SPratt House (Old House) info needed

[Nancy]

The Spratt House, located on the Lyndhurst property, provided the exterior shots of The Old House on DS.  It was destroyed by arson in 1969.

Does anyone here know the month and the date of that fire?  Any other details?

Your help is much appreciated!

Nancy

[Luciaphile]

Have you tried contacting the people who run the Lyndhurst web site?

http://www.lyndhurst.org/home.html

[Stuart]

This site is pretty informative:

http://www.hudsonvalleyruins.org/yasinsac/spratt/spratt.html

[Nancy]

Yes. NO response as yet.

Nancy

Have you tried contacting the people who run the Lyndhurst web site?

[Patti Feinberg]

So, the exteriors for both the 'Old House' and Collinwood were actually on the samish property?
That's cool, I never knew that.

Thanks!

Patti

[Patti Feinberg]

Also, it states fire/arson in 1969.

Well, does ANYONE remember any news details from then (do the authorities think it was either:
i hoodlums partying/out of control
ii anti-DS anti-fans really expressing themselves??

Patti

[Mysterious Benefactor]

The exterior of the Old House on the series and Collinwood in the movies. Collinwood in the series is located in Newport, RI. And the Old House in hoDS is located in Scarborough, CT.

(I *can't* believe this topic works quickly and you can easily post to it! Makes me wonder even more what's going on with the others because obviously there's nothing wrong with the forum's system if those features work for this topic. Very, VERY odd.  )

[Nancy]

I received emails from various sources in Tarrytown but not one of them knows when in 1969 the "Old House" burned.  I seem to remember seeing an article years ago that said July 1969 but I'm not sure.

If I can find out what at least what month it was, my friend can probably locate more information on microfiche but the date has to be narrowed down first.

Nancy

[Ricky101]

Thanks for posting the links..I can't imagine how nice that house must've been when it was built originally.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Ricky,

Jonathan Frid posed inside (and outside) the house for several publicity photos (one is on the cover of the 30th Anniversary Almanac, one is on the back cover of the DS Companion, and there are also several published inside that book), and even from what little of the house is on display in them, it looked like it was quite magnificent.

[Patti Feinberg]

I don't suppose anyone from this board was actually there before it burned??

Patti

[Ricky101]

Jonathan Frid posed inside (and outside) the house for several publicity photos

Thanks!  Gee, you guys sure are smart

[Raineypark]

I don't suppose anyone from this board was actually there before it burned??

I was, Patti, though I didn't realise it until my cousin from Tarrytown brought it up recently.   I asked her if she had any information about when the house burned down (she didn't) but she reminded me that we used to follow our older brothers up there.

I'm  sure we weren't more than 10 at the time, and I KNOW we were running like hell from some groundskeeper or handy man (who bore NO resemblance to Willie Loomis), and "Dark Shadows" wasn't even thought of yet.  The house was already such a ruin even stupid kids like us wouldn't attempt to get inside it.

We thought nothing of trespassing on the property, however.....

[CyrusL]

I remember reading either in "Big Lou" or another interview, that Louis Edmonds "liberated" some shutters from the Spratt House and put them to use out at his home, The Rookery. Bobubas has been out there before and may be able to tell us more about them.
           Cyrus aka Michael

A Cousin from Virginia

[Bobubas]

I remember reading either in "Big Lou" or another interview, that Louis Edmonds "liberated" some shutters from the Spratt House and put them to use out at his home, The Rookery. Bobubas has been out there before and may be able to tell us more about them.

I certainly can Michael. I had visited Louie at his Long Island home in June of 1998. It was then that he related the story of the shutters to my friends and I. I have uploaded video of Louie telling us the story of the Old House shutters. Load the url to my website below then click on the Big Lou button to view the video and photos from that visit. 

http://bobubas.topcities.com/index.htm