Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-08
SOME LOVELY HOMES
Notable Features of Several Million
aires Places.
POMPEIlAN And ROOF GARDENS
GouId's Driving Academy and the
Rockefeller Swannery.
COSTLY ELECTRIC PLANT
COSTLY ELECTRIC PLANT

Written for The Evening Star.
Although the country homes of the mil
| lionaires of this country bear striking re-
semblance each to the other in one respect,
that the one legend may be inscribed upon
each, built regardless of expense there
are marked features which characterize
each individuality.
For example, the most costly and COM
pletely equipped private. riding academy in
the world is one of the notable features of
the George Gould place at Lakewood. 1t
was but recently completed, at a cost of
quarter of a million, and when looking
about for something well known with which
to compare 1t, you say, and quite within
the bounds of veracity. that it is as large
as Madison Square Garden-that Is the
ring. Here the sixty fine horses-polo
ponies incuded-are exercised, the Gould
children take their daily lessons in riding
and the bachelor guests are lodged, there
being beautifully appointed apartments for
men. There are swimming pools, billiard,
card and smoking rooms and a loggia or
gallery overlooking the polo grounds, where
vast number of spectators may watch
the games of polo, which now is the game
par excellence of the smart set
The notable features Of Furlough Lodge,
Mr.. Gould's mountain home in the Catskills,
are the pigeon warren and the pleasantly,
the finest in the world. Then there are i'm
mense deer parks, and a small herd of buff
falo and foxes run wild the year round.
The whole establishment is kept up in the
good old English style, and probably no
one on earth spends much on a shooting
box.
Hudson River Palaces.
Among the many charms Of Lyndhurst
Miss Helen Gould's palace at Tarrytown
the roof garden most attracts. 1t is the
roof of her new 10000 bowling alley, which
~
plants and singing birds has been converted
into a roof garden, where the cup of tea
is dispensed of an afternoon and music of
moonlight night.
Another Hudson river palace is Mr.. John
D. Rockefeller's, on Kykout Hill, larry
town. Its expensive and attractive feature
is the big swannery, which is equal to the
famous one on the Thames and in the gar
dens of the Luxembourg. pond was con-
structed al a cost of $1,000. About 200
birds now occupy the swannery. Another
feature worthy of note is the small house
on the estate where Maj. John Andre passed
the night prior to his capture. This house IS
to he preserved for its historical interest.
a stone slab has been inserted in the old
chimney, bearing this inscription:
ROOkERY. /:
This old house is supposed to have /:
been built about the year 1859. 4:
Major Andre lodged here the night :
before his capture. !:
Also included in The Rockefeller estate is
the old Landrine house, where Andre halt
ed for refreshment. The very step is still
preserved where he sat while eating his
frugal meal of bread and milk. his captors
meanwhile standing guard over him. The
Rockefeller mansion is the French classic
style, with a Greek finish. II may be men
toned that the weekly pay roll of the men
employed in l6ndscaping the Rockefeller
grounds averaged from 5000 to 81, O0O
Outdoor statuary and landscape decora-
lions representing many hundred thou
sands. if not a million dollars claim first
attention at "Fernclffe, Rhynebeck, the
John Jacob Aston place. The greenhouses
too, are noteworthy, and roses are carried
into the house every day in bushel baskets
to be distributed in every nook and corner
where they can be placed The library is
also to be reckoned with, not to mention
the rugs, of which one is said to be the
finest in the world, and cost the most
The Ogden Mills dorc mansion at Stats
burgh- Hudson, of white brick, is built
with particular care as to fire, extraor-
binary precautions having been taken in
TINS respect The walls are three feet thick
and the floors of iron, covered with marble
In some parts and mosaic in others.
With Vanderbilt Millions.
Mrs. Margaret Louise Vanderbilt Shepard
has her country seat at Scarbow-on-Hud-
son, which is famous for many reasons
primarily because of its beautiful Pom
peiian gardens, which are quite unlike any
other gardens in America. For Mr.. I'red-
erick Vanderbilt's new house at Hyde Park
on-Hudson, part of Napoleons chateau al
Malmaison has been brought over-the
price well UP in the millions for tie fin
ished mansion.
specially fitted up suite of sporting
apartments. is a feature of DR.. Seward
Webb's princely establishment at Shell
burne Falls, VT. Before building DR.
Webb visited scores of castles and
beautiful homes abroad, collecting photo
graphs. With these for aids DR.. Webb fol- |
lowed the architects plans step by step,