The Grove (Cold Spring, New York) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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The Grove
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South profile and east elevation, 2009
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Cold Spring, NY |
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| Nearest city | Beacon |
| Area | 1 acre (4,000 m2) |
| Built | 1852–1853 |
| Architect | Richard Upjohn |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 08001080 |
| Added to NRHP | November 21, 2008 |
The Grove, also known as Loretto Rest, is a historic house in Cold Spring, USA. It was built in the mid-1800s for Frederick Lente. He was a surgeon at the nearby West Point Foundry. He also helped start the American Academy of Medicine.
A famous architect named Richard Upjohn designed the house. He used the popular Italian-villa style. In 2008, The Grove was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Over the years, the house changed. Its first roof was replaced with a different style. After the Lente family, the Roman Catholic Church bought it. They turned it into a convent for nuns. This use ended in 1977. Since then, the house has been empty. It has suffered from not being cared for.
The land around The Grove was later divided. New homes were built, changing the original gardens. In the late 2000s, the roof was changed back. It now looks more like the first design. Today, the village of Cold Spring owns The Grove. They want to save it, but it still needs a lot of work.
Contents
What is The Grove?
The Grove house is at the end of Grove Court. This is a small street in Cold Spring. Most of the older buildings nearby are part of the Cold Spring Historic District. This district is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The other houses on Grove Court are newer. They were built in the late 1900s or early 2000s. East of The Grove is an old hospital building. It is also empty and waiting to be fixed up.
The house sits on a small hill. From here, you can see the Hudson River. You can also see the United States Military Academy at West Point. Other mountains like Crow's Nest and Storm King are also visible. These are part of the beautiful Hudson Highlands.
A Look at The Grove House
The Grove is a two-and-a-half-story building. It is made of brick laid over strong stone walls. On one side, there is a smaller, one-story section. A wooden porch wraps around the front and side of the house. A fence now surrounds the building.
The outside of the house used to be covered in white paint. This paint has faded, showing the brick underneath. The windows are tall and narrow. They have stone sills and are all boarded up. You can still see where old window shutters used to be. A brick line separates the first and second floors.
The main entrance is on the west side. It has a fancy wooden frame. There is also a window above the door. On the south side, there is a door to the basement. On the east side, there is another door with a small porch.
The roof is low and flat in the middle. It has a small square tower called a cupola. The roof has wide edges that hang over the walls. Inside, the house has been damaged by neglect. But many original parts are still there. The main hallway layout is unchanged. The plaster walls, ceilings, and wood trim are still original. This includes the main staircase.
The Story of The Grove
Who Built The Grove?
Frederick Lente was born in North Carolina. He became a doctor at New York University. In 1850, he moved to Cold Spring. He worked as a surgeon at the West Point Foundry. This foundry was a very important place. It made iron and brass products. These included cannons and pipes for the Croton Aqueduct.
In 1852, the Foundry Association sold Lente the land for The Grove. He hired Richard Upjohn to design his home. Upjohn was a famous architect. He was known for his Gothic Revival churches. But he also designed Italianate homes. One famous example is the Edward King House in Newport, Rhode Island.
Lente had specific ideas for his house. He wanted special windows that slid into their frames. He also asked Upjohn to make one of the bedrooms smaller. The finished house was a typical Italian villa by Upjohn. It had a rectangular shape and brick walls. It also had arched windows.
Lente lived in The Grove for the rest of his life. He wrote many medical papers. He also helped create the American Academy of Medicine. This group worked to improve medical education.
From Home to Convent
Around the 1870s, Lente made a big change to the house. He replaced the original roof with a mansard roof. This style was popular at the time. It had colorful slate tiles and windows sticking out.
After Lente died in 1883, his wife lived there until 1901. Then, a local church bought the house. They turned it into a convent for the Franciscan Sisters. The sisters ran a school there until 1977.
During the 1900s, more changes were made. Shutters were added to the windows, but they are now gone. The porches were enclosed with windows and wood panels. The front and back steps were replaced with concrete around 1950.
What's Happening Now?
After the Franciscan Sisters left, The Grove became empty. It started to fall apart. In 2002, a developer bought the property. He divided the land to build new houses on Grove Court. He gave The Grove house and one acre of land to the village. The village hoped to fix it up. They wanted to use it as a historic house museum.
But the village has not yet been able to restore it. In 2008, they had to remove the mansard roof. They replaced it with a roof that looks more like the original design. It is estimated that it will cost over $1 million to restore the house. The village is still looking for ways to save this historic building.
