The development of the eastern shore of the Hudson River was largely the result of the Initiation of passenger service, in 1847, on the New York and Hudson River Railroad. As noted by a writer in Putnam's Monthly Magazine, in 1856, all of this was made possible by the new Age of Steam. In some cases date back to the 18th century.īy the early 1860s, Riverdale-on-Hudson had become a favorite summer retreat for rich New York merchants and their families. Most important was the care taken by the architect not to disturb the immense oak and copper beech trees which There are many magnificent views from the porches and windows. This is characteristic of the age of Emerson and the transcendentalIsts and illustrates the rise of interest in landscape architecture and landscape painting. "Greyston" displays a sensitive response to its splendid setting. Pointed Gothic arches, cusping, trefoil and quatrefoil motifs, and mul Honed windows lend diversity and interest. A great variety of decorative elements, derived from the successive phases of the English Gothic, Tudor and Elizabethan traditions, are evident, particularly in the design of the window openings, which are usually paired or tripled. The many tall chimneys, in true Victorian Gothic manner, emphasize the picturesque verticality of the building. The river side is dominated by a picturesque polygonal porch, of which a portion has been glazed.Īt the south side, the roof line is almost hidden behind a variety of pointed gables which emphasize projecting portions of the facade. An approximate balance is achieved between the projecting dining room wing, at the left side, and the gabled section at the right. The porches flanking the entrance have handsome railings with balusters carved in Gothic Revival trefoil design. The monumental main entrance, with Its beautiful door near the center of the north facade, is set off by paired Gothic trefoil niches cut into the smooth stone. Upon closer examination, however, a basic symmetry and balanced design is discernible, largely the result of the super imposition of a later aesthetic on the more picturesque, asymmetrical, original design. The mansion appears, at first glance, as a rather loose agglomeration of parts. "Greyston" is three stories high, with a steep roof of polychrome slate. At the upper stories, the original rustic character of the house Is evidenced, in the sketch, by the pointed dormers and picturesque I ittle gables over the windows. The eastern portion of the porch was partially replaced by subsequent alterations. Part of the charming wood porch remains, but much of the original arched openwork and Gothic bracing have disappeared. It was clearly conceived as a relatively unpretentious summer cottage in the Hudson River Gothic tradition. "Greyston" was originally a much smaller house - as shown by an early sketch of the north side which is still preserved at the house. The present appearance of "Greyston," particularly at the north (entrance side) Is, however, very largely changed as the result of the addition of a large dining room wing and other later modifications. RenwickTs design was strongly influenced by early Victorian houses of the English countryside which, typically, combined features of Tudor and Elizabethan manorial architecture with the earlier Gothic tradition. This large and picturesque mansion is constructed of native gray granite, skillfully cut and laid In a random pattern. According to family tradition, the house may already have been completed by the end of 1863, but it was not occupied until the following Spring. Construction was begun in 1863, following Dodge's purchase of land early that year from Joseph Delafield. Dodge, Jr., by James Renwick, Jr., famed architect of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, of Grace Church and St. Riverdale, The Bronx, New York City, New York, United StatesĮrected during the stormy years of the Civil War, this splendid country mansion was designed for William E.
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