert work, Impromptu in G f lat major,D.899 No. 3, followed by a serene hymn-likesong. Ms. Moore and Ms. Sekino thenreunited for some traditional Irish andScottish melodies: The Salley Gardens, The LastRose of Summer and the perfectly renderedDanny Boy. In the final set, Ms. Moore againdisplayed her warm and melodious voicethrough beloved songs of Stephen Foster(1826-1864) such as Jeanie with the Light

We are grateful to have seen many of youat our fourth annual Music at Millford,

on September 13, which proved once again tobe a great success. The concert was attendedby 115 guests — essentially, a full house —with many returning friends and many newones as well. Everyone enjoyed Millford’shistoric setting and the talents of threevirtuoso musicians. The weather was perfect,unseasonably mild, and was a greatcomplement to the picnic lunch. Another newfeature of the event this year was a speciallecture by CAHPT Co-President, PeterKenny, entitled “Phyfe Unveiled: A NewLook at the Bedroom Furniture at Millford.”Peter gave a tour of two newly installedbedrooms on the second floor with DuncanPhyfe furniture original to the house,followed by a lecture detailing the history ofthe furniture, their designs and uses.

Amy Schwartz Moretti, Violin Chair andDirector of Mercer’s McDuffie Center forStrings, made her debut at Millford this year,playing with Robert deMaine, PrincipalCello of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, andJames Wilhelmsen, pianist, who were backfor their second appearance after last year’simpressive concert. The performance thisyear was also extraordinary - with Amy onviolin bringing a real dynamism to thereturning duo - starting with Josef Haydn’sGypsy Rondo trio, an audience favorite. It wasfollowed by the rarely heard Zoltán KodályDuo for Violin and Cello with Amy andRobert, and ended with the glorious PianoTrio No. 1 in B major, Op. 8 by JohannesBrahms. For an encore, the trio chose theenchanting strains of Claude Debussy’s BeauSoir. We thank Amy, Robert, and Jim for theopportunity to hear them play at such aunique venue.

We are so thankful to all who havecontributed to the success of Music atMillford over the past four years and whohave inspired us to consider future events andprograms at Millford. We are especiallythankful to Christina Clark, who has beeninstrumental (pun intended!) in planning thisevent since its inception in 2011. We also owecountless thanks to the members of ourdedicated Benefit Committee, who have beeninvaluably supportive in drawing attention tothis event, and Millford in general. Wedeeply missed those of you who could notmake it, and appreciate all of you who madethe trip for this exciting day.

Keiko Sekino at the pianoforte and AndreaEdith Moore performing at Ayr Mount in theWest Parlor.

Music atMillfordSunday, September 13, 2015

Encore! Amy Schwartz Moretti and RobertdeMaine at the fourth Music at Millford.

Brown Hair and Oh, Susannah! Ms. Sekino’simpressive range was showcased during thistransition to the quick and playful tunes ofStephen Foster.

The audience at Music at Ayr Mount wasmoved by Ms. Sekino’s and Ms. Moore’sexceptional performances! Between the twoconcerts, guests were served champagneand hors d’oeuvres on the terrace. Thismemorable concert was the perfect way tobring music back to Ayr Mount.

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AUTUMN NEWS 2015

Autumn Cocktail Party George F. Baker Houses, NYC — Thursday, October 8, 2015Institute of Classical Architecture & Art and Classical American Homes

Classical American Homes PreservationTrust (CAHPT) and the Institute of

Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA) cametogether to welcome 70 friends and patronsto the George F. Baker Houses in New YorkCity. Both organizations are centered on thestudy and continuation of the classicaltradition. The evening’s highlights includeda brief talk by Peter Pennoyer, Principal atPeter Pennoyer Architects, who spoke aboutthe history of the George F. Baker houses andthe architecture firm Delano & Aldrich, whodesigned this neo-Federal classical complex.

This past summer, ICAA students fromtheir Summer Studio class visited Edgewater— a great way for a close-up study thatincluded detailed discussions on thearchitecture and sketching all aspects of thehouse and grounds (see below). The ICAAmembers also visited Roper House recentlyand were intrepid visitors despite theflooding taking place in Charleston.

CAHPT looks forward to working togetherwith ICAA on future programs and events.

(L to R) Peter Kenny, Peter Pennoyer,Margize Howell, and Peter Lyden.

(L to R) Peter Kenny and Dick Button. The circular staircase at the Baker House.

The American Friends of the Georgian GroupPresents the 7th Annual Preservation Award to CAHPTSeptember 9, 2015

Classical American Homes PreservationTrust (CAHPT) is honored to be this

year’s recipient of the Annual PreservationAward, presented by The American Friends ofthe Georgian Group. This award recognizes theindividuals and organizations that contribute tothe preservation of buildings, parks andstreetscapes, particularly in New York City (butnot limited to). Ralph Harvard introduced thehistoric preservation work of Dick Jenrette andCAHPT to the Georgian Group. JohnKinnear, AFGG President, presented anelegantly framed print of Fitzroy Square (seeright) to CAHPT Co-Presidents MargizeHowell and Peter Kenny who made a jointstatement: “We, at Classical American Homes,are honored to be recognized by The AmericanFriends of the Georgian Group for our historicpreservation efforts and especially so to be in thelofty circle of previous recipients.”

The reception, held on September 9th,took place on the roof of the Arsenal inCentral Park — against the backdrop of thecityscape on a beautiful early autumn evening.

The first recipient of this award wasChristopher Gray, the New York Timescolumnist and principal of the Office forMetropolitan History. Subsequent awardeesinclude: The Prince’s Regeneration Trust,Prince Charles’ charity founded to restoreinternationally important buildings that areat risk; Andrew Blum, Chairman of Hyde

Photos © Presley Ann/PatrickMcMullan.com

Hall Foundation in Cooperstown, NY; andJohn Foreman, historian, author, and writerof the weekly blog “Big Old Houses”published on the New York Social Diary’swebsite (please see below, under PRESS, Mr. Foreman’s recent coverage of Edgewater— Dick Jenrette’s historic house on theHudson River).

AUTUMN NEWS 2015

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Profile: Margize HowellCo-President of Classical American Homes

Margize Howell, Co-President ofClassical American Homes, will be the

focus of this Newsletter’s Profile. Born andraised in Atlanta, Georgia, Margize creditsher appreciation the arts at a young age toher parents, who have a love for history, artand architecture. She pursued this interest atthe Westminster Schools in Atlanta and thenearned a B.A. from the University of Virginiawith distinction in Art History. Margize saysshe had an “a-ha” moment during her firstArt History class; she knew then she hadfound her calling. She further broadened hereducation in the arts at the Sotheby’s ArtInstitute in London, The AttinghamSummer School, and the Winter Institute atThe Winterthur Museum.

Margize began working at Donaldson,Lufkin & Jenrette in 1984 as Curator, whereshe oversaw the firm’s acclaimed collectionof early 19th century Americana — antiquefurniture, paintings, and manuscripts. TheDLJ Collection grew and thrived underMargize’s stewardship until DLJ was sold toCredit Suisse in 2001, at which time shejoined Dick Jenrette at Classical AmericanHomes. Margize has been with CAHPTsince that time, serving as Curator, Directorof Development, and Executive Director,before being named Co-President (alongwith Peter Kenny) in 2014.

In addition to her work at CAHPT, Margizehas served as President for the AmericanFriends of Attingham Summer School, the

Association of Professional Art Advisors, andthe National Association of Corporate ArtManagers. She is a Governor of the Board ofthe Decorative Arts Trust, on the AdvisoryBoard of the Museum of Early SouthernDecorative Arts, Charleston HeritageSymposium, and the Director’s Council ofNew York City’s Historic House Trust. Shehas also served on the Board of Trustees for theWilliamstown (Mass.) Art Conservation Laband on the Advisory Committee of TheEquitable Gallery in New York.

As Co-President of CAHPT, Margizeoversees the Trust’s affairs in terms of bothstrategic planning as well as day-to-dayoperations. Margize says that the foremostpriority of the organization is to preserve andmaintain the six historic sites it owns or willeventually own. These sites are unique, shesays, not only because of their history andDick Jenrette’s meticulous restoration, butalso because of the full experience they createfor a visitor. Guests are able to take in thebeauty of the site: the architecture of thesehistoric houses, the period furnishings andpaintings (many of which are original to thehouses), along with handsome gardens andidyllic landscapes. Each of these elementshelp to create a multi-sensory experience,bringing American history into the present.Margize would like each guest to leave with aheightened appreciation for these sites andtheir history, regardless of their backgroundand prior level of interest.

Margize’s favorite part of her job is havingthe chance to travel to CAHPT’s propertiesand to meet so many interesting people whoare genuinely inspired by their experience.She gives the lion’s share of credit forCAHPT’s success to her assembly of sitesupervisors and their teams, as well as theNew York City team at the “main office” inNew York. She describes each of herhardworking colleagues as taking pride inwhat they do, and make her job of overseeingthe houses a fun and rewarding venture.

Margize also emphasizes that workingwith Dick Jenrette is a once in a lifetimeopportunity. “Dick is an individual who notonly has taught me so much about the manyfacets of historic houses and historicpreservation with his vast knowledge on eachof these subjects but also so much more. His sense of fairness, generosity, intelligenceand humor are all attributes I respect somuch as well.”

Margize lives in Manhattan and has twosons, Clark and Pearce, and a bulldog namedMac. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling,gardening, going to the theater, as well asvolunteering as a leader of a local Girl Scouttroop where she was recently given theLeader of Excellence Award. Check out ourwebsite for details on upcoming events, orschedule a tour of one of our houses to seethe amazing work that Margize has done, andcontinues to do to preserve these reflectionsof American Heritage.

Dick Jenrette, Chairman ofCAHPT and Margize Howell, Co-President at Ayr Mount’s 200th Anniversary Dinner in May 2015.

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AUTUMN NEWS 2015

PRESS: The “Earthly Bliss” of EdgewaterNY Social Diary

This past June, Edgewater was the focusof a feature by John Foreman, the writer

behind the blog “Big Old Houses” for NewYork Social Diary.

Mr. Foreman’s weekly articles onarchitecture and social history are replete withnew and historic images of the houses andlandscapes — a visual and in-depth walkthrough time.

Read the article “A Consummation ofEarthly Bliss” at www.newyorksocialdiary.com

Cèilidh at AyrBicentennial public event —Saturday, October 24, 2015

With the Saltire and the Lion Rampantflags flying high the most attended

event of the year was the Cèilidh. Bagpipers,drummers, dancing, stories, food, even aLoch Ayr Monster surfacing in the pond,plus bonnie Carolina weather made for adelightful Scottish festival. Guests learnedtraditional Scottish dances, listened to greatmusic and even the wee bairns had a goodtime playing in the castle and practicingslaying the dragon. It was “dead brilliant” —Scottish slang for great!

Entertainment was provided by Belles onStrings, Pete Campbell and the MacRowdieCèilidh Band, and the Wake and DistrictPipes and Drums. 

Ayr Mount’s bicentennial theme “Ceudmìle fàilte,” which is Scots Gaelic meaning “ahundred thousand welcomes” was apparentat the Cèilidh!

Wake & District Pipes and Drums played to an enthusiastic crowd.

Lots of music, dancing, and even a glimpse of “Nessie” in the pond at Ayr Mount.

(L to R) Carol Green, a volunteer;Bill Crowther, Site Supervisor; andPat Revels, a docent at Ayr Mount.

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AUTUMN NEWS 2015

Historic Deerfield members at theRoper House in Charleston.

Earnie Townsend (left), site supervisor ofRoper House, with William Allman (right),Curator of the White House, visiting duringthis year’s Charleston Heritage Symposium.

Autumn came quickly and a firstunseasonable Nor’easter brought cold,

wet weather and the beginning of the fallingautumn leaves. Despite occasional inclementweather, all the sites have continued to welcomenumerous groups and even some repeat visitors.As always, we are so grateful to all who havemade the trip to our historic properties.

In September, we welcomed guests fromthe Newark Museum to Edgewater,Historic Deerfield to both Millford and theRoper House, the Art Institute of Chicagoto Edgewater, and the Institute of ClassicalArchitecture & Art to Roper House.

As we enter the fourth quarter of the year,we are looking forward to welcoming thefollowing groups: the Historic CharlestonFoundation, the Institute of ClassicalArchitecture & Art, the Sumter CountyMuseum, Emmanuel Baptist Church, thePreservation Society of Charleston, theOlana Partnership, students from ClemsonUniversity, ladies from Yeamans Hall Club,members of The Congaree Land Trust fortheir Friend Raising event, and theAmerican Friends of the Georgian Group.

ToursNew York to South Carolina

As of now, we are once again wrapping upour tour and events calendar with theGeorgians, who are holding their Holidayreception at the Baker House. And then,before we know it, it will be 2016!

Speaking of 2016, next year’s calendar isalready starting to fill up, and we are once

again planning for the mid-January kick-offof our tour season in New York City duringAmericana Week. As your group begins toplan your next adventure, please keep all ourwonderful sites in mind - we would lookforward to welcoming you and your guests,again and again!

STUDY: ICAA Students at Edgewater July 2015

Students and instructors from this year’sSummer Studio program in classical

architecture, an intensive four-week courseoffered by ICAA, came as a class to visitEdgewater — Mr. Jenrette’s home on theHudson River.

The course introduces students to skills,knowledge and resources essential to thepractice and appreciation of classical design.Special classes and lectures include:architecture design and composition, theelements of the classical language, drawingand rendering, as well as study in traditionalmaterials.

It was a delight to see artists, architects,design students and artisans exploringEdgewater’s building and landscape, whilestopping to make a sketch or drawing alongthe way!

Summer Studio program students and instructors withDick Jenrette (front center) at Edgewater on the Hudson.

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Recently I commented to my colleagueMargize Howell on the extraordinary

number of French ormolu mantel clocks onview in the houses of the Classical AmericanHomes Preservation Trust. When I askedher if she knew just how many there are, sheanswered, “count the number of fireplacemantels.” Though Margize was beingfacetious, a concurrent count of fireplacemantels and the French mantel clocksacquired by Dick Jenrette and BillThompson over the years, which numbertwenty-one in total, revealed that we are onlyaround a dozen shy. Onward!

These twenty-one timepieces (pendules dechiminée) count out the hours on fireplacemantels in virtually every house except CaneGarden in St. Croix, where due to thetropical climate, there is not a fireplace ormantel to be seen. Their omnipresence callsto mind the comments of the dramatist andwriter Louis-Sébastien Mercier (1740-1814)on the eve of the French Revolution in hisTableau de Paris: “Every chimney-piece hasits clock. . . . . Clocks are everywhere . . . . inevery room you see them, and apparentlynobody finds them disturbing, though theymark most mercilessly the flight of the hours;clocks like little temples, or domes of gildedbronze, or perhaps globes of white marble,with figures running around like an equator.. . .Luxury has run the whole gamut ofimagination in devising these superfluoussplendors.” (from entry for acc. 1972).

No less inventive or diverse, the twenty-one mantel clocks at Classical AmericanHomes range in date from 1800 to 1840 andin terms of their design and subject mattercan be divided into four broad thematiccategories: ancient Greek mythology,classical architecture, scenes from everydaylife in the early nineteenth century, andallegories in which the sculptural figures onthe clocks are emblematic of certain abstractconcepts, such as the fleeting nature ofbeauty and youth, patriotism, and glory. Thetwo Washington clocks at Classical AmericanHomes (figures 1 and 2) fall squarely withinthis final category.

These Washington clocks belong to alarger group of approximately two dozenclosely related examples, two-thirds of whichmeasure approximately 19-1/2 inches tall andthe remainder reduced in height by about 4

SPRING/SUMMER NEWS 2015

Going for the GoldTwo French Ormolu WashingtonClocks at Classical American Homes Preservation TrustBy Peter M. Kenny

inches to make them more affordable.Products of a sophisticated clock-makingindustry in Paris that required the talents ofsculptors, founders, clockmakers and thetradesmen/designers who organized theirmanufacture and sale, these foreign-madeclocks are nonetheless iconic and among themost prized possessions of American museumsand collectors. Examples of the more desirabletaller clocks like the two at Classical AmericanHomes can be found in the permanentcollections of the American Wing at theMetropolitan Museum of Art, the WinterthurMuseum, The White House, and theDiplomatic Reception Rooms at theDepartment of State. Despite their rarity andvalue, Dick Jenrette has managed to acquirenot only these two ormolu Washington clocksbut a third as well, which he purchased for theAmericana collection at Donaldson, Lufkin &Jenrette. We call that going for the gold.

The salient features of these Washingtonclocks have been outlined by JonathanSnellenburg in his excellent survey andanalysis of them published in 2001 in theCatalogue of Antiques & Fine Art, which isavailable online and well worth reading. Onthe taller clocks, these features include: [1] afull-length figure of Washington, whose pose

Figure 1. Clock with Figure of George Washington, 1815-17. Marked (on the dial): Dubuc/Rue-Michel-le-Comte No. 33/ A PARIS. On this clock Washington’s relatively young visage isbelieved to derive from a 1780 Trumbull painting of Washington as general of the Army published asa mezzotint in London in 1781 and issued in a bust-length version in 1783.

Figure 2. Clock with Figure of GeorgeWashington, 1815-17. Marked (on the dial):Dubuc/Rue Michel-le-Comte No. 33/ APARIS. On this clock, Washington’s faceappears aged and is believed to derive from aportrait bust of Washington by Edward Savage,painted for Harvard College in 1789, whichlater was issued as a stipple engraving by Savageand by Benjamin Tanner in 1800 (see figure 4).

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is derived from John Trumbull’s historypainting, General George Washington at theBattle of Trenton commissioned in 1792(figure 3) and later engraved by JohnCheeseman in 1796; [2] an altar-like plinthwith a clock mounted in the center,surmounted by an American eagle with themotto, “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” from theGreat Seal of the United States, and acrossits front a festoon of drapery emblazonedwith Washington’s name and the words,“First in WAR, First in PEACE, First in theHEARTS of his COUNTRYMEN,” (figure5) taken from Major-General Henry Lee’s,Funeral Oration on the Death of GeneralWashington, delivered to both houses ofCongress on December 26, 1799 andpublished as a pamphlet in early 1800; [3] ahandsome architectural base set on engine-turned, flattened ball feet with a bas-reliefplaque depicting Washington relinquishinghis sword to Congress as he prepares toreturn to civilian life, most likely a referenceto the Roman citizen-soldier, Cincinnatus, towhom Washington was frequentlycompared; and [4] on the sides of the plinthapplied trophies (figure 6) comprised of abow, a quiver of arrows, and a war clubsuspended below a feathered headdress,

attributes of the “noble savage,” a standardpersonification of America in the eighteenthand early nineteenth centuries. Snellenburgposits that the Washington clocks wereconceived as an allegory of his life and placesthem within the mainstream of broadsides,graphic images, and epic poetry producedfollowing the death of Washington in 1799that helped to transform Washington theman into the mythic “Father of his Country.”This perfectly reasonable and standardreading of the iconography has led theseallegorical timepieces to often be referred toas Washington memorial clocks.

But allegories can have more than onemeaning, as I propose is the case with theseWashington clocks. A second meaning canbe established only in the context of thedate they were first produced and thecircumstances that may have spurred theirmanufacture. Until recently, dating of theWashington clocks, especially when they arethought of as memorial clocks, has tended tobe in the first decade of the 1800s, closer tothe actual death of George Washington.Research into the Dubuc Washingtonclocks by Lara Pascali in 2006-2007 while agraduate student in the Winterthur Programin Early American Culture proves that this

earlier dating is inaccurate. Pascali discovereda revealing letter to an unnamed Baltimoreanfrom Nicolas Dubuc known as Dubuc l’ainé,a clockmaker in Paris whose workshop shopwas located at no. 33 rue Michel-le-Comte,where he worked from 1806-1817. Anexcerpt from this letter was published innewspapers in Baltimore, Richmond andCharleston in the spring of 1815, and reads,in part:

“The MANTLE CLOCKS, with the statueof Washington, which we had the honor toplan when you were here, are completed; andI can assure you, they are equal in eleganceand intrinsic value to any work of the kindand price, ever executed in this city. They areabout 18 inches long and 21 high, and willcost, with an elegant glass and everythingcomplete, from 300 to 320 francs — I shallsoon execute a small one, say 8 inches longand 15 high, which will cost, when superblyfinished, from 220 to 250 francs . . . . Youmay rely upon it, that the statue is a goodlikeness of “the Father of the Republic,” as nopains and expense were spared searching theLouvre, the galleries and the hotels, whichabound with efforts to perpetuate hismemorable person. There are connected with

Figure 3. George Washington at the Battle ofTrenton by John Trumbull, 1792, oil on canvas.Yale University Art Gallery, Gift of the Societyof the Cincinnati in Connecticut 1806.1. Figure 5. Detail of clock in Figure 1.

Figure 4. G. Washington,stipple engraving afterEdward Savage, 1800.Courtesy, Childs Gallery,Boston.

Going for the Gold

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this work other devices, entirely American,Which cannot fail to make it desirable to thePatriots of your country.

(for the complete ad see artbma.org,Teacher’s Guide, American Collection,2014)

One of the related Washington clocksbears the inscription “Demilt, New Yorck[sic],” on the dial for Thomas and BenjaminDemilt partners in the retail clock and watchbusiness at 239 Pearl Street in LowerManhattan. The recent discovery of anadvertisement by T. & B. Demilt in the New-York Evening Post dated December 27, 1815that offered for sale a variety of clocks andwatches, including “1 time piece with a largefigure of Washington” (figure 7), providesevidence of when these clocks were firstmarketed in New York. Another clue as tothe date for the introduction of theWashington clocks to New York appears inan ad placed over a month earlier in theNew-York Evening Post on November 3,1815 by Charles Irish, a watchmaker andimporter of clocks and watches at 5 WallStreet. This ad offered for sale, among otherthings, “2 cases French Gold and SilverWatches” as well as “French Clocks of the

Figure 6.Alternate view ofclock in Figure 1.

Figure 7. from The Evening Post, New York,December 27, 1815.

most modern patterns, some with the figureof Gen. Washington, all of which will besold low for cash or credit.” All of these1815 references offer evidence that theWashington clocks were marketed inAmerica from France for the first time tocelebrate the United States’ glorious victoryin the war of 1812 and the ensuing peaceafter the signing of the Treaty of Ghent.

In this context the Washington clocks canbe read as allegories for a renewed sense ofnational purpose and identity, as wellharbingers of the next chapter in Americanpolitical life: the Era of Good Feelings, aperiod associated with the years of theMonroe presidency (1817-1825) and markedby a national mood of unity (E PluribusUnum) and the lack of partisan factions. Wehad fought one revolution for our politicalfreedom and now another for ourcommercial freedom. And Washington, thefather of our nation, whose exploits andattributes were already engraved in the mindsof all Americans, stood in 1815 as the greatunifying symbol of the nation. Washington’sname and visage were invoked by patriots andmarketers alike in a grand illumination thattook place in New York to celebrate thepeace on the evening of February 27, 1815.

The illustrious cabinetmaker Duncan Phyfeengaged one of the leading painters of theday, John Wesley Jarvis, to paint atransparency depicting the rising sun witheighteen stars and the motto “Peace,” whichhe backlit in the shop window surrounded bya fanciful display of his elegant furniture, aswell as a chain of transparent lamps that hestrung across Partition Street with a portraitof Washington in the center and ten lamps,each containing a letter that formed the wordWASHINGTON.

The most intriguing question that remainsis, who in Baltimore was behind the conceptthat resulted in the Dubuc Washingtonclocks? It is intriguing that this person leftthe details of creating an appropriateallegory through the use of symbols anddevices to Dubuc, a Frenchman. But in thespirit of Lafayette and of France’s support ofthe American Revolution, he seemed toinstinctively know how to stir Americanpatriotism and thus created an enduringAmerican icon.

SPRING/SUMMER NEWS 2015

Happy 200th Birthday, Ayr Mount!

Ayr Mount, a house built by WilliamKirkland in 1815 and named after his

homeland of Ayr, Scotland, is celebrating ayear of exciting Bicentennial events!

Thank you to all the 230 friends, patronsand preservationists who joined us for AyrMount’s 200th Anniversary Benefit Dinneron Saturday, May 2nd. The weather wasperfection as the guests started arriving at 5 pm to the notes of a kilted bagpiper.Everyone walked through the house at thestart and throughout the evening, thenheaded out to the terrace for cocktails. Dinnerwas held under a large white tent that had aview of the rolling green landscape and pond.

It was a moonlit night to remember. DickJenrette welcomed and thanked everyone forcoming, toasted William Kirkland’s effortsfor building Ayr Mount in 1815, andrecognized Bill and Schatzie Crowther fortheir dedicated stewardship of Ayr Mount. Heclosed by singing Carolina Moon Keep Shiningas the moon was rising over Ayr Mount.

Carolina moon keep shiningshining on the one who waits for meCarolina moon I’m piningPining for the place I long to be…. Ayr Mount.

To cap the evening, Betty Eidener read“Like A Book of Illumination,” a poem aboutAyr Mount written by her husband, Elon G.Eidenier.

Ayr Mount’s 200th Anniversary DinnerMay 2, 2015 — Hillsborough, NC

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Friends and supporters came out for an evening to celebrate, with music by the JazzTones.Dick Jenrette at the entrance of Ayr Mount.

Ayr Mount, luminous at night.

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On Saturday April 18, 2015 Dick Jenrette,Peter Kenny and Classical American

Homes Preservation Trust hosted a specialDay of Art & Architecture at Millford,sponsored by Ronald Long and Kinga Benderof Charlton Hall Galleries in Columbia,South Carolina, and made possible by themeticulous preparations of Site SupervisorLouie Hall and his team. The day was markedby intermittent, gentle spring rain and soft-filtered light through thin, overcast cloudsthat only served to accentuate the beauty ofthe architecture and the verdant landscape.

Throughout the course of the day 132guests wandered freely about the principalrooms of the house where they were treatedto commentary on the history of thearchitecture, interior furnishings, and the lifeand times of the original owners, JohnLaurence and Susan Hampton Manning, aswell as casual conversations with Dick, Peterand Margize, who were happy to share withthem their intimate knowledge of Millford.The weather cooperated enough for casualstrolls by some visitors down the long driveto the original front gates and the porter’slodge, and for others visits to the gothicrevival springhouse, or through the formalboxwood gardens. Delicious box lunches wereenjoyed by many throughout the afternoon,who dined al fresco in the gardens or on thelawn and the front and back porches. By 3:00pm, most of the guests had departed, satisfied,we hope, by a tasty repast of beautiful art andarchitecture, history, and delicious southernfried chicken, lemonade, and banana pudding.

At 4:00 pm our Friends of Millford benefit,featuring a special behind-the scenes tour ledby Dick Jenrette and Peter Kenny, thatincluded a more in-depth study of thearchitectural history of Millford and hands-on study of the original Millford furniture gotunderway. Using facsimile printed images,Dick and Peter revealed the source of muchof the interior architectural detail as MinardLafever’s Beauties of Modern Architecturepublished in New York in 1835, and discussedthe interaction that occurred between masterbuilder Nathaniel Potter and John LaurenceManning during the course of its constructionbetween 1839 and 1841.

Next they turned to the Grecian plain stylefurniture the Mannings purchased in 1841from Duncan Phyfe & Son for Millford,

A Day of Art & Architectureat MillfordApril 18, 2015 — Pinewood, SC

pointing out how its ornamental restraint,flowing silhouettes and deep rich rosewood,mahogany and walnut veneers set it apart incontrast yet still harmonized with the starkwhite, monumental, Greek revival interiors.Every room on the first and second floorswas visited and discussed with plenty of timefor thoughtful questions and further insights

from our guests, as well as, of course, a fewgood laughs.

By 5:30 pm everyone adjourned to thefront porch for cocktails and hors d’oeuvresserved amidst the Millford’s gloriouscolonnade of Corinthian capitals. What aperfect ending to a splendid day of classicalart and architecture.

Dick Jenrette (left) and Peter Kenny (right)talking to a group in the Double Parlor.

Visitors to Millford touring the 2nd floorrooms not available on regular tours.

Susan and Bill Manning, and Dee Schwab —Manning descendants posing in front ofportrait of John Laurence Manning.

Emory Clark and Elizabeth Howard,descendants of Millford’s second owner, andErcle Herbert, Jr., a Manning descendant.

Brian Condon, Johnny Maybank, DickJenrette with Lee Manigault, and Matt Mill.

Dick Jenrette (left) and Ronald Long (right)of Charlton Hall Galleries.

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The bagpiping anthem, Scotland the Braveheralded the beginning of another

Bicentennial event: A Ball at Ayr MountHouse. Josh Hinson, a talented localbagpiper, was truly the Pied Piper of the Ball.Couples fell in line behind him for the GrandPromenade around the grounds to the sweetsmell of early magnolia blossoms. Thereafterthe music and dancing began in earnest. JackMaus, the evening’s talented Dance Mastermade for a relaxed and happy time fornewcomers and experienced dancers alike.

Guests swirled to Flowers of Edinburgh,Devil Among the Tailors, Geud Man ofBallingigh and Jack’s Maggot; all perioddances. Guests were transported back tothe days of 1815 when William Kirklandand his family moved into Ayr Mount.Known as the Federal Period in Americaits counterpart is the Regency period inEngland — think music, costume and dancein Jane Austen’s society.

It was a magical night under a clearCarolina sky enhanced by exquisitely dressedladies in Empire gowns of muslin and silk,tartan skirts and sashes, dancing slippers,ribbons, and white gloved hands holdingivory and silk fans. The gentlemen werekeeping pace dressed in kilts, waistcoats,

A Ball at Ayr Mount HouseMay 23, 2015 — Hillsborough, NC

breeches, knee length boots, top hats, andeven a gold handled walking stick. Mara Shea(violin), Julie Gorka (keyboard) and WaltRobinson (recorder), the great musicians ofThe Syllabub Trio, expertly played throughout

the night with great flair, a lilting quality, andcare for period authenticity and phrasing.

To read more and see other pictures from this event, please go to our websitewww.classicalamericanhomes.org.

Over 150 friends from around the countryjoined us at the George F. Baker Houses

in New York City for our annual SpringPatrons Party. Every year we host thisgathering as an opportunity to thank ourdonors and friends for their support. This is aspecial time where we get to greet faces, somenew and many familiar. In fact, last year wehad 200 new donors, and many came out forthis event. It was especially nice to see a newgeneration of young adults here.

The George F. Baker Houses were designedby the architectural firm Delano & Aldrich andare comprised of three buildings — the privateresidence of Dick Jenrette at 67 East 93rdStreet, originally built in the late 1920’s forGeorge F. Baker, Sr.; the headquarters ofClassical American Homes at 69 East 93rdStreet, which was the Bakers’ carriage house;and the Russian Orthodox Church at 75 East

Spring PatronsPartyThe George F. Baker Houses

Left to right: Mary Jo Shen, Dick Jenrette,Bill Donaldson, and Ted Shen.

Left to right: Margize Howell, Dick Jenrette,William Ivey Long, and Ken Jennings.

93rd Street, which was originally built forFrancis Palmer in 1917, who sold it to GeorgeF. Baker, Jr. in the mid-1920’s, updating it witha ballroom wing and central courtyard.

Between the two structures of 67 and 69East 93rd Street is a small open courtyard onthe third floor where many of our guestsgathered on this cool spring evening. Later at

the reception many of the guests migrated tothe drawing room of 69 East 93rd Street toadmire its almost cube-like proportions andtake in the two story colonnade of eight free-standing Ionic columns on its North exposureand the larger courtyard, originally designedby the firm of Olmsted Brothers.

SPRING/SUMMER NEWS 2015

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SPRING/SUMMER NEWS 2015

Classical American Homes Preservation Trust and the entireAmerican decorative arts community have lost a much-loved

friend, Dean F. Failey, who died suddenly at home in EastNorthport on May 19, 2015. Dean is the author of Long Island IsMy Nation: The Decorative Arts & Craftsmen 1640-1830, and wasthe first full-time director of the East Hampton Historical Society.His deep knowledge and appreciation of American antiques was aninspiration to scholars, curators, collectors, and dealers in the field.

In 1979, he joined Christie’s auction house in New York andwent on to become a Senior Vice-President and Director ofAmericana for the auction house. Mr. Failey was a long-servingboard member of the Decorative Arts Trust and the 2007recipient of the Antiques Dealer’s Association’s Award of Merit.Many friends and colleagues will remember Dean with admirationand affection. His warmth and humor touched everyone he camein contact with — even those who didn’t know him personally.His national presence as an appraiser on PBS television’s “AntiqueRoadshow” conveyed his wit and high spirits, alongside his passionfor American furniture and paintings. We send our deepestcondolences to his wife, Marie, children and grandchildren. Wewill miss our dear friend who was a champion of American art, anexpert on the work of early New York craftsman and a lover ofgardens and natural beauty.

In RemembranceDean F. Failey

Dean Failey and Margize Howell at a Decorative Arts Trust event.

Tours — Spring 2015

With spring comes a change in the rhythmof our tour season, as we welcome many

patrons to each of the historic houses, whocome also to enjoy the warmer weather, thegardens and scenic landscapes associated witheach home. We began our traditional springtour season with each of the properties beingquite active. At Millford Plantation, we greetedFriends of the Owens-Thomas House fromSavannah for a tour and box lunch, and thefollowing day we also hosted them at the RoperHouse. So far, they have visited three of theseven properties as they recently also visitedEdgewater. The night before the group’s visit,the members of the Aspen Institute’sGlobalization Seminar reserved the RoperHouse for their final evening in Charleston.

This spring season Millford also was thedestination for two middle school class visitsfrom The Lee Central Middle School inBishopville, and returning for a thirdconsecutive year was the Laurence ManningAcademy from Manning. All in all, LouieHall, Millford’s site supervisor, greeted over125 students and also wore the hat of a middleschool social studies teacher. We hope that afew future art historians, curators andpreservationists were among this group ofspirited and inquisitive boys and girls! Soonafter, Louie greeted members of the CoastalCarolina University’s Adult Degree Programof Lifelong Learners. The Roper House was

also the destination for two cocktail receptionsfor the Charleston Art & Antiques Forumand the North Carolina Museum ofHistory Associates. From young students toestablished professionals, our visitors came toboth South Carolina houses for enriching andmemorable experiences.

We next greeted members of the Board ofTrustees from the Carnegie Museums ofPittsburgh and the Rotch-Jones-DuffHouse and Garden Museum from NewBedford, Massachusetts at the Roper House.After visiting Edgewater last fall, the RDJHouse and Garden Museum decided theywanted to visit another home, and choseRoper House as their next destination.

In the beginning of April, the Roper Housecontinued to be part of the East Battery Tourfor the Historic Charleston Foundation’s68th Annual Festival of Houses & Gardens,which is always a sell-out.

Most of CAHPT’s springtime activity takesplace at Millford Plantation and the RoperHouse. However, Margize Howell and PeterKenny welcomed members of the NantucketPreservation Trust to the Baker House inNew York City for a cocktail reception inApril. Also, by mid-May, Edgewater receivedits first three tour groups of the spring seasonas our team welcomed the Morris Museumfrom Morristown, New Jersey, and theDelmar Progress Club of Slingerlands, NewYork, and the Advisory Board of the GeorgiaBotanical Garden.

As Henry James once wrote, Summerafternoon, summer afternoon; to me those havealways been the two most beautiful words in theEnglish language. These words certainly ringtrue to us, as we have the added pleasure ofwelcoming many groups and individuals toour homes during the upcoming summermonths. Won’t you join us for a tour too?

Docent, Art Carlson,giving a tourof Edgewater,New York.

EDGEWATER

AYR MOUNT

ROPER HOUSE

BAKER HOUSES

MILLFORDPLANTATION

ESTATE CANE GARDEN

Classical American Homes Preservation Trust69 East 93rd Street, New York, New York 10128 • Phone (212) 369-4460 • Fax (212) 369-4462

[email protected] • www.classicalamericanhomes.org

EDGEWATER

AYR MOUNT

ROPERHOUSE

GEORGE F.BAKER HOUSES

MILLFORDPLANTATION

ESTATE CANEGARDEN

To schedule a tour, please go to:www.classicalamericanhomes.org

Visit Our Houses

Our mission at Classical American Homes Preservation Trust is to preserve, protect and open to the public examples of classical American

architecture, surrounding landscapes and scenic trails, as well as fine and decorative arts of the first half of the 19th Century.