New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-29
OLD VANDERBILT HOUSE.
SOLD TO A FUR DEALER WHO WILL TEAR
IT DOWN NEXT YEAR.

DIED-HIS TRAINING TRACh IN III"
BAcKYARp-THE GRAVE OF NOUN
TAIN BoY-sHlp MODELS IN
GOLD. BRASS AND WOOD.
TIL. old brick house at No. 10 Washington
r,oce whore Commodore Vanderbilt lived ana
d;ed was sold 10 fur dealer few days ago 40
nricc exceeding S2l0, 900, and next year IL VIII
no torn down. The property belonged 10 |oi-
uelius and William X. Vanderbilt, ana hau pee"
leased annually TO the mother and Drother OIL 'hc
Commodores second wife, who have lived thefe
since the death of the Wall Street KING Ihey
cxpect to move out by May l. MIS- CIa"ioi"
informed a Tribune reporter that she hau UGH
1ootinc over New-York for the last two years
in the hope of finding new house sonie"i"
similar in design to the one she IS thus ioloeu
% abandon. but all search has proved unavaillhg'
The Crawfords are Southerncrs, ana hnNc u'
Southern fancy for big rooms and lofty celllhsS'
Tho Commodore's house was once fashionable, ouC
It's STYLE long ago passed into lnnocuouS oesuc'"c'
IT, is a large but exceedingly plain brlcK mansion'
a GOOD type of the dwellings OF the mlihohaiIeS
of ,l,e old school built before the jaunty Drown
stone fronts. with their ford painting ana sauuS
trimmings, came into vogue. Everything "'o"0
il is solid substantial, comfortable Inc lacdoc
is as fat and plain as the side OF drSgoous ooN'
,bo only attemot at ornamentaton appearing IN
no
columns and an entabature of classic design. Inc
vestibule is as big and roomy as many MOURN
parlor On the left of the hall, which Is "lue
and lofty is the reception room, with tinted walls
and elaborate frescoes. Here hangs an oil paint
inc three by six feet. of the yacht y run oUar'
nm which the Commodore vOyaged around 'he
world IL is represented as having two over
grown side wheels, which are beating thc waves
into foam in wild endeavor TO attain speeu
of ten knots ain hour. The North Star also mas
Two masts From the foremost futters IN the
breeze a white spike flag with big red IN the
centre and from the mainmast waves reu nag
on which North Star" is painted In blue iet'eIs;
This flag combination produces the Na'ioh"i
colors-red, white and blue The North SUI
sailed in s54 and as she passed the Narrows IN
sight of the Vanderbilt homestead on Staten
Island. the Commodore's mother, whom he loved
dearly went out on the front porch to see and
hear the farewell salute, which he fired with his
own hands.
On the opposite wall is exquisite memorial
of the steamship Vanderbilt, done wit, pen and
ink by Captain De Groot, who was one OF the
CommodOre's favorites.
THE ROANOKE IN PURE GOLD.
The parlors are the right of the hall, TWO
splendid, spacious rooms extending from troht 10
rear. An uptown fiat of eight rooms would ma
ample accommodation in them without seriously
incommoding the bric-a-brac, of which there are
carloads. In the cabinet on the left of the 'front.'
door are numerous interesting pieces of rare old
china, precious relics that were household gods
in the Vanderbilt family $50 years ago, when
the Commodare's grandmother was young
woman On the wall to the right hangs the Com
mOdOre's portrait hle-siZe painting In oil by
Mrs Tryon Tie artist succeeded in catching the
He
probably talking horse during the sittingS In
corner on an ebony what-not is model of the
steamer Roanoke, made of pure gold, superb
piece of work The vessel is complete TO the min
U,est detail of ship construction and is as beau
tiul it is costly. 1t the first Mrs. Wander
bits present 10 the Commodore on the anniver-
sary Of their golden wedding Mrs Crawford
keeps it under an enormous glass dome. In the
opposite corner, sailing JOLLY along a rosewood
table, is catboat of brass. The sail, without a
reef, is drawing full in the imaginary breeze yet
the boat sits an even keel, being ballasted with
dminutive articles of viTu
Facing the Commodore's portrait is a likeness
OF his second wife and of her mother, both
from the brush of Mr. Flagg, a cousin of Mrs
Crawford. Other portraits numerous 10 men
ton hang on the walls, interspersed among land
scapes and genre paintings with famous names in
the corners. The fresco-pantings on the lofty
ceiling look down the visitor with composure
and coolness satisfying Him completely with their
elegant simplicity, but saddening him with
thoughts of their doom; for when Mrs Crawford
moves i'll April she must leave the frcscoes be-
hind, victims of the contractors cTOwbar.
PICTURES THAT RECALL a DARING FEAT.
The back parlor as well as the hall opens into
the dining-roOm, an apartment that failed
to ill the eye and satisfy the soul of every per-
fortunate to be invited to the grooming
board. Two oilpaintings engage the attention Of
the stranger, one portrait OF Mountain Maid the
beautiful mare that the Commodore loved vet
gave away IN an impulsiye demonstration Of gen
crosby 10 clergyman whose eloquent praise of
her had warmed the cookies of the old mans
heart. At the time of the separation Mountain
Maid was valued at 10000 The other picture
might be styled an instantaneous oil Photograph
Of the Commodore driving up the road behind
Post Boy and Plough Boy. The artist did very
well with the Commodore, sitting erect in his mar
row road-wagon with the wind Of lis rapid prog
ress blowing through his muttonchop whiskefs
but Tie horses are entirely conventional 10 DE
correct They are probably all right as to color.
hut In style and action both are utterly deficient
On day Mr. Vanderbilt invited friend TO ride
with him behind this team. Near Mott Haven he !
proposed to the Harlem road An express !
tialn vas IN sight, but nothing ddunted he rave |
the word, and Post Boy and Plough Boy sprane
forward with the feetneSs Of antelopcs. The |
wheels OF the wagon had scarcely left the second !
rail- when the train whizzed by lifting the hats of
the intrepid horseuan and his companion by the |
current which it created
- Not another man in New-York that could do
that, said the Commodore, much tickicd ovcr tho
LarTOwness of the escape. " VIZ
And you will never do it again with mo in
your wagon" the friend replied '" i'ie III
The house comprises four stories and q boeo
ment, the bedrooms and stting-rooms' ali oho1,o
the first floor. being little less ample in tbeir Gi
mansions and luxurious In their furnishing than
the parlors below. WAN
THE CoMMODoRE's TRAINING TRACK.
III. Ii. Lo ali L