Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1916-05-18
Courtesy of EditorPublisher Journa
Clare Briggs Home Built Of Old Cblp Timbers.

Probably the most unique home in
America belongs to a Wisconsin boy,
Clare A. Briggs of Reedsburg, cele-
brated cartoonist now with the New
York Tribune, Horace Greeley's IA
NOUS old paper. But the h-"-"-7 is
not at Reedsburg. o no! 1t is located
in Wykagyl Park. New Rochelle,
New York suburb The residence is
of the early English period and into
it's construction went Is tons Of old
, ship lumber. The use Of this lumber
gives the house a most interesting
appearance because Of the age and
color of the old schooner timbers.
The view herewith is the east
front featuring the heavy window
| frames, and the ship knees beneath
| the oriel windows. The rugged char
acter Of this timber is not apparent
| in the photograph, nor is the peculiar
color caused by the chemical action
Of the salt in the wood. This color
is purplish grey and not unlike the
| col of weathered fence rails.
The house contains twelve rooms,
four baths and garage attached to
the west front. The living room,
! 40x35 feet, occupies the main south
| wing. Floors, beams, window frames,
| in fact all woodwork except the oak
| paneling, is rough hewn. The fire
place with a six-foot opening is a
strong feature Of the room; over
it is the minstrel gallery that may.
be reached by a. secret staircase
/ leading from secret door in
the oak paneling. From the gall
lery, one may ascend to the second
floor, or one may descend to the bill
lard room directly beneath the living
room by means Of the secret stair
| way. Planking four inches thick,
sixteen to eighteen inches wide, 80
feet long, form the floor. Seams are
calked with oakum and tar
! Another cavernous fireplace in the
billiard room is characterized by
ship rudder, V aich constitutes the
breast OF the fireplace. The rudder
weighs full ton and is supported by
huge ship irons and clanking chains.
On the wall opposite is the anchor,
painted blue, from which the house
derives it's name, Blue Anchor. A re-
narkable collection Of ship models
also adorns the wall Of this end Of
at the bottom let down from side
| walls Two tables are made from
hatchWay covers Photographs Of
ships old prints, whaling harp0Ons,
ship lanterns and other nautical par
aphernalia constitute the features Of
this. novel room With the exception
! of the second floor, all the wood is
hard Ohio oak and only the scarcity
OF this wonderful wood prevented Mr..
| Briggs from using it even to the sec
end floor. It's hardness and durability
make it especially desirable for
building of this character.
Some of the timber is perhaps 200
years old, an there are huge sticks
35 feet long and 12x14 inches in size.
The dining room is beamed with old
water-logged timbers, full Of holes,
bowels and splints, and cracks half
an inch wide Opaque glass from an
ancient ship adorns the dining room
windows. Each dining room door is
constructed of three solid, three-inch
oak planks, seven feet long, hung
with hammered iron hinges yard
in length. The roof is of slate, the
slabs as big as sidewalk tagging.
Work was begun in March a year ago
and-well, the family has been living
in the house for some three months.
A Bit Personal
Briggs always was a genius with
pencil. He has drawn since child
hood. He was born at Reedsburg about
forty years ago, and there his proud
mother still resides. In his boyhood,
the Briggs family moved to Dixon,
Ill, and there the lad lost a brother
by drowning. AT Dixon the future
cartoonist had some instruction in
drawing. Then for a time the family
lived at Lincoln, Neb.. where Clare
entered the state university, always