Cedarmere-Clayton Estates facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Clayton-Cedarmere Estates
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Front elevation of Cedarmere, 2016
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roslyn Harbor, NY |
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| Nearest city | Glen Cove |
| Area | 172 acres (70 ha) |
| Built | 1843, 1899 |
| Architect | Ogden Codman, Jr., others |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Classical Revival, Gothic Revival |
| MPS | Historic and Architectural Resources of Roslyn Harbor |
| NRHP reference No. | 86002634 |
| Added to NRHP | 1986 |
The Clayton-Cedarmere Estates are two amazing historic properties in Roslyn Harbor, New York. They were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
Clayton is the larger part of the property. It was once a big estate owned by the Bryce and Frick families. Today, it is home to the Nassau County Museum of Art. Cedarmere is smaller and was the home of famous writer William Cullen Bryant. It is now a historic house museum. You can visit the grounds of both estates.
These two properties show how large estates developed on the North Shore of Long Island. Many famous architects helped design them over almost a century. William Cullen Bryant first owned most of this land. After he passed away, Lloyd Bryce bought the undeveloped part in 1893. He hired Ogden Codman, Jr. to design a grand house. Later, in 1919, Henry Clay Frick bought the estate for his son, Childs. Childs Frick lived there with his family until 1965. A few years later, the estate became a museum for the county.
Contents
What are the Estates Like?
Most of Clayton and all of Cedarmere were part of William Cullen Bryant's original land. After his family sold parts of the land, the Bryce and Frick families added more to the properties.
Cedarmere Estate: A Writer's Retreat
Cedarmere is a 7-acre property. It has a tall stone wall along Bryant Ave.. The estate includes two small ponds. The famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted helped design the gardens.
The main house is quite large. It has a central part with two wings. The roofs are covered in slate and have a special shape called a gambrel. Many windows have unique shapes and trims. The house is covered in stucco, but you can see its stone foundation. A glass and metal conservatory sticks out from the front. A porch wraps around most of the house.
A special entrance section sticks out onto the south porch. It looks out over the larger pond and its stone bridge. This entrance has fancy decorations like columns and special glass.
The Mill at Cedarmere
At the edge of the main house's pond is a small building. It's called the Mill, but it was never used to grind grain. It was built just for decoration and storage. It has a brick bottom and a wooden top. The roof is slate and has decorative edges. The windows are also very fancy. One window even has 'W' 'C' 'B' etched into the glass. These are the initials of William Cullen Bryant.
Other buildings include a small greenhouse near the garden. There are also two newer garages. These garages are the only parts of Cedarmere that are not considered historic.
Clayton Estate: Now an Art Museum
Clayton's property is across the street from Cedarmere. Its main entrance is on Northern Blvd. When you drive up, you pass a brick gatehouse. The drive takes you through 165 acres of beautiful landscaped grounds. This area is the center of Roslyn Harbor.
The main house sits on a high flat area. It is surrounded by plants and a parking lot. The building is made of brick with stone trim. It has a copper roof with dormer windows. The roof edges have decorative blocks called modillions.
The main part of the house is two and a half stories tall. It has a wide front with many windows. The front has a large porch with columns. The main entrance has double doors with a rounded window above. On the east side, French doors open to the garden. Two one-story wings extend from the house. Inside, the mansion has much of its original wood and plaster work.
Gardens and Other Features at Clayton
Near the main house is a beautiful garden. It was designed by Marian Coffin. The garden has symmetrical plants around a central fountain. You can also see parts of an old private zoo, like an animal enclosure and a tower.
A small road leads to the Jerusha Dewey Cottage. William Cullen Bryant originally built this cottage for a friend. The Frick family later renovated it and used it as a guest house. It has a mix of brick, wood siding, and a slate roof.
Like Cedarmere, Clayton also has two newer buildings. These support its current use as an art museum and sculpture garden. They are the only buildings at Clayton not considered historic.
A Look Back: History of the Estates
The land where Cedarmere stands has been used since the 1600s. The first known house there was built in 1787. William Cullen Bryant bought a small house in 1843. He wanted a quiet place away from his job as editor of the New York Evening Post. He wanted to enjoy nature and write poetry.
Bryant bought more land and expanded the house in the 1850s and 1860s. He followed ideas from designers like Andrew Jackson Downing and Calvert Vaux. They believed in building small, charming cottages that fit well with nature. Bryant named his property Cedarmere. Many famous people visited him there. These included artist Thomas Cole and writer James Fenimore Cooper.
In 1875, Bryant sold Cedarmere to his daughter Julia. He continued to live there until he died three years later. Julia then sold it to her nephew, Harold Godwin, in 1891. Eight years later, Godwin sold the undeveloped land that became Clayton to Lloyd Bryce. Bryce was a former congressman and came from a wealthy family.
Changes Over Time
A fire in 1903 badly damaged the upper floors of Cedarmere. On the other property, Lloyd Bryce hired Ogden Codman, Jr. to design the main house. Codman was known for designing many homes in the Northeast. Bryce also started creating gardens.
When the Frick family moved in 1919, they hired Charles Allom to make changes to the house. They renamed it Clayton. Allom replaced the original entrance with the porch you see today. He also created a large entrance hall. The Fricks wanted their home to feel like an English country house. This was a popular idea among wealthy Americans in the 1920s. Guy Lowell designed the gatehouse. Marian Cruger Coffin designed the main garden about ten years later.
In 1969, the Frick family sold Clayton to Nassau County. It became an art museum. In 1989, a private group took over running the museum. The Godwin family lived in Cedarmere until 1975. They also donated it to the county to become a museum.
Visiting Cedarmere and Clayton Today
Both estates are open for the public to enjoy. The grounds at Cedarmere are free to visit all year. The house itself is currently closed for repairs inside. The Mill building was fixed up in 2013. Nassau County also did major renovations and painting on the outside of the house in 2013. Local groups have helped fund more repairs inside and out.
To visit Clayton, you need to pay an entrance fee and for parking. The museum is open every day except Mondays and holidays.
