Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-02-04
J. Tiidcn's Country Home

Hudson. The house stands ON al
natural knoll, the summit being 450|
feet above the level of the river at high
water. The grounds towards theI
river are in six terraces, fashioned by|
the hand of nature.
Opposite stands with bold outline
the grandest part of the Palisades,
forming a striking feature of the land
scape. TbePeekskill Mountains are ir
plain view to the northwest, and the
broad Tappan Zee, seen through vistas
of arching trees, looks like mountain
locked lake. On clear days the Kaats-
|skills, Staten Island, New York Bay
and Long Island Sound can be see n
from the centre tower of the house. To
the east the undulating surface of
country, with the silver sheen of the
water ofthe Sound beyond. makes a
wonderfully beautiful picture.
A broad piazza extends the length OF
the western sideof the house, and you
look down upon the broad Hudson
through openings cut in the forest
trees. A prominent object in the
grounds towards the river is a grand
old oak, whose widespreading branches
shade several thousand square feet of
ground. 1t has been named the Tilden
Oak.
The dwelling, built of graystone, is
Ia grand pile. The massive towers, the
buttressed walls and crowning turrets
give ita stately appearance, which is,
however, somewhat marred by al
mansard roof-a vagary of the archi-
Itect. A noble hall 20x70 feet runs
through the centre. Midway on the
north side, in sub-hallway rises the
grand stairway, lighted by stained
glass skylight, and on the first landing
by screen of madiGvel glass. On the
west side of the stairway is the dining
room, 40x25 feet, and to the right as
you enter the hall is the Office and work
room for the secretaries.
The south half of the first floor is
divided into reception and music rooms,
saloon, parlor and library. Above
are Mr.. Tilden's suit OF sleeping, dress
ing and Wallets rooms. Save the guest
room, the whole OF the second floor is
reserved for Mr.. Tilden's use,
Although the main part of the library
remains at his Gramercy Park house
in New York, every available space
for bookcases ON the second floor of
Graystone is occupied. An original
Elephant folio edition of Audubon s
Birds fills special plush-lined case.
One room is devoted to books on agri-
culture, horticulture, arboriculture,
dairy farming, horses, sheep, dogs and
poultry. One OF Mr.. Tilden's pecu-
liarities is to exhaust the literature of
whatever subject he may be inclined
to investigate. Few specialists have
more complete collections of books
relating TO agriculture and kindred
subjects than you will find in this
library.
The third story is divided into eight
Ispacious chambers, the windows oi
leach commanding view Of great ex-
Itent. From those on the north, west
land south sides of the house you look
upon the most picturesque portion ol
the scenery of the Hudson River. The
Kitchen and servants quarters are in
IAN extension which, forming part of
the building, is cut of by a hallway.
The billiard room, lighted by six
large windows, is on the second floor
of the extension.
The grounds north, south and east of
the house are broken by natural knolls,
Iaffording opportunity for landscape
gardening on free scale without dan
lger of stiff artificial effects. North and
northeast ofthe house two rounding
4 All aAxArnI x,,sth xat,t trol
Igrowth of several varieties of forest
Itrees, over which wild grape and other
vines are climbing. The winding
Icarriage road lined with choice fir
ltrees runs between these swells in the
surfacc of the ground to the stables,
the roof of which is barely visible from
the house.
| The stables are upon the same liber-
Ial scale as the mansion house, afford
ing room for eleven horses, dozen We
jhicles. with quarters for three coach
men and groom.
A little further north are the ranges
Iof greenhouses erected during the
present year. They are exceeded in
lextent by few private establishment in
the country, The fruit-houses are de-
Isigned to supply grapes and peac hes
Iduring ten months out of twelve. The
lstore, tea and hybrid rose houses will
make display rivalled only by those
of Mr.. Jay Gould at Irvington. The
Palm and Aquatic houses are upon a
like grand scale, and will be filled
with all that taste can suggest and
money command.
The grounds about Graystone are
IsiXty acres in extent and the farm
across North Broadway contains
labout ninety acres more. The houses
lof the farmer and gardener, the sta
bes for draught horses, cows, the
Ichicken-house, run-aways for ducks
and geese, and the dog-kennels, are
hidden from the mansion house by ris-
ling gronnd. The herds of Jerseys
land Guernseys are from stock import.
ed by Mr.. Tilden. The daily yield of
milk is carefully tabulated by one
of Mr.. Tilden's clerks and the ta-
BILE showing the record of each COW is
carefully scanned every month by the
lowner before it is filed away.
In all that pertains to his herds, his
Igarden, his stables, his greenhouses,
his dogs, Mr.. Tilden manifests not
lonly lively interest but, winter or
summer, when the weather is fair, he
personally inspects them He is metho-
Idical and thorough in everything.
1.-TWO secretaries look after the details of
his vast business interests, conduct his
correspondence and supervise the es-
Establishment of Graystone, but every
thing-even to the minutest details-is
under the direction of the master. Or
der and system prevail everywhere,