The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-02-11

vas Duilt by Z dashinK -, II
named William Stephens ~.
who was chiefly famous bec:s S 8
married Abigail Adams. ~ u
daughter OF President John NJ
Colonel Smith. having ser,.s !
Washington's STAFF in the Ran.
tionary war, was appointed ''o
veyor Of the port Of New Yor. ~
Ing the administration Of tia II.
president. At which time be bo.ss!
= tract Of land along the Es.t -.
and built himself a spacions Nv. ...9
house. The present stone ~
was originally the stable q n.
Story Of 4 House.
Smith. however, soon fan
financial straits. his properly sas
70 be sacrificed at auction, A. II
house was turned into a fash,.a
able school. while the stabls 4.
came . popular road house rsA
William Niblo. There is an ola ~ =
vertisement of this early inn. vhiss
speaks Of it as "a superb m,n.;.s
four and . half miles from ~. ~.
furnished in handsome style =:
beautifully situated on the hanh. .
the East river. Dinners an1 4,
parties, clubs and societies -,
furnished with all the delicaciss J,
the season. Turtle clubs viii a.
this an agreeable resort"
Later, the remodeled stable -.
ed into the hands Of a city =.
veyor, whose family lived Il
until 20 years ago. Then. ~ n.
neighborhood became crowded v;,s
immigrants, the surveyor was ~
PEELED to move, and reluctsntr
sold the old place to a ms NJ
company. The gas company ~
mediately ruined the Landscape AMI
view by building huge gas tsnl
but otherwise let the house alou.
According to the Greek groce,
who keeps a store on the corner =
the block, an Italian family Of hr.
proportions lived in it for q nus.
Der OF years until recently vhn
it was turned, quite appropriated,
into an antique shop.
RemOdeling q Neighborhooa.
1t is within short walking dn.
lance of these two historic Ian.
marks that the Vanderbilt colony a
to start its development. Suttm
Place runs for only two blocks al
Avenue A between Fifty-seyeutl
and Fifty-ninth streets-as ouis
and secluded a little thoroughfan
as anyone could desire. The bad
windows of its tall, narrow. Oh.
fashioned house look directly ou
on the East river from the SHADOW
Of the beautiful and massiw
Greensboro bridge, which stretches
across the water like a huge gsh
shutting out the rest Of the WORK
The houses, most Of which haw
been taken over by Mrs. Wander.
bits friends and relatives, are b
be remodeled at an expense Of
thousands of dollars and their back
yards are to be converted into 4
single, long garden, with q foua.
tain in the center.
Several other such developments
have already started in the SAM
neighborhood, while at least tw
have been in existence long enougi
to prove the merits of the east si&
as an exclusive residential district
One Of these is known as the Tur.
tie Bay Gardens and consists Of q
houses, all newly painted and
plumbed and refoored, with new
French windows, and a spaciou
Italian court, planted with shrub,
and flowers, for a back yard. 10
addition to a number of well.
known society folk, several a.
thors, including Winston Churchill
and Ernest Poole, live here. II
colony gets its name from IN
river, which, curving abruptly b
at this point, was known as Turtk
Bay in the old days when the sub
urbanites had a bathing beach and
a series of private wharves on ito
banks.
Thus, Mrs. Vanderbilt's flight
from Fifth avenue, becoming m0ft
and more a center of commercial
activity, is not as startling as Il
seems. Sutton Place is an emf.
nently desirable home site, even
thought it is a bit faded and in d.
rect line with the criminal colony
across the river at Blackwell's IL
land. Indeed, there is a certain
advantage in having the island %
close at hand, for-who knows
IL trade keeps up its horrible pur-
suit, the four hundred may yet Be
forced to take over a prison ID
order to achieve their desired seclu-
sion.