Ormonde (Cazenovia, New York) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Ormonde
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Cazenovia, New York |
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| Area | 2.4 acres (0.97 ha) |
| Built | 1885-88 |
| Architect | Furness & Evans; Furness, Frank |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Queen Anne, Shingle Style |
| MPS | Cazenovia Town MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 91000866 |
| Added to NRHP | July 15, 1991 |
Ormonde is a beautiful country house built between 1885 and 1888. It stands on the eastern shore of Cazenovia Lake in Cazenovia, New York. This special house was designed by a famous architect named Frank Furness.
It was built for George R. Preston, who was a banker from New Orleans. A banker is someone who works with money at a bank. Mr. Preston later moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Ormonde was once a huge property, like a big farm or ranch. It started as 300 acres (about 121 hectares) and grew to 400 acres (about 161 hectares) in the early 1900s. The main house was called a "summer cottage," even though it had 9 bedrooms! This was because wealthy people used it as a large vacation home.
Over time, some of the other buildings, like the carriagehouse (where horses and carriages were kept), were taken down. The land was also divided up. Now, Ormonde includes the main house and a unique boathouse, sitting on 2.4 acres (about 1 hectare).
The Boathouse
The boathouse at Ormonde is very interesting. It has a square stone bottom floor right by the lake. On top of that, there's a round second floor covered in shingles. Shingles are like flat pieces of wood used for roofs and walls. This upper floor has a deck that goes all the way around, giving a 360-degree view!
This boathouse design is similar to other buildings Frank Furness created. These include the Undine Barge Club in Philadelphia and his own summer home, Idlewild.
A Historic Landmark
Ormonde is considered very important because of its history and architecture. In 1991, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a special list of buildings, sites, and objects that are important to American history.
The house is a great example of the large mansions built as summer homes by rich families. These homes were popular near Cazenovia Lake in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Other Grand Summer Homes
Ormonde was not the first "summer cottage" on Cazenovia Lake. Cedar Cove, designed by George Browne Post, was built in 1884. Other big summer homes on the lake included Notleymere, Scrooby, and Shore Acres. Famous architects like Robert W. Gibson, Robert S. Stephenson, and Stanford White designed these homes.
Ormonde is also part of a larger group of historic places called the Cazenovia Town Multiple Resource area. This means it's recognized as part of a collection of important sites in the town.
