Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1910-10-10
'FELLOWES FOLLY
MAY Be MUSEUM
OF MONTCLA|R ART
Evans Paintings May Hang
in Imposing Struc-
ture.

| The Montclair Municipal Art Com
mission Is considering the purchase of
the large building at South Fuller
ton avenue and Union streets, that
town, for the proposed new art gallery
and museum. for which Mrs. Henry
Lang, of Montclair has donated 10000,
so that the fifty-seven paintings by
American artists, presented to the town
by William II. Evans. of Montclair,
may be properly housed. This property
was suggested to the commission some
time ago, but nothing was done in the
matter.
Mr.. Evans, who is president of the
commission, favors the site. but says
that no offer has yet been made for
the property. The matter, however,
will be discussed at the next meeting
of the commission and it's desira ability
determined.
The property is known as "Fellowes
Folly" The mansion was erected
about fifteen years ago by William
Fellowes, a Wall Street stock broker,
at a cost of $250,0O0. but was never
completed. It is said it can now be
purchased for about $4,000. The house
is one of the largest III Essex county.
and his never been occupied except by
a caretaker
Mr.. Fellowes was at one time very
wealthy and with his wife and daugh-
ter lived In beautiful home on Or
ange road. Montclair He purchased
a large tract of land on South Fuller
ton avenue, on both sides of Union
street.
He decided the south corner to the
trustees of st. Lukes Episcopal Church
and furnished the larger portion of the
money required to build the. handsome
church edifice and parish house that
were erected on the site. When the
church was completed Mr.. Fellowes de-
cided to erect a home on the north
corner. The stone for the building was
brought from Scotland and Russia. All
the stones were quarr;ed, cut and
dressed on the other side of the At
lantic In accordance with the designs
of the architects. Each stone was
numbered. and when they reached
Montclair it was only necessary to
place them in position. When the ex-
terror was completed the result was
splendid structure of two shades of
sandstones, rooted with Moorish tile,
which had been made to order. 1t
was a palace, equaling in splendor the
castles OF Europe.
1t was Mr. Fellowes's intention that
the interior of the building should
equal the exterior. This however, was
never realized. Mr.. Fellowes, who was
worth at least sl5.000.000, arrived at
his Office one morning to find that his
fortune had been swept away, and he
AE logr 1t
did not long survive the shock, dying
soon afterward.
Friends OF Mrs F'ellowcs succeeded
in retaining the Montclair property
from the wreck for herself and daugh-
ter, but work on the new house was
discontinued, and never resumed. Mrs.
Fellowes sold the property and left
Montclair
Since that time the house has been
in charge of a caretaker, and has
changed hands many times. II is said
to be now owned by number of men
living in East Oranga. The site Is an
ideal one for an art gallery, as it is
only two blocks from Montclair centre,
and commands an unobstructed view
of New York city. TIE paintings pre-
sented by Mr.. Evans, are now hang
ing in the auditorium of the new Hill
side Grammar School. where they will
remain until the commission secures
suitable place for them.