330 Homes Spring 2021

d r e a m h o u s e

that originally had three gigantic claw-foot tubs and a huge industrial dryer, as well as a coal cellar with a still-workable exterior access chute. The firm has since converted the boiler to gas and installed air-conditioning. For seamless service, a door that opens to the butler’s pantry is disguised as a wooden panel in the dining room. Other hidden features include a safe behind a wooden panel in a closet and sliding gun stor age in the den. The stunning halls feature square columns and pan eled Doric and fluted pilas ters to reflect pilasters surrounding the exterior, fluted columns supporting a two-story portico and

square col umns fram ing a back latticed entryway. A portion of

and a black marble fire place with a Georgian surround painted with flowers in the breakfast room — originally used as a ladies’ sitting room. There is also a fireplace in the solarium, which for merly had a pedestal foun tain. Above the solarium and the breakfast room are two sleeping porches that weren’t initially heated. “In the times of tuberculosis, they believed fresh air would ward off disease — kind of like we

Most of their entertaining took place in a third-floor ballroom with two walk out porches, and it was likely used even through Prohibition. Local lore is still circulating — a former employee’s father in-law told stories of his band playing parties there. The firm converted the

the Georgian woodwork in the second-floor hall was missing, so the architects researched and discovered Falls Lumber & Millwork still had a historic knife design and used it to fill in the gaps. “Some are origi nal. Some are modern. But they’re made [of ] exactly the same trim pattern,” says Schreckenberger. The six original fireplaces are impressive, includ ing a beige Italian marble one in the walnut living room, one with a Louis XVI-style wooden mantel in the owner’s bedroom

space into cubicles. Another surprising

entertainment spot is a basement billiard room originally used as a men’s lounge.

are going through now — so they would create these sleeping porches,” Schreckenberger says.

3 3 O H OM E S s p r i n g 2 0 2 1

| 3 5