Dark Shadows & Lyndhurst

[Mark Rainey]

The stairway at the north end is a relatively recent addition, so said the guide I was talking with — for the very reason that, in order to conduct tours, there had to be a second route to the ground in the event of fire. Interestingly, there is no sprinkler system in the house; there are nozzles that emit gas, which smothers the oxygen and thus a fire, which would hopefully minimize a fire's collateral damage.

[The Doctor and K9]

On my first visit to Lyndhurst I was quite surprised by how small it was as well. When a staff member overheard the comment she took it as a criticism and was a tad huffy. She said that it was very big for its time. I was able to tell her that might be so, but I'd visited the Newport Manasions many times:  The Breakers, Marble House, Elms, had our high school prom in Mrs. Astor's Beechwood etc. She did not have an answer for that. My comment was not intended to be negative; it was merely surprising to me. Of course she was right; it was big for its time. The houses mentioned earlier were built later, each attempting to outdo the predesessor.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Knoll (the initial phase of what became Lyndhurst)

Speaking of Knoll, because she knows of my love of architecture, Midnite once gave me a book, unaware that there's an extensive section about Lyndhurst in it - and two of the more fascinating things are a reproduction of architect Alexander Jackson Davis' original watercolor and ink drawing of what the east elevation of Knoll was to look like and then a B&W drawing of what the west elevation actually looked like before the 1865 addition that turned the house into Lyndhurst was built. Though it's a bit disconcerting to see the house without the tower which is such a startling and defining feature nowadays.

If there's any interest to see them, I'll gladly scan/post the drawings.

[KMR]

The stairway at the north end is a relatively recent addition, so said the guide I was talking with — for the very reason that, in order to conduct tours, there had to be a second route to the ground in the event of fire.

So it must have been sometime in the 1960s, after the Trust was bequeathed the house. The staircase appears in the Historic American Buildings Survey drawings, which were done probably in the late 1960s (published around 1970).

[KMR]

Speaking of Knoll, because she knows of my love of architecture, Midnite once gave me a book, unaware that there's an extensive section about Lyndhurst in it - and two of the more fascinating things are a reproduction of architect Alexander Jackson Davis' original watercolor and ink drawing of what the east elevation of Knoll was to look like and then a B&W drawing of what the west elevation actually looked like before the 1865 addition that turned the house into Lyndhurst was built. Though it's a bit disconcerting to see the house without the tower which is such a startling and defining feature nowadays.

I have a collection of books on American architecture, several of which have chapters or mentions about Lyndhurst. And then there's an absolutely fabulous book called Alexander Jackson Davis, American architect, 1803-1892 published by Metropolitan Museum of Art and Rizzoli in 1992, ISBN 084781484X (0847814858 paperback). I have two copies, one hardcover and one paperback; someday I'm going to take some of the plates out of the paperback and frame them.

[KMR]

Though it's a bit disconcerting to see the house without the tower which is such a startling and defining feature nowadays.

I know exactly what you mean! Considering how modest Lyndhurst appears in real life (as opposed to pictures), just imagine what Knoll must have been like. Such a grand style applied to such a small structure would really underwhelm those of us who are so used to Lyndhurst. And regarding the interiors, there was some critic at the time of Knoll's completion who remarked something along the lines of "and not a bit of room in it."

[Philippe Cordier]

The photos are beautiful, Mark. The leaves in my part of the country are already gone ... they last such a short time!

[Uncle Roger]

Wow, that old guy is still there?!?  I remember him all too well.  He made absolutely no attempt to hide his utter dislike for DS fans.  He was out and out rude to people and kept telling everyone to quiet down.  Hey, we paid our money like everyone else.  And we were no noisier outside than anyone else