Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-05-09
FINEST HOUSE IN NEW YORK.
Mrs. Gen. Gaines Mansion on the
Central Park.
From the New York world.l

From the New York Worldl
Perhaps the most complete and impor-
tant private residence ever yet erected
in New York will be the mansion Of Mrs.
Gen. Gaines, the design for which has
just been prepared. The building, which
is to occupy large space on the most
elevated ground in the vicinity of Cen.
trail Park and Eighth avenue, is varied
in outline of plot, and covers in itself
an area averaging not less than IA feet
in length, by nearly 100 in breadth. The
ground plan embraces spacious en-.
trance hall and vestibule II feet wide,
by 20 feet in length; grand principal
marble staircase % feet by Is feet, sur.
mounted by handsome belvidere; re-
ception room, large drawing room, par
lor, boudoir and library, en- suite fine,
large dining room, with bay windows;
conservatory, housekeeper's room, but
ler's pantry, back staircases and other
appurtenances. The stable department
is most ingeniously arranged in one ex-
treme corner, where it contributes to the
adornment of the structure without af-
fecting its comfort The grand carriage
entrance leading to the main staircase
is protected by handsome porte cochere,
and there are, besides, two covered car
riage ways on each side of the building,
for ingrcss and egress. The second floor
contains we'll lighted, commodious cham.
bers and dressing rooms, with bath
rooms and every other modern appliance
of luxury and convenience, a large pic.
ture and sculpture gallery, a theatre and
ball room, CT feet long, by 81 feet wide,
and a beautiful billiard room. On this
floor the principal octagonal chamber
with its deeply recessed alcove, dressing
room, bath room, and private little stair
case (leading exclusively from the bou-
doir below, is the prettiest arranged
suite of private rooms imaginable. The
sleeping apartments for servants are
skillfully distributed in a mezzanine
floor at one angle of the building, and
so managed that by the closing of one
single door, they can be, at will, entirely
cut off from the remainder of the apart
ments on the second and third floors.
The latter is devoted exclusively to large
and handsome chambers, with abundance
of dressing rooms, closets, bath rooms,
ETC. The basement is complete in every
portion, and, in the culinary and wash
ing departments especially, embraces
every conceivable convenience known
to the most luxurious modern house.
keeping, with abundance of store rooms
Of every description, large servants hall
and pantry, beer and wine cellar, etc.,
every portion being most thoroughly
lighted and ventilated
The style, which is seen to perfection
in beautiful colored perspective of the
two main fronts, is what should justly be
called the Franco-Italian, or, in other
words, French adaptation OF the Indian
style 1t is at once substantial and ele-
CANT in appearance happy blending
of the dignfied with the picturesque.
The building shows high basement, two
stories and an attic formed out of lofty
and graceful Mansard roof. This kind
of roof, recently so popularized among
us, is even better adapted to private than
to public edfices, on account Of the es-
pecially domestic character of the roof, |
when made a prominent and ornamental |
feature. 1t has the effect, too, Of pre-
venting that too.heavy appearance and |
air of publicity so usual in all large pri-
vate structures, when carried up full |
LuTtt LUIS dpaAN
from anything else, gives the building in |
question a decided advantage over the |
costly huge marble residence now being |
erected at the corner of Thirty.fourth
street and Fifth avenue-the only one in |
the city which, in size and pretension, is
at all on scale sufficient to challenge /
any comparison The cornice running
around the main portion Of the building
is very rich, and the three principal
facades (all differently treated, extremely
ornate and beautiful; but the ornamen-
tation is chaste, not overloaded, and only
introduced where most pleasing and ef-
feciive Two towers, surrounded by
open, picturesque belvideres, rise grace
fully from opposite angles Of the build
ing; one crowning the principal stair.
case, and the other over the main en-
trance on the south side. They are
for use no less than ornament,
as they communicate directly with the
spacious roof fat, and from them frierds
and visitors can enjoy Commanding
views of the surrounding scenery The
material is to be Of Nova Scotia stone.
or something similar, white marble being
isstly considered as much too glaring for
domes6c uses, as brown stone Is too