The New York herald., 1922-07-02
Artists Home at
Litchfeld, Conn,
Built ItArOund Tree
Alexander T. Van Laer Saved
an Old Elm on
Homesite.

LITcHFIELD. Conn. July LIN the
heart of Litchfeld. Conn.,. at the head
of picturesque West Hill, stands Laer-
court Lodge. conservatively designed
and substantially constructed. The
lodge is the home Of the late Alexander
II. Van Laer of New York city, noted
landscape artist Of the Dutch school and
a member OF the National Academy.
Quaint and pleasing to the eye is the
house, which is succeed In a warm buzz
and is green blinded. OF interest Is the
fact that 1t is built around magnificent
elm, which stands in the middle of a
courtyard bedecked with periwinkles
and violets.
Like Joyce Kilmer, Van Laer had a
feeling of poetic intimacy for the noble
old elm. To desecrate its beauty by
tearing II down would be a sacrilege.
Yet how to build a home on che spot
where It's roots burrowed =. mother
earth and it's leafy arms extended sky
ward became a problem. 1ae artist In
Van Laer subdued his prscticality to
his love of beauty and the tree remained
"a thing of beauty and Joy forever"
The problem was solved by building the
house around the old elm.
In the interior the atmosphere or
Colonial quaintness Is carried out. One
finds rare old mahogany furniture, fine
china, steel engravings. bits of pewter
and many similar antiques.
Blending the Old and New.
The piece de resistance, however, Is
the late artists studio, which has been
transformed into Colonial furnishings
shop by Mrs. Van Laer. The predom-
mating note of the shop is Colonial yet
ono finds union of past and present In
it's contents. Flamboyant flapper dolls
nestle In Chippendale chairs and gay
bangles are found side by side with
bits Of antique bric-a-brac. Rows ana
rows of bottles. typifying the best ex-
amples of old American glass, stand as
valiant exponents of lost art.
Here and there Is a highboy OF solid
construction and fiawless finish. To one
side one sees many quilted counterpanes
resplendent with applique designs OF gay
color. Scarfs varying in tint from flame
to orchid and from buff to amber intro
duce a modern note. The Orient and the
Occident meet In piles of rugs from the
Far East and those of the rag variety,
which were a delight to grandma's eye.
There is no phase of interior decora-
tion that appeals more vividly or roman
t.cally than quaint relics of the past
Amid these early American antiques one
of q Colonial dame or the rustic OF a
brocaded gown.
Several of the most notable land
scapes of the late artist adorn the walls.
The beauty of these scenes seems to
show the reflection " habit rather than
the act of an artist consciously sitting
down to paint There Is subtlety OF
light and shade and an infinite delicacy
of treatment predominating In these
.k-A trwtx hNl 1axf
tones of vernal green are blended with
mauves, tans, pinks and grays by a
union with long lengths of sunshine or
the sparkle Of snow.
Recent Hotel Arrivals.
This week end finds Phelps's Tavern
and Laercourt Lodge filled with guests,
while many OF the cottages near by are
taking care Of the overflow. Out at
Bantom Lake, Holiday Farm and South
View Inn have strained their accommo-
Gations to the utmost and disappointed
week enders who were not eoresighted
enough to make reservations are put
ting up In nearby boarding houses or
are enjoying a camping life on the shore
OF the lake. Deer Island has few un-
occupied cottages.
The Boy Scout camp on Mount Tom
is all ready for grand and glorious
Fourth. Camp Berkshire and Camp
Womposet have opened for the season
and have brought many New Workers.
to the Berkshire Hills.
Among those who We're recently reg
istered at Phelps's Tavern are the fol-
lowing: Mr.. and Mrs. Charles p. Mills.
Mr.. and Mrs. Georgs Loesch, Mr.. Leslie
nj. Comfy, Mr.. Livingston T. Merchant.
Mr.. and Mrs. James Kahn. Mrs. A. NJ.
Beaford, Mrs. +. A. Du Mont and, the
Rev. E. +. Hoffman, all of New Yorl;
city; Mr.. and Mrs. w. S. Dalnes, Harts-
dale, N. Y; Mr.. Ivan Spangenberg.
Mount Vernon, N. Y, and Mr.. and Mrs.
Fred D. N. Shernon, Rye, N. Y.
Among those who are registered at
Laercourt Lodge are Mr.. end Mrs.
Richard II. Percy, New York city; Dr.
and Mrs. Frederick Goodrich, Catskill.
N. r.; Mrs j. d. Quackenpos. New
York city; Mr.. and Mrs. c. Weston
Bailey, Glen Ridge, N. j.; Mr.. and
Mrs. Parrish Watson. New York, and
Mrs. Edwin White, Princeton, n. j.