New-York tribune., 1890-08-06
THE MGRAW- FLShE MANSION.
THE PATHETIC STORY OF CoRNELL's : HIGH
CASTLE BY THE SEA"

ithaca. Y. Y. Aug ) (SpecaD.-0nc OF the pieces
~ proper,y Involved In the big Fiske VIII sun was e
home Of Mrs jennie Graw-Fiskc. 1his De"u'uu'
mansion overlooks Cayugas waters some iour VI n'0
hundred feet above the lake level. 1t Is situa'e"
little 10 the northwest Of Cornefs campus ol
high bluff and commands panoramic view Oh 'no
hills and valleys for many miles in all olrec.lone'
n is ono Of the finest private residences in Ne"-ioA,
and It's almost unique location gives It the name oi
the high castle by the sea- TINS grows vi. "
a very curious Circumstance. Nearly every student
that comes to Cornell reads In his freshman year
in the German course Ie.ne's beautuul poem' Da'
Schloss' the first lines Of wheh' acco'une " A'A"
fellows translation are
Have you that lordiy CASTLE
That high castle by the sea -
The whole poem is a perfect description OF the
Fske mansion and every Cornelm ihVdil"o'y ieS''t~
This conclusion the first time his eyes alsht vi ''o
German Dichtung.
Mrs Jennie McGraw Fiske will always be rerlem-
h,rcd As one If Corncus benefactors. she I0'ed 'o
i,,,r,ion from IFS start and determined 10 have her
homo near It's campus, where she could listen 10 uo
CLINE Of bells in the Mc'raS tower presented Dy "ci
10 the university. She accordingly seieo'o' " Si'e !
north OF Governor A. B. CornelFs homo' anu lAAi
plans drawn for a beautiful residence IinS was dif
her marriage 70 Professor Fske in Germany IL was
confidently hoped and expected that TINS rsuei'co
would be completed and be ready for occupancy Oh
the conclusion Of the honeymoon, "hch co'crcu
trip i'm the East and. among other places a "TRIP "
boat up the Nile Mrs. Fiske booked forward To hef
homo life above Cayugas waters with Inc sic'''''
antcipation and pleasure At nearly every european
city on the wedding trip she purchased aiu'Ies A''
furnishing the rooms Of the mansion. Costly russ
and vases rich tapestries. rare relics caINed anu
antique furniture. beautiful paintings ana every
thing Of an aesthetic or artistic nature "1'e
bought and shipped TO Ithaca Ana si'er n'''
| months, absence she turned her steps home
b,.r
the fulncss and happiness OF The ne" "o"l0'
Dut her tourney TO Ithaca literally Journey ~
| tho grave Her sudden death closed the c1F'aH' y"
what promised 10 be a bright and u'eiul hlc' III"
,rssor Fiskc continued 10 OCCUPY the resueHcc "e'
his vIfe's death, and added 10 TIE coIeetoh vi i"s
articles already there his art treasures ana par' o i
rcb library of Icelandic lore. The "Esae Mansion
soon came To be known an art museum aud pe9pis
aocked 70 view its treasures. The poet Tenny son Lao
sent 10 Mrs Fisko autograph letter containing MS
poem on d" The Bells" which was framed ana ph'0e'
in the parlor The paintings ana statuary were ~
spaclous room BY thcmolvcs. \ miniature icpFNiu0
lion OF the French Bastile occupied prominent pos.
tion in another The vases, rugs, taFisU'c''
curo, and curiosltos in general distributed all
over the house. The staircase was particularly Az
tractive with It's stained glass windows Here were
some dozen or more beautiful portraits in stained glass
of the thinkers and scholars OF OF the Ages OF Fal'
Professor Fiskes intention was TO make the mansion
one of the most attractive spots In Central Nc".
York But the precipitation of the Fiske VIII
litigation upset all his calculations. fFesideh'
White had thought something, too, OF making
the Fiskc mansion college Of line arts, cooidina'e
with the university proper. Had II not been for tits
llw>uit TINS woud ana rabtedy nav Drc. ~ n M
Tho Grouse College of Zine Arts, at syracuse u.
ver>ity, not then IN existence, ana fhHuvn'
White saw most clearly The need OF sch,9l ior ~, ~
struction In the fine art, IN Central New fork tu
his own home he had enGeavOcd 10 meet thls WdhI ll
| "A measure and the students Of Cornell VINO AtelueN
his reception, from time to time can TESTIFY 10 helr
rude aw,kenincs the bcantinn IN art uatinG rpnl
their first view OF the art treasures IN the ic'dehts
r,,,r.- oS they were called. Many OF tlc carly
corneilans came direct from the farm and were dc
cid,s,lV raw to the least. Military drl worked
wonders with them In year, but as 10 opppVunIuts
for cult,lre in broad sense. there were lew any
When the FIske Will suit began. Professor tlske 10
moved all his treasures from the mansion, ana Ii to
m,iurd for years II II today quite bare. Just
wha Will be done with il has not been decided on
Judce COnstcck Of syracuse, Professor flske az
torncy assured The Tribune correspondent tlat VIC
probabilities were that the university could buy uo
mansion from the MC(iraW heirs The university peOpo
so Wished lie thought the building was too large iOr
any private indlN Nldu1l 10 occupy ana Keep up, am
that II would be the best and wes thing IN the world
for the university possess the prOpery C0relIalS
will watch the with great deal OF interest.
such i Ihs history Of beautiful huilding destined Tor
| grand purposes but which up 20 the present time ia,
T.cn blessed with the fate Of Tantalus some friend ol
Cornell has splendid chance 10 mmOrtallZe his name
nv securing to the university this most beautiful place.
| which was evidently intended from the nrst 10 De y
part Of the Institution.