Vacation Anyone?

Much retreat architecture seems to be about making structures that engage with the outdoors. These are buildings with wide verandas that expand interior space and create spaces for people to sit protected in fresh air, balconies and towers that provide dramatic vistas to the surrounding landscape, and interior halls and features that create ample space for social gatherings. Architecture for retreat and vacation wasn’t born in nineteenth century America but during that century, there was a melding of site, style, and craftsmanship that made for some dramatic structures.

At the end of Silsbee’s career, he designed the structures at Vermjo Park Ranch in northern New Mexico. A friend called a “king’s palace” and Silsbee considered the project his “architectural monument of triumph”. This mountain retreat, for close friend and grain merchant, William Bartlett, had all of the elements of great vacation architecture: an ample multi-room lodge for guests, adjacent mansions for entertaining, and a myriad of structures including a kennel, fish hatchery, powerhouse, staff offices and homes, and cottages that created self-sufficient vacation community scattered around the foot of a mountain and fronted with elaborate and expansive terraces, patios, and gardens.

Archery on the lawn at Vermejo Park Ranch from the Huntington Library.

Silsbee’s own appraisal of his work at Vermejo is cause enough to give the project special attention. Also, to best understand that project and why it might be seen is a culmination of his years of work, it is also important to look specifically at projects that he worked on that led up to its design and construction. Specifically, one should look at projects that were designed with a vacation or retreat function. There are many that fall into this category: hotels, hunting and social clubs, summer homes, and of course his exposition and park structures. If you consider his work through this lens, you could argue that this type of work made up a large, if not majority, of his practice. 

Bartlett family and friends at Vermejo Park Ranch in 1909. Bartlett's architect, Joseph Silsbee, is in the shadows, furthest back on the right. 

Hopefully, I’ll eventually dig into the rest of those projects but for now, I wanted to take a closer look at what is most likely Silsbee’s first and possibly only realized hotel design. That would be the hotel that he designed for the Methodist meeting camp at Round Lake, New York.

Round Lake became the permanent site for camp meetings of the Troy Methodist Conference in 1867. Camp meetings were intended to bring together people from rural areas at a central congregating point, in nature, to listen to preachers. The notion of a fixed community at Round Lake was inspired by Oak Bluffs, on Martha’s Vineyard. By the time Joseph Hillman, one of the founders of Round Lake, visited the camp at Martha’s Vineyard, temporary camp tents had given way to small wooden cottages and preaching still occurred in the open air at Wesleyan Grove, at the center of the community.

Cottages on Clinton Ave, Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard.

Round Lake developed in a similar manner, with larger cottages being constructed for prominent preachers and lay members of the Methodist Conference and smaller cottages and boarding houses of other members and visitors. Hillman constructed the first nine cottages at Round Lake in  the late 1860's, most of which still stand on Wesley Avenue, across from the Auditorium.

In Western New York, a similar rural meeting movement was taking place at Chautauqua. Chautauqua began in 1874 and was also started by a Methodist minister, John Vincent. Vincent, along with inventor Lewis Miller.

A distinctive feature of Chautauqua was that it was built on the idea of an educational summer camp that was not specific to one religion and would also have secular offerings. Chautauqua would become immensely popular and eventually develop a commune of buildings for a variety of religious institutions built around an auditorium in lieu of a tabernacle. The transformation of Chautauqua from camp seems to occur in the mid 1880’s with the construction of a substantial college building for permanent indoor classrooms. Incidentally, the architecture of this 1880’s transformation would be overseen by Silsbee employee and partner Ellis Hall. I wrote about that work HERE.

Chautauqua College Building, Ellis G. Hall, architect (1886).

The developments at Chautauqua inspired the founders of Round Lake and they would follow suit, constructing a substantial auditorium and other institutional structures. This more substantial growth started in the summer of 1876, when local newspapers announced that a hotel designed by Troy architect Marcus Cummings was to be built at Round Lake.

Cummings was a prominent architect and was well known in New York’s capital region and beyond. He published multiple pattern books on architecture and completed cottage designs for many of the early members of Round Lake. He also went on to design many, if not all, of the more significant buildings there as the camp developed into a larger community.     

Cottage design by Marcus Cummings from his treatise, Modern American Architecture from 1868.

By spring of 1877, it was announced that the hotel project was abandoned but by October it was back on and excavation had begun. In the spring, Syracuse, Albany and Saratoga newspapers announced that Joseph Silsbee of Syracuse was now the architect of the new hotel currently under construction.

It is likely that conservative financial decisions guided the final hotel construction. Though originally planned as a symmetrical structure with a 5-story central tower and two four-story wings, only half the central tower and south wing were ever completed. In descriptions of the project, a point was made to explain that frame construction was used to make the structure less ostentatious and in harmony with the surrounding community and not like the grand hotels of Saratoga.

Image of the Round Lake Hotel as constructed. J. L. Silsbee architect (1877-78).

The hotel, eventually called Hotel Wentworth, was Stick Style and very much in line with the kinds of residential structures Silsbee was known for in Syracuse.  Simple planar surfaces of “novelty siding” or clapboards was broken up by geometrical patterns of trim, generated from the outlines of window and door openings and floor locations. The gables were typically accented with bracketed overhanging eaves sometimes with truss-work or enclosed gable panels.   

Image of the Stick Style home of SU professor Charles Bennett, Syracuse. J. L. Silsbee, architect (1877).

The hotel was built near the railroad tracks and station in the northwest quadrant of Round Lake, several blocks from the center of the community. It was situated on a carefully manicured park named after Joseph Hillman. Early Lithographs clearly illustrate the grand nature of the structure and how it was initially imagined, not how it was actually built.

Image of hotel on Hillman Park from History of Saratoga County, 1878.

In addition to the obvious omission of the north wing, the illustrations also indicate many subtle changes that occurred during construction. Some of the banding on the body of the structure was simplified as were lightning rods and roof cresting. Rounded arches at the central tower were removed, as were several panels of decorative molding. The overall expression of the belfry or observation tower is also heavier than intended. Even with these changes, much was done in the design to create a picturesque structure that related to its function and surroundings. In addition to the trim work, planar surfaces are also broken up with bays. A wide veranda stretches across the entire front of the structure and the center of this feature is marked with an open porch accessible from the second floor. At the fourth floor of the tower is another elaborately detailed open balcony and at the top of the tower was an observation deck, providing ample views to Round Lake and the surrounding area.

Round Lake Hotel, original design by J. L. Silsbee (1878).

Round Lake meetings continued for decades and the main auditorium and many historic structures are still in use today. Due to the frame construction and seasonal nature of their intended use, many of the structures were vulnerable to weather and fire and were lost over the years. The Hotel Wentworth was demolished by fire in 1933.

Lithograph of Round Lake Hotel as built from History of Round Lake N. Y. (1878)

It is still unclear why Silsbee became involved in the Round Lake Hotel project but it is one of the few hotel projects that we have good design information about. His other hotel projects at Coronado in San Diego, Quincy, Illinois, and Skaneateles, New York were either not built or not built to his plans so this hotel remains as the best illustration of his vision for resort hotel construction.      

Home For Dwight Bruce

One difficult aspect of researching and writing about Joseph Silsbee's work is finding decent documentation and photographs of buildings. Since so much of his work fell victim to the wrecking ball, newspaper articles and old photographs become the only evidence that give us an idea of what the work looked like and how it was used and critically received. This post is just as much about the search for these images as it is about what these images show us about architecture. 

There are a small hand-full of buildings that I feel are particularly interesting because I believe that they "had it all going on". They were considered cutting-edge in their time and were well-received by  the press during their time of construction. They also included features that were unique when compared with other buildings being constructed at the same time and place. The home that Silsbee designed for Dwight Bruce in 1878 is one of these remarkable structures. 

Sadly, the evidence about the home, while seemingly abundant, falls short of representing what I believe are the home's most remarkable features. It was demolished long ago but I have seen two photographs of the home. The first is from the Detroit Publishing company and can be found on the Library of Congress' website. Finding it was not so easy though. The home is a small part of a larger view of James Street, a "Millionaire's Row" that used to exist in the city of Syracuse. I happened to know what the home looked like and was able to pick it out of a larger street view.       

The photo detail above is a close-up of the home. The photo below is the entire photo. It can be found  at the Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Detroit Publishing Company Collection. Having the entire street-view at such a great resolution is fantastic. It gives us an idea about how the home was situated, what stood near it and what kinds of details on the street would have framed our view and experience of it. The rustic bridge crossing a small culvert from the sidewalk just east of the home is one such feature. The quality of the scans are also good because it allows one to zoom into the home and see the clapboards and shingle-work, carving in the gable, stone-work at the foundation, and other details that are otherwise lost.       

The second photo of the home is from a Master's thesis at Syracuse University. It was written by Donald Pulfer and is probably the most comprehensive writing on Silsbee that has been compiled to date. In his thesis, Pulfer has an image from the Harley McKee Collection at Syracuse University. This image provides a more direct view of the home, most likely taken in the late 1960's. It provides information and details that are concealed in the Detroit Publishing image. These include the arched window in the east dormer, overall roof outline, and articulation of the east side of the home. 

A problem with this photo is that it was taken so far after the initial construction that it also captures a "modern" paint-job, re-configured windows on the second floor, and reconfigured main porch. This final item is critical as the "new" porch has a flared roof that gives it a somewhat exotic expression. In his thesis writing, Pulfer even picks up on this detail, relating it to Silsbee's interest in the exotic, in particular Japanese culture and architecture. While this passion of Silsbee's may be true, the original porch was actually round, as is pictured in the Detroit Publishing photo. Alas, it had no such exotic inspiration.   

Even though we have two decent photographs of the home, neither depict two of the home's most distinctive features. One element that gained quite a bit of press was a two-story open porch and pergola that extended along the back of the home. One newspaper account went as far as to call it Mr. Bruce's "hanging gardens". This feature created a large outdoor room with a commanding view of the Onondaga Valley to the south. It was also designed with specific relation to several of the interior rooms so that views were captured from the interior, through this feature, framing dramatic views to the Valley.

Another unique feature of the home was that much of the furniture was designed specifically for it. A complete dining room set as well as built-ins and mantels would have all been executed to Silsbee's designs. This is an elusive part of Silsbee's practice and little evidence exists of his interior designs. There is mention of it in relation to several of his Syracuse homes and he must have been considered very talented as it precipitated his move to Chicago; where he oversaw the interiors of Potter Palmer's mansion.  

As Silsbee designed for very prominent businessmen, much information can be found about his patrons. For this home, there is an abundant amount of information about the client, Dwight Bruce. Bruce was a well-respected businessman who had an interest in history. Bruce edited a newspaper, the Syracuse Journal, and was the author of the Memorial History of Syracuse. Understanding the man of the house only presents part of the picture of Silsbee's clientele. We know, through correspondence, that many of the wives of businessmen made decisions regarding the furniture and decoration. Though we can make some assumptions about age and religion, there is usually scant information about the women of the household. Unfortunately, we don't have any specific information about why Bruce commissioned such a home and what influences he and his wife may have had on its conception.

I am always looking for new images of homes and am always excited when I come across new ones. It is even more rare when design drawings surface. If you ever come across any photos or drawings, I'd love to hear from you.     

Monument for Patrick Lynch

St. Agnes Cemetery on Syracuse’s south side is often overshadowed by its secular cousin, Oakwood cemetery, a couple miles to the east. Though Oakwood is larger in area and could boast a heritage that stretches back earlier than St. Agnes, both share a striking hilly landscape with lush plantings that offer remarkable city views and an idyllic setting for graves and monuments. It is in Catholic St. Agnes Cemetery that former salt baron Patrick Lynch chose his final resting place.

In 1878, Patrick Lynch reportedly purchased several thousand square feet of property in a prime location in the cemetery and hired architect Joseph Lyman Silsbee to design a proper memorial for the site. The monument is deceptively simple. It is carved from a piece of St. Johnsbury Granite, from Vermont. The granite reportedly cost $7,500.00; a large sum for such a monument. The monument was carved and erected by Francis & Duffy, a local firm who was well known for their monument, headstone and mantle manufacturing.  It took approximately a year to carve.

 

The monument is composed of four parts. A four-sided pedimented pedestal sits on top of a stepped base. The pedestal is carved with pilasters at each corner and the pediments are decorated with laurels. The centers of two of the pediments are carved with the initials of family members. This portion stands roughly ten feet tall. On top of this pedestal sits a column, approximately five feet tall, in the shape of an octagon. The top of this is ornamented with carved foliate decorations dentils and molding. At the very top is an elaborately carved figure called “Resignation”. These figures were common in cemeteries at the time. Some were veiled and some knelt beside the grave. The one at the Lynch monument is life-sized with flowing robes appearing like a Greco-Roman figure. The entire monument stands almost thirty feet tall and has a commanding view towards the valley below.

 

Patrick Lynch was one of Syracuse’s industrial leaders in his lifetime. He was born in County Kerry, Ireland in 1824. His family moved to the United States in 1833 and at a young age, Patrick began working for his uncle, James Lynch at his dry-goods store. He and his brothers would eventually open a store of their own and Patrick eventually became an investor in Syracuse’s rich salt industry. His connections to the development of Syracuse as an industrial center were also evident during his lifetime. He developed several business blocks, including the Grand Opera House in partnership with John Moore another Silsbee client and contractor for Silsbee’s Syracuse Savings Bank and White Memorial Buildings. He also developed several industrial ventures including what is now the former Lipe Machine shop on Geddes Street. He died in 1898.    

Patrick Lynch

Warehouse and Stores for Jacob Amos & Sons

Practically in the shadow of his Syracuse Savings Bank Building, sits Joseph Silsbee's Amos Block.  It was part of the massive complex of buildings that stretched another three blocks west, forming the Jacob Amos & Sons mills.  It was designed in 1877 and constructed the following year.  The 1878 structure incorporates an older structure with an addition and a new facade to create a series of stores and warehouse for the milling company.  It was constructed for the Amos family and was likely overseen by Charles Amos, a son of Jacob Amos Sr. who oversaw operations of the Syracuse mill.      

The Amos Building has one of the most varied and intricately detailed facades of any Silsbee building I know.  Stylistically, with it's Romanesque and Moorish influences, it is a departure from the High Victorian Gothic business blocks that he designed elsewhere in the city of Syracuse.

The facade boasts a dictionary-full of masonry details and motifs. The masonry surface is accented with a series of masonry piers. Fields of wall are composed of bricks that are turned at forty-five degrees to create a serrated pattern. Others are accented in a checkerboard pattern with every other brick recessed.

Almost every window head has a different type of arch. Some are Moorish or horseshoe arches. Others have simple round arches with stone accents and others are grouped under shallow segmental arches.  Tiny Romanesque arches support a shallow coping at the roof-line.  Carved lintels and stone accents provide additional variety to the lively facade.  The variety is a rare example of Silsbee's affinity for exotic styles and motifs.

The overall composition on the Water St. side of the building serves to break up the building in a series smaller hospitable parts while incorporating the three buildings behind it into a discernible whole.  It is not as refined, in rich material or design, as some of his other commercial structures but given it's function as a store, it certainly would have garnered a lot of attention for the Amos Company.

Rebecca and George Barnes Residence Additions and Alterations

There are two irreplaceable treasures of American interior design in Syracuse, New York. Arguably, the most important is the interior of Gustav Stickley’s own home on Westcott Street. On the exterior, it is an unassuming Queen Anne Home but the interior is likely the first American Arts & Crafts interior and was a veritable laboratory of wood treatments and finishes for Stickley. In my opinion, the second treasure is the dining room designed for George and Rebecca Barnes by Joseph Lyman Silsbee.

J. L. Silsbee did two rounds of renovations on Barnes’ James Street home, now known as the Barnes-Hiscock Mansion. The first work at the home by Silsbee was in 1878, when he was hired to renovate a room for use as a study and to complete exterior modifications including a piazza and porte-cochere. Once completed, the porte-cochere was considered by one art critic as the finest piece of ironwork in the city. An image of this remarkable structure can be seen in the photo here. The exterior additions are gone but the study still exists though the rich woodwork has been completely painted over, concealing much of the fine detail.

In 1882, Silsbee was hired once more by the Barnes family to renovate a dining room. The room is an exercise in total design and Silsbee was responsible for the design of wall treatments, light fixtures and built-in and stand-alone furniture pieces. He also oversaw the work of artisans on the project, including the talented art glass designer Donald MacDonald. MacDonald’s windows depict exterior scenes with an array of birds and flowers in panes of glass that frame a window that once had a commanding view of the Barnes’ extravagant gardens.

From its inlaid broken-tile floor to its beamed ceiling room, the room is a feast for the eyes with an eclectic mix of classically derived elements as well as original foliate and animal motifs.  These elements came together in the interiors of many of Silsbee’s Queen Anne homes and he soon became a popular designer as the fashion swept through England and America at the end of the 19th century.  The style incorporates elements that were a popular part of the Aesthetic Movement, the English Arts & Crafts Movement, as well as the Renaissance Revival.

The work on the Study and Dining Rooms at the Barnes Residence signals a coming of age of American design as sophisticated interior design styles were no longer relegated to larger eastern seaboard cities like New York and Boston and shared fashionable tastes spread across the country. By the time the Barnes dining room was completed, Silsbee was hired for work on individual homes for affluent Americans in New York State and Illinois. More importantly, though often overlooked, he was hired to update just as many older homes with similar renovations. On James Street alone, he was hired for four similar projects, none of which exist today. A pinnacle of this trend was reached by Silsbee when he was hired to design the interiors of the home of Chicago hotel magnate, Potter Palmer in 1884. Though on a grander scale, the main rooms of the Potter home were of the same style and appearance as the Barnes projects.  A collection of photographs in the Art Institute of Chicago, with no credit to the designer, are the only evidence we have of Silsbee's genius exhibited at Palmer's "Castle".

After Rebecca and George died, the home was occupied by their daughter, Mary Elizabeth and her husband Frank Hiscock. The Hiscocks renovated the home once more in the 1890’s and the exterior was updated from it’s original Italianate design to a commanding brick Classical Revival structure.

Few examples of lavish residential interiors by any architect of this period exist in Syracuse. Any extant interior work by Silsbee is even more rare and of those that do exist, none are as remarkable as the Barnes Dining Room. The Barnes-Hiscock Mansion is currently occupied by the Corinthian Club of Syracuse and restoration efforts are overseen by the Barnes Foundation.