James and Mary Forsyth House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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James and Mary Forsyth House
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South elevation, 2008
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Kingston, NY |
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| Area | 3.3 acres (1.3 ha) |
| Built | 1849–50 |
| Architect | Richard Upjohn |
| Architectural style | Italian villa |
| NRHP reference No. | 03000603 |
| Added to NRHP | 2003 |
The James and Mary Forsyth House is a historic home in Kingston, New York. It is an Italian villa-style house. A famous architect named Richard Upjohn designed it in the mid-1800s. When it was finished, people in Kingston thought it was very fancy.
This house is special because it is one of the few buildings in Kingston from before the American Civil War. It is also the only house from that time designed by a nationally known architect. For many years in the 1900s, it was used by a group called the Freemasons. Today, it is the office for a local construction company. This company helps fix up other old buildings in Kingston. In 2003, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is an important historical site.
Contents
About the House
The James and Mary Forsyth House sits on a 3.3-acre (1.3 ha) piece of land. It is on the north side of Albany Avenue in Kingston. The house is a two-and-a-half-story building. It is made of brick walls on a stone foundation. The roof is sloped and has a small peak in the middle. It has decorative brackets under the edges.
Outside the House
On the front of the house, there is a wooden porch. This porch covers the main entrance and two windows. The porch has columns and a fancy roof that matches the house. The windows on the first floor are now French doors. This means they open like doors.
The windows on the second floor have brick arches above them. There is also a round window in the middle of the roof. On the sides of the house, there are more windows and porches. Some porches stick out from the house. They have decorative railings and brackets.
Inside the House
When you enter the house, you go into a small entry area. Then you go into the main hall. This hall is shaped like an "L". The main staircase is to the right. It has fancy wooden railings. The stairs lead up to the second floor. A beautiful stained glass window lights up the staircase landing.
On the first floor, there is a library and a living room. These rooms still have their original wooden floors and decorative ceilings. The library has wooden cabinets and special shutters. The living room has a fancy fireplace made of marble. There is also a dining room and a drawing room. The drawing room is the biggest room on the first floor. It has very tall ceilings.
The second floor used to have bedrooms. Now, part of it is an open meeting room. The original main bedroom is still there. It has its old fireplace. The attic used to be where servants lived. The basement is still used for storage. It has an old cast iron stove in the kitchen area.
House Style and Design
The James and Mary Forsyth House is an example of the Italian villa style. This style was popular in the mid-1800s. The architect, Richard Upjohn, had designed another famous Italian villa before this one. It was called the Edward King House in Newport, Rhode Island. People really liked that house.
Upjohn used a similar style for the Forsyth house. He added a central peak to the roof. His great-grandson, Everard Upjohn, wrote about the house in the 1930s. He said it was similar to the Edward King House. He also noted that the inside of the house had many separate rooms.
The Forsyth House also looks like another house Upjohn designed in Brooklyn, New York. That house also had a central peak and round windows. People thought Upjohn's designs were well-made and avoided common mistakes of the time.
History of the House
James Forsyth moved to Kingston in 1840. He was 21 years old. He became a successful lawyer and a local leader. He married a woman from Kingston named Mary Bruyn. In 1847, James visited New Haven, Connecticut. He saw many beautiful homes there. He told his wife that these homes were much nicer than any in Kingston.
The Forsyths decided to build a special house in their hometown. They chose Richard Upjohn as their architect. Upjohn was famous for designing Trinity Church in New York City. The Forsyths worked closely with Upjohn on the design. Many of his drawings for the house still exist today. They show that the house was built almost exactly as he designed it.
The house was finished in 1851. The Forsyths had a big party to celebrate. Many important people in Kingston came. A local merchant named Nathaniel Booth said the house was "a splendid affair." He thought it made all other homes in Kingston look plain. He wondered what the first Dutch settlers of Kingston would think of such a fancy house.
James Forsyth did not live in the house for long. He faced serious financial problems. In 1853, he left the country. He traveled in Europe and later died in England in 1855. After he left, his wife and children stayed in the house.
Years later, in the 1870s, they sold the house to William Fitch. Later, it belonged to John Broadhead. Around 1900, the front porch was changed to a Colonial Revival style. The columns in the dining room were also added then. John Broadhead also left after facing financial difficulties. In 1907, the house was sold to Samuel Gray.
In 1939, the local Freemasons bought the house. They made some big changes. They opened up part of the second floor to create a meeting room. They also added a fire escape.
The house was empty for several years in the late 1900s. Then, in 2002, a local company called Carey Construction bought it. This company has helped restore other important buildings in Kingston. Carey Construction planned to fix up the house. They thought about making the second floor more open for offices. They also considered adding skylights to the roof.
See also
Images for kids
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The Edward King House in Newport, Rhode Island, also designed by Richard Upjohn.
