The Preserver

THE

PRESERVER VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2: SUMMER 2005

Historic Newsletter Highlighting New Rochelle’s Rich Past

RESIDENTIAL PARKS IN NEW ROCHELLE

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hile taking a leisurely drive through New Rochelle, you may have noticed stone walls and pillars with plaques at the entrances to certain residential neighborhoods. You may have wondered what types of “parks” are beyond those walls. No, they are not your traditional “public parks” with recreational facilities and picnic tables.

They are “residential parks” that were developed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These “parks” generally began as a large parcel of open land owned by an individual or family, that was eventually sold to be subdivided into building lots. The developer then prepared a map of the property by drawing in roadways and lot lines, based on topography and design principles.

The designer incorporated landscaping, setbacks, open space, wide and winding boulevards and other considerations into these plans. The distinguishing feature that set these parks apart from standard subdivisions was the creation of a neighborhood association that would maintain certain standards for the neighborhood. These associations enforced the deed restrictions so that the character of the neighborhood would be preserved. The residents agreed to share open space, maintain communal landscaping and abide by setbacks and other covenants. The developer or association erected stone entrance pillars along major roadways with the park name engraved on them. This gave each neighborhood an identity and set it apart from other residential areas.

The first “residential park” in New Rochelle, established in the 1880s, was called Rochelle Park, located off North Avenue one-quarter mile north of the railroad station. A famous landscape architect, Nathan Barrett, incorporated winding boulevards, generous setbacks and public open space into his plan. His original vision for the neighborhood is being maintained into the 21st century with the neighborhood’s designation as a local historic district in 1986 and its recent listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Due to the success of Rochelle Park, many other residential parks soon followed in New Rochelle, including Residence Park, Neptune Park, Homestead Park, Sycamore Park, the Beechmont neighborhood, Sutton Manor, and Rochelle Heights. Although

City of New Rochelle

HISTORICAL & LANDMARKS REVIEW BOARD Melvin Beacher, A.I.A. Chairman Larry Buster John Heller Gerard Ragone Donald Richards Samuel Spady, Jr. Rosemary Speight Jean Friedman, Preservation Consultant Special thanks to Barbara Davis, Acting City Historian Funding New York State Department of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Certified Local Government Program.

Please send comments and suggestions to:

Rochelle Park in 1889—Main Entrance from North Street (now North Avenue)

Beechmont in 1911—Beechmont Drive from North Avenue

Sycamore Park

Sutton Manor in 1923

Residence Park

there are too many parks in New Rochelle to mention in this article, photographs of these particular neighborhood entrances are shown here.

Many of these “residential parks” are eligible for local historic district nomination, and even National Register nomination. In a local district, all exterior changes to the structure or property must receive a “Certificate of Appropriateness” from the City’s Historical and Landmarks Review Board. The “change” must be in keeping with the historic character of the neighborhood. Property values have been shown to increase in local districts, because every property owner is required to abide by the neighborhood’s “design guidelines”. Over time the aesthetics and pride in these homes improve, and the neighborhood

Neptune Park in 1915—Neptune Avenue from Elm Street

Historical and Landmarks Review Board c/o Mrs. Sheila Beacher HLRB Secretary Bureau of Buildings City Hall 515 North Avenue New Rochelle, NY 10801 (914) 636-8292

Rochelle Heights in 1912—Hamilton Avenue from North Avenue

becomes more desirable. No restrictions are placed on homes in a National Register district, but the honorary title affords the neighborhood increased

Homestead Park in 1911— Lincoln Street from Main Street

status and distinction.

To become a local or national register historic district, it is preferable if the property owners come together to promote the idea within their neighborhood. Next, they must gather historical information about the neighborhood and submit it to the City (for local) or to the State Historic Preservation Office (for National). If the neighborhood meets the nomination criteria, the New Rochelle City Council designates the local district after a public hearing, and the State Review Board and the National Park Service approve the National Register designation. The criteria that the City uses is contained in Chapter 170 of the City Code, “Historic Districts and Landmarks”.

RESIDENCE PARK

By Gerry Ragone

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esidence Park is a quaint neighborhood located in the south end of New Rochelle that was established in 1885. Its boundaries are Main Street to the north, Pelham Road to the south, Centre Avenue to the east, and Drake Avenue to the west. The neighborhood consists of 60% single family homes, 25% two family homes, and 15% other mixed uses.

The first significant notes of the neighborhood date to the founding of the City of New Rochelle in early colonial times. Jacob Leisler, a resident of this region, became interested in the persecution of the Huguenots, who had fled from France in 1685. He purchased 6,000 acres of land from John Pell, the manor-lord of Pelham. Leisler granted 40 acres of land to Louis Borgrand in 1690, who built a large home on the property. The first recorded deed is from Bernard Rynlander and Magdalen, his wife, to Hentry Coutong on January 31, 1758.

In 1774, the home became the country residence of Lewis Pintard, an American patriot of Huguenot descent, and his wife Mary Vallade. The property’s boundaries were from what are now Main Street and Pintard Avenue south and west to Drake Avenue. This home, the Pintard House, is registered as a National Historic Landmark.

Past writings describe a wonderful stream on the Pintard estate that weaved down the hill and emptied into the ponds at Pintard Avenue and Elm Street.

The “islands”, as they are called today,

were actually bodies of water until the late 1870s.

The second historical note is the purchase of a large tract of land south of Elm Street by Simeon Leland, a wealthy hotel entrepreneur from New York City. On this land he built a fine, stately home decorated with frescoes and colored marbles.

“Castleview” was designed by New York architect William Thomas Beers and built during the years 1855–1859. This Residence Park English Gothic residence was used by the Leland family as first a summer, and then later, as a year-round residence until 1880.

A vacant Castleview and its 40 acre estate were purchased in 1882 for development and investment purposes by Adrian Iselin, Jr., the son of Adrian G. Iselin, a New York City investment banker and chief investor in the Rochester and Pittsburg Coal and Iron Company. After a series of short-term rental uses as a hunting club, hotel, and boarding school, the castle and its 2-1/2 acres were sold in 1897 to Mother Irene and the Ursuline Sisters for use as a convent and school.

The Leland Castle is registered as a

National Historic Landmark and is now part of the College of New Rochelle.

Adrian Iselin developed the former Leland estate into a planned residential neighborhood named Residence Park in 1885. Its homes consist mostly of Victorian and Colonial designs with front porches on tree-lined streets with common lawn areas, or parks.

The neighborhood also contains other significant historical structures: • The First Presbyterian Church, c.1920s—Pintard Avenue • A stone Colonial cottage, c.1774 — Leland and Hanford Avenues • Lou Gehrig’s home—Meadow Lane

• The College of New Rochelle, 1904 • The former Public Library (Hagedorn Building), c.1920s—Main Street and Pintard Avenue The book, New Rochelle on the Sound, published in 1903 by the New Rochelle Board of Trade, appropriately describes the neighborhood: “Residence Park, almost at the water’s edge, has been a wonderful success and has given stimulus to the park sentiment.

The shaded lawns and artistic residences of this property are all that could be desired, especially when its area of 100 acres is considered.”

What Style is My House?

Adapted from the Manual of Historic House Styles and Materials, prepared

by Stephen Tilly, Architect.

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lassifying buildings by their styles can be difficult since few houses clearly and neatly fall into a single category. Styles are not wholly independent and disconnected – one style does not instantly disappear when a new one becomes popular.

Instead, styles flow and overlap. A house may appear to be designed in a certain style, but closer inspection reveals that it contains details from a different style.

Keep this in mind as you refer to the various style guides suggested below.

It is very likely that more than one entry may apply to your house.

• Blumenson, John J. G. and Nikolaus Pevsner. Identifying American Architecture: A Pictorial Guide to Styles and Terms: 1600-1945.

• McAlester, Virginia and Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1986.

• Poppeliers, John C., S. Allen Chambers, Jr., and Nancy B. Schwartz.

What Style is It? A Guide to American Architecture. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2003.

The symmetrical façade, gambrel roof and Palladian window say Colonial Revival, but the complicated roofline and cross-gable over bay window suggest Queen Anne.

The square volume and hipped roof of the main block suggest Four Square, while the stucco walls and tile roof have a Spanish feel, yet the classical doorway is Colonial Revival.

SENSITIVE RESTORATION “Maintain the charm of the past to safeguard your investment.” ore and more homebuyers are seeking out vintage houses with distinctive styles, often located in historic neighborhoods. With a passion for preservation, these people realize that well-preserved older homes tend to increase in value because they have been sensitively maintained.

Real estate agents tell us that the value of intact vintage homes is climbing, usually at a higher rate than other non-historic homes in the same area. These beauties are getting harder to find and more and more people are attracted to them. Thus their market value is escalating according to the basic principle of supply and demand.

The challenge for owners of historic homes, however, is adding modern conveniences without sacrificing the charm of the past. While the owner’s main goal is to preserve the house, the need to live comfortably in the 21st century is also very

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important. But remodeling can sometimes lower the value of historic homes if the work is not approached sensitively. The details that make up older buildings must be approached with care because they are unique and remind us of our history.

If you own an older home, you can maximize your investment by being careful to avoid gut renovation. According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, the best strategy is “sensitive rehabilitation”, as follows: • Protect and maintain distinctive historic materials and features whenever possible.

• Repair deteriorated materials, features and finishes by saving the original historic fabric.

• Replace a distinctive historic feature only when it is too deteriorated to repair or when it is missing. Match the original material and replicate the original style.

Unfortunately, many mistakes are still

made by well-meaning homeowners. Some remodeling contractors direct homeowners to replace rather than restore original features in an effort to sell a particular product, like vinyl siding or replacement windows.

Before you begin, it is advisable to consult an architect who is sensitive to the renovation of older homes.

Here are some of the bigger mistakes homeowners can make: 1. Buying vinyl replacement windows. Windows are unique to each building, and depend on the architectural style of the building. Many homeowners rip out old windows because they think that new ones will offer greater energy efficiency.

But oftentimes upgrading existing wood or steel windows with simple measures like weather stripping and new sash locks, or adding storm sashes and coating the glass are better options—and also maintain the integrity of the building. If you absolutely have to replace

windows or plan an addition, then make sure the new windows are appropriate and compatible with the old ones in material, style and configuration. For example, if double-hung wood windows with two mullions in each pane were used in building the home, the same style should be used for the wood replacement windows.

2. Installing vinyl or aluminum siding.

Many homeowners are persuaded to purchase replacement siding because it is purported to be cheap, maintenancefree, long lasting, and thermally superior to wood. However, the original wood cladding is integral to the historic significance, architectural integrity, and overall beauty of the house, and studies show that replacement siding does not significantly improve thermal insulation.

3. Replacing original slate or tile roofs.

Both slate roofs and clay roofing tiles are critical design features of many historic buildings that may not be duplicated using substitute materials.

They should be repaired or replaced with identical material.

4. Stripping architectural details off the exterior of the building. Many historic buildings have distinctive features that are unique to its period of construction.

Some owners remove the rotted brackets and trim because they can be complex to restore and difficult to replicate. However, removing them can significantly change the character of the building.

Owning and maintaining an historic home can be a challenge and a labor of love, but the rewards of preserving your home’s unique historic charm are unparalleled. More care and expense may be needed upfront, but ultimately the value is returned to the homeowner in countless ways.

Adapted from a Journal News article, written by Noreen Seebacher.

Saved from decay — 4 Manor Place was sensitively restored in 2004.

Nomination of Rochelle Park-Rochelle Heights to the National Register of Historic Places n 2004 the City of New Rochelle received a grant from the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) to nominate Rochelle Park and Rochelle Heights to the National Register of Historic Places.

Neil Larson and Associates was hired to prepare this nomination.

The report has been completed, and the boundaries of the proposed National Register district are virtually the same as the existing local district boundaries.

Rochelle Park and Rochelle Heights are historically and architecturally significant as intact and distinctive examples of planned residential park developments that occurred at the turn of the twentieth century. The consultant surveyed a total of 580 buildings, sites and structures in the two neighborhoods. Of these, 555 were considered to be “contributing” to the district. The report is available for inspection in the Public Library.

On November 15, 2004 the NYS OPRHP sponsored a local public

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meeting to describe the National Register process and to answer questions from residents. Neil Larson presented an informative slide show about the history and architecture of the neighborhoods. A meeting notice was sent by the State to every property owner in the proposed district to notify them of this meeting.

Based upon the interest shown at the public meeting, the City Council forwarded its recommendation to the State in support of this nomination. The State Review Board reacted favorably at their

Albany meeting on December 10, 2004 and authorized the State designation.

The nomination has been forwarded to the National Park Service to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places as a State and National Register Historic District.

There are no negative consequences of owning a home in a National Register district. There are no new restrictions imposed upon homeowners, and the existing regulations enacted in 1986 covering the local historic district remain in place.

Properties in National Register districts have been shown to increase in value at a faster rate than in conventional neighborhoods. Homeowners can purchase handsome bronze plaques to identify that their property is in a National Register district, and display them on their homes for added distinction.

For more information about the National Register process, call the NYS OPRHP at 518-237-8643.

THE

PRESERVER

V OLUME 3, I SSUE 2: S UMMER 2005

Historic Newsletter Highlighting New Rochelle’s Rich Past Ci t y of New Rochel l e • 515 Nor t h Av enue Rochel l e, NY 10801

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City of New Rochelle

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Choosing Colors for your Historic House Adapted from the Manual of Historic House Styles and Materials, prepared by Stephen Tilly, Architect.

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his listing provides historic color schemes for the five house styles that are prevalent in Rochelle Park-Rochelle Heights.

These colors were typical and popular for these styles early in the structure’s life.

They may not be the exact colors that were on your building, but they are appropriate choices. Dover Publications (www.doverpublications.com) offers many books with full color reproductions of historic color schemes. The book by Roger Moss listed in the sources section may be quite helpful. Of course, one must first determine the style of the house (see related article). When choosing colors, select a scheme appropriate for the dominant style of the house. Another approach is to retain an architectural historian (see “sources”) who specializes in historic colors to design a paint scheme for your house.

QUEEN ANNE 1875-1910 Body: Rich and complicated. A different color on each building material. Color should highlight contrasting patterns and materials.

Sash & storm windows: Dark color.

COLONIAL REVIVAL 1890 -1955 Body: Light, subdued colors such as white, cream, pale yellow, pale blue.

Trim: Cream or white.

Shutters: Darker colors such as black or deep green.

TUDOR REVIVAL 1895-1945 Body: Natural colors that complement the rustic materials. Different building materials should have different colors.

Trim, sash and storm windows: Dark colors such as brown or maroon.

This Colonial Revival house is painted light blue with white trim, and is accented with dark shutters.

Shutters: Dark and muted colors such as green or different than stucco color.

Valspar paint. Mail photograph of maroon.

Trim and sash: Brown or dark color. home with color likes and dislikes FOUR SQUARE 1900-1930 Body: Natural colors (browns and greens), earthy brick reds, straw and cream. If exterior is two materials, use two color paint scheme with second floor usually darker.

Trim: Contrast body color. Dark body, light trim and vice versa.

SPANISH COLONIAL 1915 -1940 Body: Cream or white stucco walls.

Architectural accents (tile/brackets)

Roof: Red, green or color tile roof.

SOURCES: • Steve Jordan, “Colors for a New Century,” Old House Journal, May 2003.

• Moss, Roger. Century of Color: Exterior Decoration for Americal Buildings, 1820-1920. Watkins Glen, NY: The American Life Foundation, 1981.

• John Crosby Freeman, “The Color Doctor”, provides free historic color schemes to homeowners courtesy of

to him at 1601 Sheridan Lane, Norristown, PA 19403-3336 • Robert Schweitzer is a historic color consultant who can provide exterior paint schemes via mail. (www.artscrafts.com/market/robs/index.html) • Welsh Color and Conservation is a conservator who will analyze samples via mail for those wishing to determine the original colors of their home. (www.welshcolor.com/index.html)

What’s Going on Elsewhere? Private Sector Achievement

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ocated in a well-established Saratoga Springs historic district, this 1884 Queen Anne style house (shown here) is representative of the distinguished residential architecture built in the city during its period of prosperous growth as a fashionable resort and spa. Until recently, the building was in poor condition and badly altered. Its exterior was covered in aluminum siding, many of its windows were modern vinyl replacements, decorative features had been obscured, and the house’s interior, although largely intact, had undergone a series of alterations.

Thanks to the intervention of the property’s new owners, the neglected residence has been returned to its original historic appearance and is being adaptively reused for offices and apartments.

With the help of the federal historic rehabilitation tax credit program (for

income-producing properties), the house has been renovated and preserved. Many of its distinguishing features have been restored, including its exterior wood sheathing, porches, wood windows, doors, decorative elements, interior finishes and trim. Prominently situated at the northern end of the city’s central business district, the building’s transformation from a deteriorated eyesore to an attractive, wellpreserved office/residence is impressive.

Late nineteenth century Queen Anne style homes like this one are found throughout the Rochelle Park-Rochelle Heights Historic District. As property owners choose to make improvements to the exterior of their homes, the City’s Historic and Landmarks Review Board (HLRB) assists them with techniques that will add to the building’s historic character. As more and more buildings in the neighborhood are fitted with authentic

details and materials, the district exhibits more of the original character and charm that existed in the neighborhood’s infancy. This helps to create a more pleasant, attractive and well-maintained area that, over time, shows an increase in property values and adds prestige for the homeowners. Ultimately, historic preservation is a positive step for the owner, the neighborhood and the entire community.

Extracted from the “New York State Preservationist”, published by the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Volume 8, Number 2, Fall/Winter 2004, p.13.

563 Broadway, Saratoga Springs