The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-29
MIR, HARRIMAN'S
 S2,O0O,OOO HOME Where the Railroad King Will
 ReCuperate EXPRESSES HIS IDEALS New House in the Hills of Orange County Built on Original Amer ican Plans-No European
 Ideas.
EXPRESSES HIS IDEALS

When F. IL. Hartman returned home from Europe this week. he went direct to the new home that is just now being completed for him in Orange county, two miles frosl the village of Arden. Mir Hartman has been spending his summers in am9ther house near Arden for the last enty years.
 The house is reported to have cost $2,- ooo.ooO, and is said to be the most elab- crate summer residence in America. It is not yet completed. When MT. Harri- man first moves in he and his family will occupy temporarily furnished rooms in the eastern wing. Through the cour- tesy of MT. Hartman the first author ized description of the house is given.
 Harriman's Ideal Home.
 '.T don't want one of those highly or namented. foreign looking houses" Mr. Hartman is reported to have told his architect four years ago. at the time of the first planning of the buildings. 'I want plain, straightforward Ameri- can home"
 The house. accordingly has not been constructed after any European style or historic architectural period. It is, Indeed, such a rambling and much-ad- ded-to structure that # does not even resemble any letter in the alphabet. It has been built entirely of huge blue granite blocks auarried from the sur rounding mountains Its interior wood- work has been largely carved in Mir. Harriman's own turning mill from Mir. Harriman's own oak, pine and chestnut trees. The workmen are the same Or ange county folk who for the last twen ty years have been his neighbors. The house has not an artificial corner, either outside or inside.
 Let nature hide everything" Mr. Har- riman wrote to his representative from Europe some time ago.
 Hidden in Forest of Trees.
 The house nestles so snugly among the mountain oaks that only it's slate-cov- cred roof can be seen from the Turner's village railroad station below it. It is 6OO feet above the village, 1900 feet above sea level and is in the middle of a tract of wooded mountains, open valleys and pretty lakes which have during the last twenty years, gradually came into MT. Harrimans hands
 The tract is bounded by the hamlet of Tuxedo on the east side, by the Erie tracks on the west, and by the Central Valley on the north. Part of the prop
 
 included a county road, which runs on the east side of the Erie tracks. Not wishing to have a public thoroughfare through his premises, MT. Hartman built another road on the other side of the railroad and turned it over to Orange county in exchange. He will ultimately use the former public road to bring him home from the Arden station. He may speed his automobile on it un- molsted as fast as he likes. Just now if Is noisy with vehicles laden with ma terials and furniture for the big build ing on the mountain top.
 One way to reach the residence is by a 33.000 foot incline, which it fitted with steam windass,. which draws a cable car up and dawn At the top of the in- cline is a broad entrance driveway, bor- dered by high wall of dark blue gran ite This wall hides almost two-thirds of the rambling house until the house entrance itself is almost reached
 Then a central courtyard appears. with gay flower beds, a splashing fountain and shady, cool arcades. At the same time the houses long eastern wing, which has quarters for the 8 servants, also comes in view.
 Interior Decorations.
 The main entrance hall of the house, which is thirty by sixty feet. is wains- ooted to a height of forty feet with oak. Above tne RalnScOuIlng IL IS decordted witlf a warm bright, buff-colored stone. MT. Hartman saw some of this stone in Utah last year. liked 1t and is using it now for almost all the interior stone decoration of his house.
 The ceiling of the main entrance hall Is supported by carved oak trusses. The floor is of marble. At one end of the room is a large gallery in which will be an immense electrical organ. which can initiate almost every musical instru- ment.
 Out of the entrance hall. on the east, leads a long corridor with wainscoated walls and an elaborately carved and .vaulted ceiling. The corridor opens in- to a smaller reception room. in which afternoon tea may be served, and the woodwork of which will be in lighter