The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-11-30
A PALACE FOR HIS HOME
HENRY WIZARDS MAGNIFICENT
Residence IN NEW XoRK.
A Colossal RuiIding Modelled after an
Italian Palacc--sts Exterior and
Interior, and its Cost.

n NEW j OTh lCllcf gives Jnc lOllOWlnS
decriptiOn of the residence OF Henry vii
lard president of the Norther Pacific
railroad Henry Willard, the railroad
magnate, has nearly completed his new
residence, or more properly residences,
on Madison avenue. The colossal struc-
ture occupies an entire block, having
frontage on Madison avenue of 200 feet.
That part which he will occupy is on the
corner of Fifty-first street. It's frontage
is sixty feet and its depth 100 feet. The
other wing will be perfectly similar ex-
cept that it is divided into three houses,
and between the two wings is court
eighty feet in width and seventy three
feet in depth. That portion of the build
ing back of the court extends back forty
feet beyond the wings and is a double
house Of itself.
In the center of the court will be placed
magnificent fountain, around which
will be broad drive, and in each corner
grass plat. Each house will commune
cate directly with the court. Mr.. Viii
Iard's house and the two center houses
are completed, excepting the interior,
while the walls of the remaining wing are
up to the second story. The exterior of
The great building is more grand than
beautiful 1t is the result of com
bination of Roman and Florentine archi-
lecture, plans of the Cancelleria palace at
Rome and the Farnez palace being copied
by the architects. The material is Belle
vile, n. j., sandstone, the light grayish
amber stone of which Trinity church was
built. Everything is massive, and there
is little attempt at ornament. Huge
blocks Of stone are piled upon one anoth
er and overtopped by a heavy cornice of
the same material. The wings are three
stories in height, beside the basement
and attic stories. From the sidewalk to
the top of the cornice the measurements
siXty-eight feet. The basement and front
story are rusticated and the Others plain
stone asher, with the angles strengthened
by rustication. The front of the two
center houses Unsupported by five arcades,
with heavy columns of polished Jones
boro granite. Dutch tiles cover the roof
The whole effect is severe and dignifed
Entering the spacious portal OF the Vii
lard residence, your correspondent found
himself in a magnificent reception room,
fourteen feet by twenty-eight in depth
Everything here was in inlaid wood,
floor, ceiling, walls and columns. On
either side opened the drawing-rooms.
They are each 19X2S feet, and are being
finished in mahogany, inlaid with light
woods, satin wood and maple being no.
ticeable. Between the piastcrs will be
hung rich embroidered stuffs. The
predominating tones are a light reddish
brown, and light yellow. The draw
ing-rooms and reception room are so ar
ranged that they can be thrown into one
spacious apartment 100 feet in width and
twcnty-eight in depth
From the reception room a hall four
teen feet in width and forty-two in
| length leads to the music room. Alad
din's lamp never revealed a hall more
magnificent. 1t 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 mas
terpiece of the sculptor from an
Italian design, and the whole apartment
was executed by Italian artists in the
style of modern Pompeian palaces. The
hall Is spanncd by three semi-circular
arches in Sienna marble with sculpture
by Louis st. Gaudiens. A vestibule in
the same design leads out of the hall
back of the drawing-rooms. The music
room is the chef d'puvre of the decora-
tors art 1t is diminutive theater
forty-eight by twenty-four feet in dmen-
sion and thirty-two feet from the floor to
ceiling, extending to the third story. 1t
is in the style of the Francis |. room of
Fontainbleau palace. The colors are
white and gold. 4 wainscoting eight
feet in height in carved pine surrounds
the ROOM The ceiling is an eleptical
vault, and every detail shows the skill of
the artist. Between the music room and
the vestibule, marble stairs twelve feet
broad lead to the upper stories. Again
the tone is yellow. An elaborate renais-
sance ceiling spans the stairs. The ele-
vator way occupies the remaining space.
Across the hall are the main breakfast
room and dining-room, which can be
thrown into one apartment twenty by
sixty feet in size. Carved woods
again replace the marble. The room is
executed in English oak inlaid with white
mahogany The ceiling is divided with
beams cased with English oak, and the
carved friczes, three feet in width, are in
laid with floral designs. The two man
tiles are of red Verona marble, and are
copies of those which Mr.. Mead was sent
to Italy to select, but which arrived in n
somewhat damaged condition and were
presented by him to the museum of
art. Here also st. Gaudiens' skill is
seen. The upper stories are in keeping
with the splendor below, although, of
course, not so elaborate. The general
Btyle is Italian renaissance. The furni-
ure will be especially magnificent. That
bf the drawing-rooms will be upholstered
md of colors harmonizing with the dec
brations, the reddish brown tone predom-
mating. 1t was designed by the archi-
ects who executed the rooms. The
Pther houses will be finished in style be-
coming their pretensions, although moth
ng ike this. The cost of the building
afutnished will be an even million dol
NJ OF this the decorating of the draw
Icrooms cost $50, 900; the dining-rooms,
20 900; the hall, $50, 900; and the
broom, $780, 900. AS much more
I'LL be expended on other work in the
,tef room year hence. To finish the
terror of Mr. Wizards house necessitates