The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-05
GOLD-PLATED STAIRWAY.
Aladdin's Dream surpassed by George
Genld's Lakewood Houst.

AIaddin's Dream surpassed by George
Genid's Lakewood Haus,.
From the New York Herald
Gold has been used in house decora-
ton. but here is something which in
! sp.endor exceeds anything ever seen in
| an American house-a s,old-plated cell
| ing. The railing of the spiral stairway
and the balcony in George j. Gould's
new house at Lakewood will be plated
with the most precious of all metals
Much has been written about the
spleldors of this palace which the young
millionaire is building down there among
the pines. The foremost architects and
artists have contributed to 1t, but this
star rail and balcony Will surpass any
thing of the kind ever attempted in this
country. There are legends of palaces
where the soft light was reflected from
lamps of solid gold and shades of ala
baster. This dwelling down at Lake
wood will equal in splendor the palaces
described by the romancers who wrote
the Ara bian Nights" Aladdin might
have pictured such hallway as that
which forms the entrance of the house
at Lakewood. No slave of the lamp
could have called into being so splendid
an apartment as the hallway of this
modern palace. There are many beau
tiful stair rails of wrought and polished
iron in the houses of New YorlSs mill
ionaires Some of these rails have gold
plated ornaments. The stair rail in the
Gould house will surpass all these, for it
is gold-plated from the first step of the
stairs to the last wreath of the balcony
front.
In design the staircase itself is.a model
of graceful architecture There may be
seen in some of the old New York houses
stairs which are similar to 1t. 1t used
to be said that stair building was a lost
y3sl.
Is constant reputation of this theory.
The race of stair builders has certainly
not become extinct if there are men who
can still design and build such marvelS
Of art Even If the rail of this stairway
were not gold-plated the light and airy
structure which leads TO the second
floor of the house at Lakewood would
attract the eye of the artist.
Workmen have been busy upon the
stair rail for several months. and II will
be a month longer before the rail will be
ready for the plating process. In design
this remarkable ornament of the mill
ionaire hallway closely follows the style
OF Louis XIV. Bruce Price the archi-
tect, has not followed the design slavish-
ly. There are some variations which
may be noticed by the close student of
architecture.
Both the rail of the stair and the bal
cony along the second floor are the same
four classic pillars, and the space be-
tween these supports is filled with the
graceful railing. There are four sec
tions in the balcony, all of the same de-
sign. The panels curve gracefully out
ward. and they look not unlike the
fronts of opera boxes. except that the
curve is not so marked Garands and
torches are the principal ornaments
used.
There is no newell post at the bottom
Of the stairs. The railing ends in a
rams horn, after the manner of the rail-
ings of the Louis XIV. period. The gen
eral design is wonderfully chaste and
simple. The gold-plating will enhance
its classic beauty.
Several skilled artisans are now devot-
ing their time to fashioning the pat
terms from block tin. The railing will be
cast and plated at the foundry of tie
John Williams company. In West Tween
ty-seyenth street The various parts Ct
the design have been made in block lii.
The soft metal is placed upon woaicn
form and bent to the required curve.
After this model is completed a mould
viii be made from 1t. and the ratings
Will be cast In brass. Then there will
be the tedious process of cleaning and
preparing the brass for plating.
This splendid ornament will cost thou
sands of dollars. n Queen Anne cot
tage of many rooms could be built for
the price of II. When it is placed in POI
sitian the hallway of the house at Lake
wood will remind one of the descriptions
of the snlendors of ancient palaces.