Dark Shadows & Lyndhurst

[Mark Rainey]

I spent a most enjoyable weekend in Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow (recounted here) this past weekend; was at Lyndhurst most of the day yesterday and got to talk to a couple of staff members at some length. One of them told me the estate manager(s) had lobbied long and hard to get Burton/Depp to consider filming the new DS movie at Lyndhurst, but they had been unsuccessful—sadly, as it would have been my first choice of filming locations. She was quite enthusiastic about the whole DS business and was thrilled to find out about the Big Finish audio dramas. Conversely, one of the other staff members (an older gentleman who'd been there for quite a few years) indicated the Lyndhurst staff strongly disliked the DS gatherings since "the fans take over the whole place" and some were inevitably unruly, to the point of going up in the tower (which is illegal). I suspect this recounting is one to be taken with a grain of salt, particularly since, in my experience, DS fans are among the most mature and most "mellow" that I've been associated with.

At any rate, it was a beautiful weekend at Lyndhurst, and sure got me in the Halloween spirit. (I watched both movies just before the trip to make sure the spirit was alive.)

[Mysterious Benefactor]

As I theorized last year, given the way Burton works, it seems most likely that any location shooting, if any is actually done (Burton often loves to work solely on studio sets), will be done in England. And I can't say that I find that prospect to be in any way a bad thing because there are dozens of great locations in England that would serve perfectly as Collinwood. Particularly a Collinwood that, like the '91 series' version, was disassembled from its English location and reassembled in Collisport.

As far as the older gentleman's story about fans going up to the tower goes, unfortunately, a few fans come to mind who wouldn't have given a second thought to breaking the law and doing just that. They're often under the impression that the rules don't apply to them, so sneaking up to Lyndhurst's tower would simply be par for the course for them. And the really sad thing is that by acting as recklessly as they do, they give all DS fans a bad name and make the bad impression that that gentleman seems to have of all of us.    But it's probably needless to say that they don't care about any of that. All they care about is the bragging rights of having done things that others haven't. Though what they don't seem to realize is that, far from being envious, most fans who are aware of their antics simply see them for the foolhardy people that they actually are...

But be that as it may, thanks so much for sharing your photo(s) and blog with us.  

[Midnite]

Beautiful photos, Mark!

[jimbo]

That really is a great photo Mark!

[Annie]

Hi  Mark  thanks for posting the photos  and taking the time out  of your  busy schedule to do it.
                           Love   Anne

[Mark Rainey]

MB: I have an idea of some of the fans you're referring to. Of course, every segment of fandom has its contingent of jackasses, and DS's is no exception.

I did get quite a few beautiful shots of the mansion and the grounds, as the fall foliage is just about at its peak. Perfect Halloween atmosphere! There were 500-some scarecrows all around the grounds, set up by local students, which were kind of cool. (There are several more shots from the trip at my blog.) Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow were all done up for Halloween as well. There was a Halloween parade on Friday afternoon, but we bypassed it because there were five bazillion raging muggles all crowded into the area, which made getting around a bit problematic.

The ten-to-midnight lantern-light tour of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery was a winner too.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

The new addition of Lyndhurst against the rising sun is fantastic. And the photo of the scarecrow is great. The area must be a wonderful place to visit at this time of year.

[KMR]

Great post, Mark. Oh, how I miss Lyndhurst (haven't been there since my third visit at Christmas time in the late '90s). However, as much as I love the place (and I absolutely DO love it--it's my favorite building in the whole wide world) I think that it would be wise for the new DS movie to use a different location. The house just doesn't seem big enough to represent the kind of huge mansion that Collinwood is supposed to be. (Ironically, Lyndhurst is not as large as Beechwood, the house that portrayed the Old House in HODS.) Of course, the facade is at least more appropriate than Greystone, which is a MUCH more modern house, built nearly a century after Knoll (the initial phase of what became Lyndhurst).

[Mysterious Benefactor]

(Greystone itself is more modern, having been completed in 1928. But the English Tudor Style, of which Greystone is a great example, dates back to the 16th century. There are many ancient houses all over England that look very much like Greystone.)

[KMR]

I guess for me, the way that Greystone puts together all of the Tudor elements looks quite modern (proportions in the elevations, angles of some of the walls, etc.) compared to pictures I've seen of old Tudor houses. Of course, maybe I haven't seen enough actual examples; perhaps it's time I take a trip to England...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

(We're getting way OT (sorry, Mark) but check out this topic starting with this post:

My Dream Collinwood (or would we really want "purely American" 1790s architecture?)

Not only does it list the five elements that define the Tudor Style, it also features a house that showcases some of the elments that Tudor shares with Lyndhurst's Gothic Style. As it was back in '04 when I posted in the topic, my dream Collinwood would still be a house very similar in design to Stan Hywet Hall - and to see such a house used in the Depp/DS film.  )

[Cousin_Barnabas]

Why is it "illegal" to go into the tower?  I always find it quite distressing when people decide to close off part of a house or historic building.  I oftentimes find that the reason they do so is for no good reason at all.  Granted, I would never break the ruiles, but it is rather disconcerting.  I was wondering if Lyndhurst actually had a reason for it.  I guess I have a little bit of David Collins in me, always wanting to go where I am told not to.  But, unlike David, never actually doing it.      

[Gothick]

Interesting about the estate managers lobbying so hard to have Depp Shadows film on the grounds.  I well remember on my first visit to Lyndhurst, which took place, if I recall aright, in the mid 1980s, asking about the filming of the DS movies, and having the guide inform me--"oh, THAT was a disaster, and we'll never allow THAT to happen again!"

I guess changing economic circumstances have led to a dramatic change in policy... My impression of the attitude about the films in the 1980s wasn't that they were perceived as tacky horror movies, but that all the cameras, cords, equipment, etc. had put a lot of physical strain and potential damage on the property. 

Forget the Tower--I've always wanted to visit Julia's bedroom on the third floor!

G.

[Midnite]

I was wondering if Lyndhurst actually had a reason for it.

Because the tower has no fire escape, current New York State Fire Code dictates that it be closed to the public

[KMR]

Midnite is correct. There are many historic houses in which visitors are only allowed on the ground floor, because at least two means of escape (other than windows!  ) are required on upper floors open to the public.

Boy, we are definitely lucky that Lyndhurst has the secondary staircase at the north end of the house. Could you imagine not being able to go into the gallery on the second floor (the most absolutely beautiful room in the world, and the place I would spend almost all my time if by chance I lucked into many millions of dollars and could persuade the National Trust to sell Lyndhurst to me; I often dream of sitting on the window seat on a sunny winter day...).