Leland Castle

Last updated
Leland Castle
Leland Castle, New Rochelle, NY (Front View).JPG
Leland Castle in 2012
USA New York location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location29 Castle Pl., New Rochelle, New York
Coordinates 40°53′52″N73°46′53″W / 40.89778°N 73.78139°W / 40.89778; -73.78139
Area2.62 acres (10,600 m2) [1]
Built1855
ArchitectWilliam Thomas Beers
Architectural styleGothic Revival
NRHP reference No. 76001291 [2]
NYSRHP No.11942.000004
Significant dates
Added to NRHPAugust 27, 1976
Designated NYSRHPJune 23, 1980

Leland Castle (also known as Castle View) is a building in New Rochelle, New York. It was constructed during the years in 1855 - 1859 in the Gothic Revival style, and was the country residence of Simeon Leland, a wealthy New York City hotel proprietor. Leland began to assemble an estate as early as 1848, and in 1855, began the erection of this palatial 60-room mansion. [3] The home was designed by New York City architect William Thomas Beers. A north and south wing were added to the castle in 1899 and 1902 respectively. [1] [4]

Contents

Leland Castle and the surrounding property have since been incorporated as part of the campus of the College of New Rochelle. [5] The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and the New York State Register in 1980. [2] [6] [7]

Architecture

The main structure is a 2+12-story, Gothic Revival home constructed of coarse granite stone. The exterior is enhanced on the southeast corner by a tall square tower, by an hexagonal tower on the northeast, and a round tower on the northwest. The main entrance on the eastern facade is framed by a Gothic pointed arch. Tall, black-walnut doors ornamented with lion's heads are flanked by slender sidelights crowned with Gothic details. All windows are decorated with Gothic tracery and topped with heavily molded labels. As late as 1890, a wooden porte cochere with an open balcony above it stood before the main entrance. Two wooden verandas also opened out from the original building, as did a greenhouse on the south end. All these had disappeared before 1900. The greenhouse was replaced by a veranda, which in turn was replaced in 1897 by a room that followed the outlines of the original greenhouse. [1]

The entrance hall features walnut paneling and a blue and gold Minton tiled floor. The gothic style library contains a bay window with stained- and etched-glass borders, original interior shutters and bookcases, and one of the three original fireplaces in the mansion. Some of the first floor rooms are in the Renaissance style, with round arched doorways. The music room arches are crowned with rococo crests bearing busts of English sovereigns. In the dining room, a Renaissance-style sideboard and mantel, originally designed for this room, contrast with the Gothic diamond-paned windows with etched, amber-colored, stained-glass borders. The sliding doors between the dining and drawing rooms retain their panels of etched glass. [1]

In 1902, a large wing was built onto the north side adjoining the former billiard room and picture gallery extension followed the Gothic style of the original castle. The attic rooms have been subdivided, and a small chapel was installed in a former bedroom on the second floor. In 1926, the wooden parapet of the rear north tower was destroyed by lightning. During the middle part of the 20th century, the wooden gables, turrets, and crenellations over the bay windows were replaced by galvanized iron copies. [1]

In 1974, an interior staircase was installed in the square tower. The castle has three multiflue chimneys, which were originally used to heat the interior. The ornate fixtures of the original gas lighting system remain throughout. A chapel, not original to the building, is attached to the south elevation and a dormitory wing, with a larger chapel which was added in 1902. [8]

Historical background

Rear view of castle and courtyard Leland Castle, New Rochelle, NY (Rear View & Courtyard).JPG
Rear view of castle and courtyard

In 1848, Leland purchased a 40-acre site in New Rochelle overlooking Long Island Sound, on land originally developed by New York businessman Norman White as a summer home in 1838. [9] Like many successful New York businessmen, he took advantage of the railroads' development into the rural areas around New York and carefully planned a suburban enclave designed for graceful and stylish living. Famous for his well-run and fashionable Metropolitan Hotel in New York's theatre district, Leland's home became equally famous as he entertained there regularly. [10]

Leland retired in 1872 when his lease on the Metropolitan Hotel expired and was given to William A. "Boss" Tweed. He died later that same year deeply in debt and the mortgage on Castleview was foreclosed. [11] The castle's new owner, the Manhattan Life Insurance Company, allowed Mrs. Leland and her children to continue living there until 1880. The home was then leased by the Queens County Hunt Club for use as an inn, and thus became known as "Castle Inn" for two years. [1]

In 1884, Adrian Iselin, Jr., a member of one of the Hunt Club families from Davenport Neck, purchased the castle and its surrounding acreage for the purpose of developing the land into a residential park. He paved surrounding streets, including Castle Place, put in gas lines and planted many trees, and soon the 40-acre original estate was diminished to just 2 1⁄2 acres, as Iselin's Residence Park came to occupy much of the former grounds of Leland's estate. [12]

The castle temporarily housed the New Rochelle Collegiate Institute, a boarding school for young boys, from 1889 - 1892, and later to Miss Morse's Academy for young ladies. In 1897, the castle was further damaged by a fire that broke out in the chimney and caused extensive damage to the roof, plaster, and second-floor woodwork. Uninsured, Miss Morse was forced to leave the castle, and with the promise by Iselin of repairs to the smoke and water damage, it was then purchased by Mother Irene Gill for her Ursuline Seminary. [8]

Today, the residence survives in a suburban area more densely settled than the original grand country estate, and serves as a symbol of the fashion, taste, and lifestyle that Americans idealized in the latter part of the 19th century. It is also the only surviving example of the work of William Thomas Beers.

The castle, until 2019, housed the administrative offices of the College of New Rochelle and the college's Castle Art Gallery. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smithsonian Institution Building</span> United States historic place

The Smithsonian Institution Building, more commonly known as the Smithsonian Castle or simply The Castle, is a building on the National Mall housing the Smithsonian Institution's administrative offices and information center. Built as the first Smithsonian museum building, it is constructed of Seneca red sandstone in the Norman Revival style. It was completed in 1855 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Jackson Davis</span> American architect

Alexander Jackson Davis was an American architect known particularly for his association with the Gothic Revival style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allerton Castle</span> Listed building in North Yorkshire, England

Allerton Castle, also known as Allerton Park, is a Grade I listed nineteenth-century Gothic or Victorian Gothic house at Allerton Mauleverer in North Yorkshire, England. It was rebuilt by architect George Martin, of Baker Street, London in 1843–53.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyndhurst (mansion)</span> Historic house in New York, United States

Lyndhurst, also known as the Jay Gould estate, is a Gothic Revival country house that sits in its own 67-acre (27 ha) park beside the Hudson River in Tarrytown, New York, about a half mile south of the Tappan Zee Bridge on US 9. The house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Luke's Church (Smithfield, Virginia)</span> Historic church in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, US

St. Luke's Church, also known as Old Brick Church, or Newport Parish Church, is a historic church building, located in the unincorporated community of Benns Church, near Smithfield in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, United States. It is the oldest church in Virginia and oldest church in British North America of brick construction. According to local tradition the structure was built in 1632, but other evidence points to a date of 1682; see Dating controversy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinity-St. Paul's Episcopal Church (New Rochelle, New York)</span> Historic church in New York, United States

Trinity-St. Paul's Episcopal Church in New Rochelle in Westchester County, New York was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. It is located at the northwest corner of Huguenot Street and Division Street. This church represents the body of the majority group of New Rochelle's founding Huguenot French Calvinistic congregation that conformed to the liturgy of the established Church of England in June 1709. King George III gave Trinity its first charter in 1762. After the American Revolutionary War, Trinity became a parish of the Protestant Episcopal Church of America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reuel E. Smith House</span> Historic house in New York, United States

The Reuel E. Smith House located at 28 West Lake Street in Skaneateles, New York is a picturesque house designed by Alexander Jackson Davis, and later modified by Archimedes Russell. It was built during 1848–1852 and is a "good example of the Gothic Revival mode, which was a reaction against the stringencies of the Greek Revival style" as exemplified by the nearby Richard DeZeng House. It is the only house designed by Davis in Onondaga County that has survived since the demolition of the Charles Sedgewick Cottage on James Street in Syracuse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Joseph's Church Complex (Cumberland, Rhode Island)</span> Historic church in Rhode Island, United States

St. Joseph Church is parish of the Roman Catholic Church in Cumberland, Rhode Island within the Diocese of Providence. It is known for its historic campus at 1303 Mendon Road, which includes a Gothic Revival style church along with two late 19th-century, clapboard-sheathed, wood-frame structures on the east side of Mendon Road. The church and its accompanying buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 as St. Joseph's Church Complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Litchfield Villa</span> Historic house in Brooklyn, New York

Litchfield Villa, or "Grace Hill", is an Italianate mansion built in 1854–1857 on a large private estate now located in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York City. It is located on Prospect Park West at 5th Street. The villa was designed by Alexander Jackson Davis, America's leading architect of the fashionable Italianate style, for railroad and real estate developer Edwin Clark Litchfield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Baptist Church of Tarrytown</span> Historic church in New York, United States

The First Baptist Church of Tarrytown is located on South Broadway in Tarrytown, New York, United States. It is a stone building in the Victorian Gothic architectural style dating to the 1870s. In 1983 it and its rectory were listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildcliff</span> Historic house in New York, United States

Wildcliff, also referred to as the Cyrus Lawton House, was a historic residence overlooking Long Island Sound in New Rochelle in Westchester County, New York. This 20-room cottage-villa, built in about 1852, was designed by prominent architect Alexander Jackson Davis in the Gothic Revival style. The home was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 31, 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hearthstone Castle</span> Historic house in Connecticut, United States

Hearthstone Castle in Danbury, Connecticut, was built between 1895 and 1899. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. It has also been known as Parks' Castle and as The Castle. The property includes four contributing buildings and three other contributing structures. Today, the castle is owned by the City of Danbury and is located in Tarrywile Park. Hearthstone Castle is slated to be renovated into an observation deck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davenport House (New Rochelle, New York)</span> Historic house in New York, United States

The Davenport House, also known as Sans-Souci, is an 1859 residence in New Rochelle, New York, designed by architect Alexander Jackson Davis in the Gothic Revival style. The "architecturally significant cottage and its compatible architect-designed additions represent a rare assemblage of mid-19th through early 20th century American residential design". The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rokeby (Barrytown, New York)</span> United States historic place

Rokeby, also known as La Bergerie, is a historic estate and federally recognized historic district located at Barrytown in Dutchess County, New York, United States. It includes seven contributing buildings and one contributing structure.

McFarlane–Bredt House is a historic home located in Rosebank, Staten Island, New York. It was built about 1840 and is a two-story, wood-frame clapboard house in the Italian Villa style. It consists of four sections: the original, two-story central section built about 1840; the extension to the original section built about 1860; a wind added about 1870; and a three-story western addition completed in the 1890s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Austin House</span> Historic house in New York, United States

The Richard Austin House is located on Croton Avenue in the village of Ossining, New York, United States. It is a wood frame structure dating to the 1870s. In 1989 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parish of St. Gabriel and of St. Joseph (New Rochelle, New York)</span> Church in New York, United States

The Parish of St. Gabriel and of St. Joseph was formed in August 2015 with the merger of the Territorial parish of St. Gabriel on Division Street with the personal parish of St. Joseph on Washington Avenue, both in New Rochelle, NY. St. Gabriel is the parish church. However, St. Joseph "will maintain a regular schedule of Masses and the celebration of other sacraments". Both parishes were established around 1900 through the generosity of the Iselin family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Residence Park (New Rochelle, New York)</span> American planned community established 1885

Residence Park is a historic community located in the city of New Rochelle, in Westchester County, New York. It is one of the first planned residential parks, and garden city communities, in the United States. It is located in the southern section of the city, bordered by Neptune Park on the west, Shore Road and Long Island Sound on the south, and Downtown New Rochelle on the north.

Simeon Leland was a New York businessman and hotelier during the late 19th-century. He made his wealth while operating the Metropolitan Hotel located on fashionable Broadway in lower Manhattan. Opened in 1852 to cater to travelers and residents who wanted to enjoy luxuries like bathrooms, running water, elevators, and fine dining, the Metropolitan attracted many Southern businessmen and their families who often came to New York in the summer to escape the extreme heat of the South.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 M. Justin McKiernan and L.E. Gobrecht (April 27, 1976). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: "Castle View" / Leland Castle" . Retrieved 2008-02-13. (includes map) and Accompanying three photos, exterior and interior, from 1967, 1975, and 1970s
  2. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  3. New Rochelle History-Nineteenth Century Archived 2004-11-26 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Leland Castle, College of New Rochelle National Register of Historic Places designation report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior/National Park Service, 1976
  5. 1 2 MUSEUMS;Art Studies Without the Homework, The New York Times, 2006
  6. Inventory of Historic Places Archived 2009-05-21 at the Wayback Machine
  7. National Register of Historic Places
  8. 1 2 Sister Martha Counihan O.S.U. "Simeon Leland's Castle at New Rochelle." Unpublished Masters Thesis. University of Delaware. 1973
  9. White, Erskine Norman (1905). Norman White, his ancestors and his descendants. New York: Private Publisher. p. 45.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  10. "The Leland Palace at New Rochelle". Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper. Out-of-copyright. 1865-10-21. p. 71. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
  11. Obituary
  12. Sister Martha Counihan O.S.U. "Simeon Leland's Castle at New Rochelle." Unpublished Masters Thesis. University of Delaware. 1973