Princeton Magazine Article:
Hidden Gems, August 2010
Hidden Gems, August 2010
Photography by Tom Grimes, Text by Stuart Mitchner
Most of the Princeton area’s charms are clear to see in parks or campuses, along the Delaware and Raritan Canal, or in the semblance of a country lane winding through some dusky bower near Lake Carnegie. Take a closer look down a certain driveway on one of the tree streets or half-hidden behind a mansion in the Western Borough and you may glimpse a secluded retreat, some like the offspring of the big house in front, others like secret sidelights fronted by the main attraction. This photographic tour provides a sample of the region’s subtle wonders.
The Flagg House (above) A vision from the imagination of master architect Ernest Flagg, who designed New York’s first skyscraper, the Singer Building, this Princeton landmark once served as both the garage and the residence of the family chauffeur. It’s also an example of Flagg’s expertise in the designing of small houses and garages. At the time of its completion in the 1920s, the garage contained a state of the art car wash and, on the upper level, a plant nursery.
The Coach House (above) This gabled retreat might be mistaken for a cottage in the Berkshires, but its earliest incarnation was as a shingle-style coach house on Moses Tayler Pyne’s Drumthwacket estate. In the early 1940s it was fashioned into a single family residence only to be returned to something close to its original form in the 1990s under the supervision of architect Max Hayden.
The Hut (above) Hidden behind a Victorian house on one of Princeton’s tree streets, this rustic Ronald Berlin-designed rhapsody in blue known to the owners as The Hut, makes for a cozy retreat, complete with a fireplace for winter dinner parties.
The Guest House (above) Sheltered, shady, and secluded at the end of a long winding gravel driveway, what was once a barn has been transformed into an elegant guest house. Its origins can be traced back to a 65-acre farm belonging to the Worth family, one of six founding Quaker families in the Stony Brook settlement. The house in front dates from the 1700s.
The Pool House (above) This poolside hideaway was designed and rebuilt by Lasley Brahaney Architecture + Construction to harmonize with the David Adler designed house in front, the former Charter House Eating Club, relocated from its original Princeton University site. Grammy award winning singer Mary Chapin Carpenter used to spend time here when she was at PDS (see “School Days and Starry Nights”).
The Playhouse (above) Features of the stately Arts and Crafts house in front have been replicated as windows and brickwork in a playhouse where children live up to the name by producing their own theatricals. Long curtains inside and the hint of a proscenium in the arched entrance sustain the element of make believe.
The Music Studio (above) Among the special features of this former music studio, where intimate performances and recitals once were held, is a fireplace embedded with bricks from Westminster Abbey, St. Pauls, York Minster, Salisbury, and Canterbury Cathedrals. The stones were presented by the Lord Archbishop of York to the then president of the Westminster Choir College. The studio has since been remodeled to function as a living space.
The Artist’s Studio (above) Believe it or not, this woodsy gem in the heart of the Western Borough was once an outbuilding on a defunct farmstead in Holmdel. The transformation was achieved by Pinneo Construction and architect Max Hayden, who converted the first floor into a lounge with large fireplace and fashioned an artist’s studio in the loft.
All content used with permission © 2010 Princeton Magazine
The Flagg House (above) A vision from the imagination of master architect Ernest Flagg, who designed New York’s first skyscraper, the Singer Building, this Princeton landmark once served as both the garage and the residence of the family chauffeur. It’s also an example of Flagg’s expertise in the designing of small houses and garages. At the time of its completion in the 1920s, the garage contained a state of the art car wash and, on the upper level, a plant nursery.
The Coach House (above) This gabled retreat might be mistaken for a cottage in the Berkshires, but its earliest incarnation was as a shingle-style coach house on Moses Tayler Pyne’s Drumthwacket estate. In the early 1940s it was fashioned into a single family residence only to be returned to something close to its original form in the 1990s under the supervision of architect Max Hayden.
The Hut (above) Hidden behind a Victorian house on one of Princeton’s tree streets, this rustic Ronald Berlin-designed rhapsody in blue known to the owners as The Hut, makes for a cozy retreat, complete with a fireplace for winter dinner parties.
The Guest House (above) Sheltered, shady, and secluded at the end of a long winding gravel driveway, what was once a barn has been transformed into an elegant guest house. Its origins can be traced back to a 65-acre farm belonging to the Worth family, one of six founding Quaker families in the Stony Brook settlement. The house in front dates from the 1700s.
The Pool House (above) This poolside hideaway was designed and rebuilt by Lasley Brahaney Architecture + Construction to harmonize with the David Adler designed house in front, the former Charter House Eating Club, relocated from its original Princeton University site. Grammy award winning singer Mary Chapin Carpenter used to spend time here when she was at PDS (see “School Days and Starry Nights”).
The Playhouse (above) Features of the stately Arts and Crafts house in front have been replicated as windows and brickwork in a playhouse where children live up to the name by producing their own theatricals. Long curtains inside and the hint of a proscenium in the arched entrance sustain the element of make believe.
The Music Studio (above) Among the special features of this former music studio, where intimate performances and recitals once were held, is a fireplace embedded with bricks from Westminster Abbey, St. Pauls, York Minster, Salisbury, and Canterbury Cathedrals. The stones were presented by the Lord Archbishop of York to the then president of the Westminster Choir College. The studio has since been remodeled to function as a living space.
The Artist’s Studio (above) Believe it or not, this woodsy gem in the heart of the Western Borough was once an outbuilding on a defunct farmstead in Holmdel. The transformation was achieved by Pinneo Construction and architect Max Hayden, who converted the first floor into a lounge with large fireplace and fashioned an artist’s studio in the loft.
All content used with permission © 2010 Princeton Magazine
