Let the sun shine in

On this grey day, I've been thinking of what a changeable spring it has been and some of the amazingly beautiful days we've had already.

The cherry blossoms were about 2 weeks early this year.

My street.

Nice day for riding.

Mint juleps on the porch in honor of Derby Day.

Looking up from the hammock.

Cat mint in full effect.

Tough life.

More House Envy

More house envy. Alas, this one is in Springfield, MA so too far for us.
13 rooms, 8 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2-car garage. $279,900

I've uploaded the bulk of the photos (below) and you can find more (or buying info) here: http://idx.mlspin.com/details.asp?mls=70403645&aid=E0000PMG

House Envy

This house is about half a mile from mine and about twice the price. Is it twice as nice, I don't think so, but I am super envious of the original woodwork and detailing.


Stairway is reminiscent of Stanford White houses


Edwardian columns, window trim and picture molding, nice!


Floors seem to be in lovely condition, simple stained glass window, and might that be the original door!?!?


The view is not as nice as where I used to live in Weehawken, but I'll take it.

All photos from NJMLS.com

The Castle

Felician College has begun a 2-year, multi-milion dollar interior renovation of Iviswold Castle on the Rutherford campus. They began with an exterior renovation several years ago and have also been removing the additions, mostly made by Fairleigh Dickinson College over the years. In the process they've found some amazing historic details, including a whole chandelier and renaissance-style frieze!!

Iviswold was built as a private residence in 1869, when it was called Hill House. David Brinkerhoff Ivison bought it in 1887 and hired William H. Miller to expanded it. It was then renamed Iviswold. Felician College bought it from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1997.

A little but about Miller and Ivison: Miller was the first graduate of the architecture school at Cornell University. He is best known for his buildings in Ithaca and at Cornell. Ivison was the president of the American Book Company, an educational book company founded in 1890 when several other publishers, including Iveson, Blakeman and Co consolidated. Ivison was born in 1835 in Auburn, NY where his father was in the book business (binding and selling).


The Castle c1942

From the FDU website:
"The Castle," as it was known to Rutherford, underwent complete remodeling before its official opening as a college in September, 1942. It was built in 1886 of brownstone hauled to Rutherford by horsepower from the stone quarries in Belleville, New Jersey.. Modeled after the French chateaux, Chaummont and Amboise, it cost $350,000 to complete and had 25 rooms, two portecocheres, and five tennis courts. The estate had several owners after the Ivison family, and in 1911 a swimming pool was added. In the late 1920s the building housed the Union Club.

Huntrest House

This is my favorite house in Rutherford. It is a very unique Craftsman Bungalow built in 1910 by Emma and Frank Beasley. Frank Beasley was the assistant postmaster for Rutherford and even mentioned in a 1903 article in the NY Times, but something must have gone wrong because the couple sold the house in 1917 to Uster Theodora and Cyprian Cyrail Hunt (you can't make those names up) who named it Huntrest.

It is on Gouverneur Ave one block from my house so I can see it whenever I like. When we first moved in the house looked something like the picture below, although in worse repair. My sweetie thought I was nuts for loving it. Since, a new owner has bought the house, restored it beautifully (at least from what I can see outside) and had it put on the Historic Register. THANK YOU!

While on the topic of housing, here's an interesting graphic courtesy of FrontDoor.com. It shows the age of Rutherford houses in comparison to others in the county and state


.

One of the things I love about Rutherford is the housing stock. Much of it is Victorian and Edwardian (including Craftsman bungalows) with original detailing. Even in modernized homes, one can see glorious old features peering out from more modern “improvements” Our house has the original chestnut wood moldings in the living and dining rooms (which I've been attempting to strip and renovate for a year), original oak floors in the lower portion of the house, a classic Edwardian stair leading to heart pine on the second floor, and a few of the 100+ year old doors and mullioned windows.

Take a look at this amazing interior

By the way, please, please, please don't throw out antique doors and windows and replace them with new hollow-core and vinyl junk. They're easily fixed so they don't leak or stick, are beautiful, and long lasting. If you absolutely must get rid of them, email me and I'll take as many as you have. Really, I'm not kidding.

Another Reason To Live in Rutherford

When we first moved to Rutherford I thought it was odd how many people had above ground pools. The house we eventually bought has one too and I thought it would be a drawback - too much work. Nope, perfection.