Hiddenhurst facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Hiddenhurst
|
|
|
U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
|
South elevation and east profile, 2008
|
|
 Location in New York
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | North East, NY |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Millerton |
| Area | 44 acres (18 ha) |
| Built | 1903 |
| Architectural style | Neo-Georgian |
| Part of | Coleman Station Historic District |
| NRHP reference No. | 93000945 |
| Added to NRHP | February 21, 1991 |
Hiddenhurst is a beautiful old estate located on Sheffield Hill Road in North East, New York. It's just south of the village of Millerton. This large house was built in the early 1900s. It has a special look called Neo-Georgian style.
A businessman named Thomas Hidden created this estate. He bought parts of four dairy farms to make his large property. He used Hiddenhurst mainly to breed horses. After he passed away in 1918, a big dairy farm bought most of the land. They removed many of the horse-related buildings. Hiddenhurst is known as one of the most important houses in eastern Dutchess County because of its design. In 1991, the remaining estate was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a special place recognized for its history. It's also part of the Coleman Station Historic District.
Contents
Exploring Hiddenhurst: The Estate's Design
Hiddenhurst is made up of three buildings. They sit on a 44-acre (18 ha) piece of land. This land is on the north side of Sheffield Hill. It's about half a mile (1 km) west of the Connecticut state line. Tall trees like copper beech and pine surround the property. This helps to shelter it. The estate is on a high ridge. From here, you can see Webutuck Creek to the west. The area around Hiddenhurst is mostly farms. This means there are open views of the Harlem Valley to the south. You can also see the Taconic Mountains to the north.
The main house still looks much like it did when it was built. It has kept its original design and features. To the south of the main house is a smaller building. This is a two-story caretakers' house. It has a hip roof and clapboard siding. A covered walkway connects it to a garage. There's also a guest house on the property. It's a one-story building with a modern shingle design. Neither the caretakers' house nor the guest house are considered part of the historic character. There's also a swimming pool to the west. It's newer, so it's not part of the historic listing either. In the 1980s, a tennis court, a pond, and a water garden were added.
The House's Outside Look
The main house is two stories tall. It has three sections, or bays, on its front. The outside walls are covered with clapboard siding. It has a hipped roof. The house sits on a large stone base. This stone base also supports a wooden porch, called a veranda. This veranda goes all the way around the house. It has a fancy railing with columns and balusters. On the east and west sides, there are special entrances. These entrances have trellises and paired Corinthian columns.
At the center of the front (south) side, the porch railing opens up. This leads to a large entrance area called a portico. Steps lead up to a deck. This deck has paired columns with Tuscan capitals. These columns support a projecting architrave. Above this, there's a Corinthian entablature. This is topped by a decorative cornice. A railing similar to the porch's runs around the roof of the portico.
On the front of the house, there are also two fluted Corinthian pilasters. These are like flat columns attached to the wall. Between them is the main entrance. It has a leaded half-glass door. This door has small pilasters and side windows. Above it is an elliptical window called a transom. This transom has Adamesque stained glass designs. Above this whole entrance is a balcony. It has a railing like the others. A double door, similar to the main entrance, leads to this balcony.
Other openings on the first floor are French doors. On the second floor, there are eight-over-one double-hung sash windows. The corners of the house have decorative stone blocks called quoins. A decorative band called a frieze runs around the top of the house. It has egg-and-dart and dentil molding. A modillioned block cornice is at the roofline. The roof itself has a railing with stick balusters. Three brick chimneys and three gabled dormer windows stick out from the roof.
The chimneys are very detailed. They have blind arches and stone keystones. The brickwork projects in and out. Above this, the brick is set back into a narrow panel. A narrow capstone tops each chimney. The dormer windows are round-arched. They are also topped with keystones.
The east and west sides of the house look very similar to the south side. They have the same quoins, frieze, and cornice. Each side has three bays. There are only two gabled dormers on these sides. On the east side, the windows for the service room are smaller casement windows. They are different from the French doors. The back (north) side of the house is similar to the front. However, it has less decoration. A one-story pantry wing sticks out from the back. It has paneled pilasters at its corners.
Inside the House
Inside, Hiddenhurst has a central hallway. This hallway divides the house into two main sections. On the first floor, the dining room and service area are on the east side. The drawing room and parlor are on the west side. Each room has its own unique style of decoration.
The main hallway is divided into three parts. These are a vestibule, a central area, and a stair area. Tuscan columns and pilasters separate these spaces. A common cornice with bead and reel molding connects all areas. There's also a simple chair rail and dado paneling. Above the cornice, there are more decorations. These include egg-and-dart, Greek fret, and leaf patterns. These are found below carved modillions on the cornice. The rooms are entered through large openings. These have sliding doors. Each opening is surrounded by a decorative frame. It's topped with a projecting molded cornice. This cornice has leaf-shaped supports.
The living room has a style that reminds you of the Adam style. The plaster walls have carved patterns. They rise to a simple cornice and a ceiling with sunken panels. The drawing room is very fancy. It has a rococo style with lots of detailed plasterwork.
On the east side, the dining room's cornice matches the one in the hall. The ceiling has plasterwork with different leaf designs. The fireplace in the dining room is special. It has a double mantelpiece and very large Ionic columns. The main staircase is open and spirals upwards. It has a simple balustrade. However, the step area has intricate leaf carvings. The staircase leads up to a dome. This dome has curved, triangular panels. These panels are separated by olive branch carvings. A stained glass window is in the center of the dome. It shows hollyhock festoons.
Upstairs, you'll find the bedrooms. These rooms are generally less decorated than the downstairs rooms. Each bedroom has a unique fireplace. The fireplaces are in different styles. These range from Classical to Queen Anne. The bathrooms still have their original tiles. They have decorative bands under bull-nosed caps. The third floor was designed for servants and guests. It has three servants' quarters and three guest rooms. This floor is quite plain. However, there is one elliptical room. It's finished with varnished matchboard. Above this floor, there's an attic and a widow's walk.
The History of Hiddenhurst
Thomas Hidden was a businessman from New York City. He made his money from making paint and from real estate. In 1903, he bought parts of four dairy farms in the Coleman Station area. He then retired to this 450-acre (182 ha) estate. He built the Hiddenhurst house. Thomas Hidden was one of the first rich New Yorkers to choose the Millerton area for a country home. Other wealthy people often chose towns in nearby Connecticut. Hidden loved breeding horses. He found this area perfect for it. It was also easy to get to the city by train. The train tracks were originally built for the New York and Harlem Railroad.
For his horses, Hidden built a half-mile (1 km) indoor training track. He also built a large stable complex. He continued to produce milk on the farm as well. The person who designed the Hiddenhurst house is not known. However, it is considered the most important house in the Harlem Valley for its architecture. It shows an early example of the Georgian Revival style. This style closely followed older classical designs and proportions.
Thomas Hidden passed away in 1918. Eventually, the house was sold to Sheffield Farms. This was a large corporate farm. By the mid-1900s, Sheffield Farms became one of New York City's biggest milk suppliers. In the 1950s, the stable and training track burned down. This happened shortly before Sheffield Farms became part of Sealtest. The estate used to be 410 acres (166 ha). But it has been divided over time. Now, the house sits on 44 acres (18 ha).
Hiddenhurst is still a private home today. In the early 1970s, the owners at that time tore down an old brick farmhouse and a carriage house. Thomas Hidden had kept these buildings. Also, the original decorative capitals on the front portico's columns were replaced. They were changed to the Tuscan ones you see today. Other than these changes, the property has mostly stayed the same.
