New-York tribune., 1906-11-25
COLONEL ASTORS ESTATE.
FermcHf, Near Rhinebeck, a Model
Country Seat

the suburban home of Colonel John Jacob Astor. |
extending from a point near the Rhinecliff sta
ton of the New York Central for mile and a
half along the Hudson River and reaching back
into the country for nearly two miles. The aver
age observer can tell where Fernclf begins and
the abuttiug countryside ends only by occasional
signs reading:
Private road. Slow moving vehicles keep to
the right"
There are no massive gates to keep out the
public. There no fences to prevent the on
ward advance of the cross country pedestrian
All is open The best roads-nearly thirty miles
of them-are open to the automobilist. the driver
or the equestrian. Colonel Astor being an en-
thusastic automobiliSt
The visitor is in the midst of the estate before
he realizes it, To the right a mile and half
from the station. is a large yellow cottage set
back three hundred feet from the private high
way with wide sweep Of lawn in front 1t Is
the home of the superintendent II. Pinkham
In a clump of white oaks opening boule-
ward sweeping to the right of the superlnten-
dents house is the garage In this garage are
eighteen machines representing almost as many
makes from a 70-horsepower touring car that
Colonel Astor brought with him from Europe to
a smart little electric runabout with red body,
the exclusive toy of the mistress of Ferncf.
the of the automobiles
A thousand feet further on is the entrance "
the breeding stables. and thousand feet more.
over the perfect road brings the visitor to the
lodge, of brick and granite. Down the side of
the bluff extends broad driveway, arched over
with oaks and turning to the right and passing
through a network of parklike roads sharp
turn to the left brings into view "the mansion"
a fine type of the country house of fifty years
ago.
This house, occupying a plateau commanding
an impressive view of the Hudson, is Of Italian
architecture. 1t built for the late William
Astor the father of the colonel. by Griffith
Thomas. The entire lower floor recently
modernzed by the late Stanford White
The tennis court, with its marble swimming
pool, is also by Stanford White. Occupying a
knoll. the building is a reproduction OF q wing
of the Petit Trianon. It has a north frontage
of two hundred feet Its right and left wings
seventy feet deep. and the tennis court in
the rear is one hundred feet deep.
Within the walls are Of white marble. The
red walls Of the main hall. 80 feet one way by
40 feet the other. stand out in striking contrast
Down through wide staircase Of dazzling
whteness there Is view Of an immense white
interior with line Of marble pillars That is
the swimming pool The light pours into the
white interior through large windows The pool
itself reached by marble staircases. Is GO feet
long and 25 feet wide. The depth ranges from
a few inches at end to eight feet at the
other.
The opposite wing of the court is given up to
general living room and five bedrooms for
bachelors each room having It's own bath The
tennis court itself. with It's high vaulted roof Of
brick, is given up to concrete court At the
Inner end is the gallery for spectators
The plaza in front OF the tennis court building
is the home tee Of the golf course Of nine holes
The course wanders through the picturesque
hills and dale Of the estate and contains several
natural hazards
In the breeding stables the stars are FYdget
out Of Lady Killarney by Confident Short and
her full sister and her half sisters, Lady Flash
and Lady Maple The four form Colonel As
tors present coaching team Then there Is Roam
Fashion. the brother of the latter two. Until re-
Gently there were forty hackney bred horses in
the stables.
The head gardener. Deal, for twenty years has
made the Fernclff conservatories famous in
flower shows He has fine working plant
with an Immense palmhouse two American
Beauty houses greenhouse each for Killarney
Liberty. Richmond and Bride roses. one liIv