The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1883-11-29
HENRY yILLARD's MAGNIFICENT RESI-.
DENCE.
The Gr.ndest Dwelling in America.

The Grsndest Dwelling in America.
Among the marvellous stories told OF
American millionaires, none is more
wonderful than that relative to the career
of Henry Willard. In boyhood's days we
read stories of men who from poverty
rose TO dazzling affluence, and sprang
from low estate TO princely splendor, but
no stranger tale was ever told than that
of the poor newspaper man at $50 week
who is now building the finest residence
on the American continent.
II is situated on Murray Hill. the mob
Hill'' of New York City; was begun last
summer and eclipses anything in that
luxurious metropolis that has yet been
designed for private residence. Ii occu-
200 feet. That part which he will occupy
is on the corner of Fifty-first street. Its
frontage is 60 feet and its depth 100 feet.
The other wing will be similar, except
that II is divided into three parts, and
between the wings Is court 50 feet IN
width and 73 feet in depth. The portion
of the building behind the court extends
back 30 feet beyond the wings aud is
double house of itself. In the center of
the court will be placed a magnificent
fountain, around which will be a broad
drive and in each corner a grass-plot. 1t
will be inclosed BY a massive fence of
iron with stone posts. Each house CON-
municates directly with the court.
The extension of the great building Is
more grand than beautiful. Ii Is the
result of a combination of Roman and
FlOrentine architecture. the plans of the
Cancelleria Palace at Rome and the Par
nese Palace being copied by the archl-
tects. The material Is sandstone, the
light-grayish amber-stone of which Trim
ity Church was built. Everything is
massive and there is little attempt at
ornament. Huge blocks of stone are
piled one upon another and oYertopped
by heavy cornice of the same material.
The wings are three stories In height
besides the basement and attic stories.
From the sidewalk TO the top of the
cornice the measurement Is IS feet. The
basement and first story are rusticated
and others plain stone ashler with the
angles strengthened by rustication. The
front of the two center houses Is sup
ported by five arcades with heavy col
umns of polished granite. Dutch tiles
cover the roof. The whole effect Is severe
and dignified.
Entering the spacious portal of the
Willard residence the visitor finds himself
in a magnificent reception room, fourteen
by twenty-eight feet. Everything here is
in inlaid wood-hoor, ceiling, walls and
columns. On either side open the draw
ing-roOms. They are each nineteen by
twenty-eight feet, and are being finished
in mahogany, inlaid with light woods,
satin wood and maple being noticeable.
Between the pilasters will be hung rich
embroidered stuffs. The prsdominating
tones are light reddish brown and
light yellow. The drawing rooms and re-
ception-rooms are so arranged that they
can be thrown into one spacious apart
ment 100 feet in width and twenty-eight
in depth.
From the reception room q hall four
teen feet in width and forty-two in length
leads to the music room. Aladdin's lamp
never revealed hall more magnificent.
Ii is entirely IN mosaic. The material IS
yellow Italian marble. The floor is in
Chaillon marble in small pieces woven
into beautiful designs. The mantel is
masterpiece of the sculptor from an ltal-
ian design, and the whole apartment was
executed by Italian artists in the style of
modern Pompeiian palaces. The hall is
spanned by three semi-circular arches, IN
Sienna marble, with sculpture by Louis
| St. Gaudens. Yestibule following the
same plan leads out of the hall back of
the drawing-room.
The music room, however, is the chef
d'euyre of the decorators art. 1t is a
diminutive theater, 48 by 81 feet in di-
mensiOn and 32 feet from floor TO ceiling,
extending TO the third story. 1t is in the
style of the Francis l room of FOntaine-
bleau Palace. The colors are white and
gold. A wainscoting, eight feet in hight,
In carved pine, surrounds the room. At
one end is q gallery for the musicians.
The ceiling is an ellptical vault, and ev-
cry detail shows the skill of the artist.
Between the music room and yestibule
marble stairs twelve feet broad lead to
the upper stories. Again the tone is yel-
low. An elaborate Renaissance ceiling
spans the stairs. The eleyator-way occu-
pies the remaining space.
Across the hall are the main dining
room and breakfast room, which can be
thrown into one apartment, % by GO feet
in size. Carved woods again replace the
marble. The room is executed IN English
oak inlaid with white mahogany. The
ceiling is divided by beams cased with
English oak and the carved friezes, three
feet in width, are inlaid with floral de-
signs and inscriptions. The two mantels
are of red Verona marble. The upper
below, although of course not so elabO-
rate. The general style is Italian Renais-
sance.
The furniture will he especially mag
nificent. That of the drawing rooms
will be upholstered and of colors har.
moniZing with the decorations, all the
designs being original, and the fit
tings throughout, locks, gas fixtures, car
pets, etc, will be made specially for the
purpose. The cost of the building un-
furnished will be an even million dollars
OF this the decorating of the drawing
rooms cost $4,000; the dining rooms
$4,000; the hall, $4,000; and the music
room, $4,000. As much more will be
expended on other work in the latter
room a year hence. To finish the interi.
r of Mr.. Wizards house necessitates the
expenditure of $250,0O0. The upper
floors are now about completed and the
furniture is arriving.
The structure when completed will be
the most magnificent residence building
in the country, far surprising the Van
derbilt houses. II Is the first attempt
made to reproduce an Italian palace in
America. Henry Wizards house is G
palace, in fact.