Dr. Sylvester Willard Mansion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Dr. Sylvester Willard Mansion
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Dr. Sylvester Willard Mansion
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | 203 W. Genesee St., Auburn, New York |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1836 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Neoclassical |
| NRHP reference No. | 89001948 |
| Added to NRHP | November 13, 1989 |
The Dr. Sylvester Willard Mansion, also called the Willard-Case Mansion, is a historic house in Auburn, New York. It's located in Cayuga County, New York state. This grand building is now home to the Cayuga Museum of History and Art. It's a special place because of its beautiful design and its connection to early movie history.
Cool Architecture
The Willard-Case Mansion is a huge brick house built in the Greek Revival style. It was first built between 1836 and 1843. Later, in the late 1800s, some Classical Revival sections were added.
This two-story building has five main sections and a central hallway. It sits on a strong stone foundation. The front of the house has a giant Greek Revival pedimented portico. This means it has a triangular roof section supported by huge, fluted Ionic columns.
In the 1870s and 1880s, a large dining area and a small wing were added. Inside, you can find a very rare Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company window. This beautiful window was put in around 1894–1896. The property also has a fancy cast iron fence from the late 1800s. It has stone pillars and a detailed wrought iron garden gate.
Movies and Inventions
In 1916, a man named Theodore Case (1888–1944) bought the Willard Mansion. He was a physicist and inventor. Case turned some of the smaller buildings on the property into places for his movie technology research.
One old 19th-century carriage house became an experimental movie studio. An old 19th-century greenhouse was changed into the Case Research Laboratory in 1916. Here, Case worked on his important research into sound-on-film technology.
Ted Case is famous for inventing the Movietone optical sound-on-film method. This invention helped create "talkies," which were movies with sound!
A Museum Today
Today, the property is home to the Cayuga Museum of History and Art. It also includes the Case Research Lab. This museum shares local history and has collections of fine art.
It's also a cinema museum that shows off the amazing work done at the Case Research Laboratory. The Dr. Sylvester Willard Mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. This means it's recognized as an important historical site.
Gallery
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Tiffany window.
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Tiffany window detail.
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Tiffany window close-up detail.
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Elaborate cast and wrought iron garden gate.
See also
- Willard Memorial Chapel-Welch Memorial Hall
- Theodore Case
- Theodore Case Sound Test: Gus Visser and His Singing Duck
- Movietone sound system
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Cayuga County, New York
