﻿264 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  July, 
  1907 
  

  

  founder 
  of 
  the 
  Postal 
  Progress 
  League 
  of 
  America, 
  is 
  now 
  became 
  the 
  kitchen 
  to 
  the 
  newer 
  house, 
  built 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  it 
  

  

  the 
  owner 
  of 
  this 
  delightful 
  old 
  house, 
  having 
  inherited 
  it 
  about 
  1780, 
  for 
  Zenas 
  Cowles, 
  whose 
  residence 
  it 
  was 
  for 
  

  

  from 
  his 
  father. 
  many 
  years. 
  At 
  the 
  death 
  of 
  Zenas 
  Cowles 
  it 
  became 
  the 
  

  

  It 
  was 
  built 
  in 
  1808, 
  and 
  is 
  constructed 
  of 
  brick. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  property 
  of 
  Thomas 
  Cowles, 
  his 
  youngest 
  son, 
  who 
  married 
  

  

  grand 
  old 
  house, 
  and 
  is 
  by 
  far 
  the 
  most 
  dignified 
  and 
  stately 
  Elizabeth 
  Sheffield, 
  and 
  at 
  their 
  death, 
  Admiral 
  Cowles 
  be- 
  

  

  mansion 
  in 
  Farmington, 
  with 
  an 
  imposing 
  facade, 
  of 
  Roman 
  came 
  the 
  owner. 
  The 
  style 
  of 
  architecture 
  of 
  this 
  new 
  house 
  

  

  character, 
  facing 
  toward 
  the 
  south. 
  was 
  much 
  superior 
  to 
  all 
  the 
  houses 
  of 
  the 
  village 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  interior 
  is 
  a 
  great 
  hall 
  containing 
  a 
  mahogany 
  stair- 
  of 
  its 
  erection, 
  and 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  designed 
  by 
  an 
  of- 
  

  

  case 
  of 
  quaint 
  design 
  with 
  a 
  graceful 
  triple 
  window 
  on 
  its 
  ficer 
  in 
  Burgoyne's 
  army, 
  who 
  was 
  sent 
  to 
  Farmington 
  as 
  a 
  

  

  lauding. 
  Fine 
  old 
  mahogany 
  doors, 
  with 
  fluted 
  casings 
  and 
  prisoner 
  of 
  war. 
  

  

  In 
  1898 
  Admiral 
  Cowles 
  added 
  another 
  extension 
  to 
  the 
  

   house 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  provide 
  for 
  service 
  quarters. 
  Mrs. 
  Cowles 
  

   subsequently 
  transformed 
  the 
  old 
  kitchen 
  into 
  a 
  library, 
  

   and 
  in 
  its 
  transformation, 
  the 
  old 
  rough 
  brick 
  fireplace, 
  

   with 
  its 
  upright 
  iron 
  cranes, 
  was 
  retained 
  in 
  its 
  original 
  

   form, 
  and 
  is 
  now 
  the 
  principal 
  feature 
  of 
  the 
  room. 
  It 
  is 
  

   built 
  in 
  a 
  curious 
  manner 
  of 
  a 
  mass 
  of 
  rock, 
  placed 
  at 
  the 
  

   back 
  of 
  the 
  fireplace 
  to 
  send 
  out 
  the 
  heat 
  into 
  the 
  room, 
  and 
  

   to 
  prevent 
  its 
  being 
  drawn 
  to 
  the 
  outer 
  air 
  through 
  the 
  

   chimney 
  flue. 
  Bookcases 
  were 
  built 
  in 
  along 
  the 
  walls, 
  and 
  

  

  comfortable 
  and 
  homelike 
  

   furniture 
  was 
  properly 
  

   placed 
  about 
  the 
  room, 
  

   and 
  the 
  whole 
  presents 
  a 
  

   delightful 
  air 
  that 
  simply 
  

   expresses 
  the 
  characteristic 
  

   of 
  good 
  taste. 
  The 
  side 
  

   porch, 
  off 
  the 
  living-room, 
  

   is 
  a 
  most 
  attractive 
  feature 
  

   of 
  the 
  house, 
  and 
  here 
  the 
  

   family 
  life 
  centers 
  on 
  a 
  

   warm 
  day. 
  Access 
  is 
  ob- 
  

   t 
  a 
  i 
  n 
  e 
  d 
  from 
  it 
  to 
  the 
  

   grounds, 
  which 
  are 
  hidden 
  

   from 
  the 
  street 
  by 
  massive 
  

   shrubbery. 
  Passing 
  over 
  

   the 
  grassed 
  lawn, 
  one 
  finds 
  

   his 
  way 
  to 
  the 
  rose 
  garden, 
  

   and 
  thence 
  to 
  the 
  river, 
  

   with 
  its 
  picturesque 
  and 
  in- 
  

   teresting 
  boathouse. 
  

  

  It 
  was 
  in 
  this 
  house 
  that 
  

   President 
  Roosevelt, 
  on 
  

   October 
  23, 
  1901, 
  received 
  

   the 
  warden 
  and 
  burgesses 
  

   of 
  the 
  town, 
  who 
  in 
  a 
  dig- 
  

   nified 
  address 
  bid 
  him 
  wel- 
  

   come 
  to 
  Farmington. 
  It 
  

   was 
  also 
  here 
  that, 
  later 
  in 
  

   paneled 
  wainscoting, 
  a 
  mas- 
  the 
  day, 
  he 
  received, 
  with 
  Admiral 
  and 
  Mrs. 
  Cowles, 
  the 
  

   sive 
  wooden 
  cornice, 
  the 
  fine 
  old 
  doors 
  and 
  trim, 
  and 
  the 
  other 
  guests 
  who 
  came 
  to 
  pay 
  their 
  respects, 
  

   grand 
  old 
  Georgian 
  mantel 
  and 
  overmantel, 
  very 
  ably 
  ex- 
  "Byde-a-Whyle," 
  the 
  old 
  house 
  built 
  in 
  18 
  15 
  by 
  Major 
  

  

  press 
  the 
  excellent 
  taste 
  of 
  its 
  builder. 
  Timothy 
  Cowles, 
  another 
  distinguished 
  member 
  of 
  this 
  fam- 
  

  

  The 
  hall 
  has 
  a 
  fine 
  old 
  mahogany 
  staircase. 
  To 
  the 
  left 
  ily, 
  is 
  now 
  the 
  residence 
  of 
  Waldo 
  K. 
  Chase. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  fine 
  old 
  

   of 
  the 
  entrance 
  is 
  the 
  drawing-room, 
  furnished 
  mostly 
  with 
  house, 
  planned 
  in 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  a 
  cross 
  with 
  porticos 
  built 
  on 
  

   antique 
  furniture; 
  and 
  corresponding 
  to 
  the 
  drawing-room 
  the 
  front 
  and 
  on 
  either 
  side, 
  and 
  which 
  are 
  supported 
  on 
  

   is 
  the 
  dining-room, 
  containing 
  a 
  fine 
  old 
  Virginia 
  dining- 
  graceful 
  fluted 
  columns 
  with 
  Ionic 
  capitals, 
  

   table 
  and 
  Sheraton 
  chairs. 
  Back 
  of 
  the 
  drawing-room 
  is 
  the 
  When 
  Mr. 
  Chase 
  purchased 
  this 
  old 
  house 
  he 
  saw 
  great 
  

  

  morning-room, 
  which 
  was 
  formerly 
  the 
  dining-room. 
  This 
  possibilities 
  for 
  it, 
  and, 
  while 
  its 
  alterations 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  

   has 
  an 
  attractive 
  old 
  fireplace 
  and 
  mantel, 
  and 
  affords 
  a 
  excessive, 
  such 
  changes 
  as 
  have 
  been 
  made 
  are 
  in 
  keeping 
  with 
  

   pleasant 
  outlook 
  into 
  the 
  garden. 
  It 
  also 
  forms 
  the 
  entrance 
  its 
  character. 
  The 
  alterations 
  consisted 
  in 
  transforming 
  the 
  

   to 
  the 
  living-room, 
  which 
  was 
  formerly 
  the 
  kitchen, 
  and 
  now 
  old 
  kitchen 
  and 
  pantries 
  into 
  a 
  dining-room 
  and 
  the 
  building 
  

   the 
  most 
  important 
  and 
  interesting 
  room 
  in 
  the 
  house. 
  of 
  an 
  extension 
  to 
  contain 
  the 
  kitchen 
  and 
  servants' 
  quarters. 
  

  

  In 
  Colonial 
  times 
  an 
  old 
  house 
  was 
  seldom 
  pulled 
  down, 
  The 
  old 
  hall 
  has 
  a 
  mahogany 
  staircase 
  and 
  paneled 
  walls 
  to 
  

  

  pediments, 
  open 
  into 
  other 
  rooms 
  of 
  ample 
  size. 
  The 
  

   drawing-room 
  has 
  a 
  fine 
  old 
  fireplace 
  with 
  a 
  handsome 
  Co- 
  

   lonial 
  mantel 
  carved 
  with 
  exquisite 
  delicacy. 
  The 
  library 
  

   and 
  dining-room, 
  beyond 
  the 
  drawing-room, 
  are 
  furnished 
  

   in 
  a 
  similar 
  manner, 
  and 
  are 
  dignified 
  and 
  stately. 
  Of 
  old- 
  

   time 
  charm 
  there 
  is 
  abundance 
  in 
  this 
  fine 
  old 
  house, 
  a 
  charm 
  

   beginning 
  with 
  its 
  first 
  upbuilding, 
  and 
  which 
  is 
  quite 
  in- 
  

   separable 
  from 
  it. 
  

  

  Rear-Admiral 
  William 
  Sheffield 
  Cowles 
  is 
  also 
  a 
  distin- 
  

   guished 
  member 
  of 
  this 
  family, 
  and 
  with 
  his 
  wife, 
  Mrs. 
  

   Cowles, 
  a 
  sister 
  of 
  Presi- 
  

   dent 
  Roosevelt, 
  now 
  

   maintains 
  the 
  most 
  not- 
  

   able 
  house 
  in 
  Farmington. 
  

   It 
  is 
  called 
  "Old 
  Gate," 
  

   and 
  in 
  summer 
  is 
  the 
  scene 
  

   of 
  much 
  festivity. 
  Among 
  

   its 
  distinguished 
  guests 
  are 
  

   numbered 
  many 
  members 
  

   of 
  the 
  Diplomatic 
  service, 
  

   as 
  well 
  as 
  others 
  prominent 
  

   in 
  the 
  naval 
  and 
  social 
  life 
  

   of 
  the 
  country. 
  "Old 
  

   Gate" 
  is 
  a 
  charming 
  place, 
  

   and 
  the 
  old 
  gate, 
  from 
  

   which 
  it 
  gets 
  its 
  name, 
  is 
  

   located 
  at 
  the 
  entrance 
  to 
  

   the 
  estate. 
  It 
  is 
  classic 
  in 
  

   style, 
  and 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  beau- 
  

   tiful 
  piece 
  of 
  architecture 
  

   in 
  Farmington. 
  After 
  

   crossing 
  the 
  threshold, 
  a 
  

   short 
  walk 
  brings 
  one 
  to 
  

   the 
  entrance, 
  which 
  is 
  also 
  

   classic 
  in 
  design. 
  

  

  The 
  hall 
  is 
  a 
  central 
  one, 
  

   extending 
  through 
  the 
  

   house 
  in 
  the 
  manner 
  of 
  the 
  

   old 
  Colonial 
  mansions. 
  

   The 
  interior 
  is 
  most 
  interesting 
  

  

  The 
  Classic 
  Porticos 
  Are 
  the 
  Chief 
  Charm 
  of 
  " 
  Byde-a-Whyle 
  ' 
  

  

  but 
  passed 
  through 
  a 
  sort 
  of 
  evolution 
  like 
  the 
  one 
  in 
  the 
  

   present 
  case. 
  It 
  was 
  moved 
  to 
  the 
  rear 
  and 
  made 
  into 
  a 
  

   kitchen 
  for 
  the 
  newer 
  structure, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  house 
  had 
  equally 
  

   as 
  many 
  styles 
  of 
  architecture 
  as 
  it 
  had 
  dates 
  of 
  erection. 
  

   The 
  living-room 
  of 
  the 
  present 
  house 
  was 
  formerly 
  the 
  lower 
  

   story 
  of 
  the 
  original 
  house 
  built 
  in 
  1660. 
  It 
  subsequently 
  

  

  the 
  ceilings. 
  The 
  paneled 
  wainscoting 
  of 
  old 
  Colonial 
  style 
  

   is 
  the 
  feature 
  of 
  the 
  house. 
  Mr. 
  Chase 
  is 
  a 
  collector 
  of 
  

   antique 
  furniture, 
  and 
  he 
  has 
  the 
  finest 
  collection 
  of 
  furni- 
  

   ture 
  of 
  the 
  Colonial 
  period 
  in 
  Farmington. 
  

  

  The 
  drawing-room, 
  with 
  its 
  fine 
  old 
  Chippendale 
  chairs, 
  

   and 
  its 
  fine 
  old 
  mirror 
  over 
  the 
  mantel, 
  the 
  library 
  with 
  its 
  

  

  