Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-05-18
An AMERICAN CASTLE.
The Residence of CYRUS W. Field.-
4 EsarONial Mansion at 1rvingtOh
On-tii ell udscn Oriental Luxury
;it,l ESarbarIc SplcuuOr.

One of the most beautiful country resi-
dences on the running river snys the New
York star, from the foam-ilecked and
noisy Spuyten Duyvel to the calm yet
ever-howing Mohawk, is "Ardsley,' half
way between Dobbs' Ferry and sleepy
Irvington. erected upon Il high bluff over
looking the Hudson. Not yet entirely
finished, it is designed as the summer re-
sidence OF Cyrus W. Field, where shall
be entertained in almost Oriental luxury
and barbaric splendor such favored friends
rs enjoy the beneiicent sunshine of his
acquaintance and approval. 1t has been
erected at n cost which none OF his clevat-
ed railway employees may ever hope to
initiate, and were the figures given the
reader might well explain. Can such
things be, and ovcrwhelm us like a
dream o. Whatever may be the magniii-
cence and splcndor of the palace erected
in New York by that bachelor of many
'bar'ls," this castle-like residence upon
the Hudson outvies the struggles of n vi
vid fancy i'll its endeavor to grasp the ap-
otheosis of decorative art amid rural and
poetic surroundings.
The view from the river road which
runs in front of the grounds surrounding
"Ardsley" is more than cnthralling. The
eyes plunges down steeply inclined plane
overgrown with trees and evergreens, and
| trailing vines, very similar III prospectus
to the historic forests OF Brazil as seen
| from the Andes, at the foot of which
glimpses are caught through the foliage
of tho blue water sparkling in the sun
shine, and CANDY little boats dancing up
on the ripples. Even in early spring
"Ardsley" il all that can be desired.
Standing at the roadside one day last week
the writer was captivated by the scene
around him. The flash of color and
| beauty and sentiment were strangely
picturesque. in rich, rare, and unap-
proachabe artistic beauty. One solitary
vessel, with fluttering white sail, was
slewly winding its way through the brok-
en- icecakes, and the wind-rutiled waves.
The hills rising abruptly from the oppos-
lite bank, in hues of green and brown.
were beautiful in the extreme. The high
lands below were mass of blue mist and
gray outlines, while far away to the north
the highest snow-capped peaks of the
Catskills reared their heads like tleecy
clouds in the distant horizon.
Nearly half mile back from the rustic
fence around the park, approached by
pebbled winding road, nj II yet higher
elevation, stands the stately castle of thu
not Mt all green field. 1t can be called
nothing less, though lacking the turrets
moat and W. tcll towers Of similar edificei
in tie days "when knights were bold, IL
spurs Of gold, went gayly to the fray:
1t is a stately pile of stone, completed.
''squelching" the pretty villas OF aspiring
millionaires in the vicinity, and carrying
the imagination back at once to tn
e twelfth century renaissance. The genera
l architecture includes n variety of styles
combined to produce the highest eflec
t upon the artistic eye, in which the Gothi
1 and the Italian strive for predominence
1 Evidently Cyrus, like Tony Lumpkin
4 "could not abide to disappoint himself
: and so, wherever he has found strikin
e effect in modern or ancient architecture
$ he has embodied it in his castle, needles
l. alike of expense and fitness. Yet thcr
G is nothing in the least glaring, and II
If particular Grundyism has been pormitte
= TO cropforth. tbs in height three stories
% with dormer windows at the top and
If many gabled roaf. Viewed from ever
J. approach, it would alike be not out ,
Is place either on the classic shores Of LAX
3 Como or upon the poetic banks of til
p many -castled Rhine. But when one i,
he members that an army OF weary men ha,
at toiled sixteen hours daily for many moi
Is otonous months upon the iron railwa,
r that sweep through this city to gather Il
is shekels that have been expended on i
s. erection, one can scarce repress sigh
le this stately pile comes out in full rcii
Id against the clear blue sky.
~ Tho carriage road sweeps over Il rollii
o. lawn and by beautifail curve to the sp
as cious entrance, protected from the incl
s mency of the weather by IL Gothic ro
at supported upon two carved pillurs. Pas
II ing through the massive doorway the Wis
ri tor enters broad hall decorated wi
,r, panels and blue-tinted tiles. There a
re no carpets, but the foot sinks immediate
lis into pileof soft and costly Oriental rug
d. and if he be at all poetic, il ct once tran
it ported with visitors from "Salla Rookll
M the vale of Cashmere and the blue Wi
at dermere. One delightful feature is t
he number of beautiful and durable pray
he rugs among these for il is thus to be
or ferred that, while joy shall be unconfn
le- and pleasure and hilarlly everreign in
to castle, there shall, nevertheless, be
hour when the world shall be thrust {
Ter and the master and his vassals make tn
Iry knees plant upon these soft and o'
la- waiting rugs. Yet nameless fear
ng presses the person 30 specializing that