First Impressions in 2015
First seeing the house in November 2015, which was about two-and-a-half years after Burnett’s passing, was like stepping into a time capsule. The outside of the house was in rough shape, but the interior was clean, tidy and in very well cared for – as though it was waiting for the Bartley family to return as it always had. It was completely furnished and decorated, and appeared to be exactly as it was left prior to Burnett’s death, right down to the music left in the CD player and the trophies on the shelves. And, with the exception of wall art and a few other minor items removed by the family, was in that same condition when we took possession in 2016.
I can tell you with some certainty that the vast majority of the house was (and still is) original, as confirmed by Geraldine Bellinger’s granddaughter Geraldine (Geddie) Parker when she visited the house in 2017. (We were given the opportunity to meet Geddie and walk through the house with her room-by-room. After doing a bit of research, we had tons of questions and she had fascinating stories. It was an extreme honor to have met her.) Especially surprising was that the kitchens were also mostly original with the exception of the flooring, paint and light fixtures. The original stove was still operational, and the refrigerator was still in its place, although inoperable and being used for storage.
The pictures which follow show the condition of the house as we found it in 2015, along with some interesting observations and some of the original blueprints. Pictures of how things look today are shown in the Recent Gallery for comparison.
Some Interesting Construction Details
No expense spared – this house was state-of-the-art in every way in its time!
Preformed Concrete and Steel Supporting Structure
The entire first floor substructure is made of 4’x4′ preformed concrete slabs laid over steel beams, including the exterior patio which had a crawlspace underneath open to the rest of the basement. Wondering why they would do that? So do we. Perhaps the warmer patio floor would be more comfortable and help melt snow? (BTW, the pump you see on the right was the compressor for the refrigerator in the kitchen above.)
Metal Lath
The entire house is plastered, but instead of using wooden lath the builders used heavy gauge metal lath seen here behind a stairway. Suprising any RF signals get through at all.
Tile Spacers
Wonder how they did it back in the day? They used cording!
Wallpaper
All rooms were wallpapered originally, even the ceilings! Most rooms still have paper underneath a number of coats of paint. The only places to see what the original wallpaper looked like is in the 2nd floor hall closet and this beautiful mural in the dining room, which was hand painted prior to hanging.
Lead Fixings
Molten lead was poured on-site to fix all the iron handrails into poured exterior concrete stairs. These stairs, with railings removed, were left on the front side of the house.
Handmade Fixtures
This light hung on the exterior of the house by the gardens, and was painted black. Upon stripping, unique hand soldered copper construction was revealed.
Handmade Electro-Mechanicals
This annunciator panel told servants what room needed service. You can see this was constructed on a simple wooden board and marked “Serial #2”. Serial #1 still hangs on the wall in the Maids Wing of the house. Unique items like this are on display in the Study.
Steel Cabinetry
All the (painted) cabinets in kitchens and bathrooms were custom fabricated at the Jamestown Steel Casework Co. which closed in 1962. Some windows in the house are original steel as well.
Stainless Steel Countertops and Sinks
All the kitchen counters and sinks were custom-made from stainless, some with unique shapes to fit the spaces. Upon renovating the kitchen, new SS countertops were added to be consistent with the original aesthetic.
Coordinating Fixtures in Bathrooms
All sinks, tubs and toilets are original and color match in every bathroom. Pastel wall tile (introduced in the 1920’s) came from the C. Pardee Works, as did the matching porcelain wall heaters (recently replaced for safety). The open tiles on bottom left have a radiator within the wall behind, something you will find in all the main bathrooms.
Central Air Conditioning!
This house was designed with central air conditioning – in fact, TWO central units. This was uncommon. At that time, only a few larger commercial buildings had true central air conditioning. As you can see, this house also had two furnaces for forced hot air heat, as well as two boilers for radiators in all the kitches and bathrooms (probably to help keep the water pipes from freezing).
Automatic Light Switches
Switches were installed in the door frames of most closets so that the interior light would come on automatically when opened. All of them still function perfectly.
Crown Moulding?
One of the first things you might notice walking into some of the main bedrooms is that there is a gap between what appears to be crown moulding and the ceiling. We believe this is picture railing rather than crown. A clip would have gone over the top of the railing to hang pictures from rather than putting nails into the plaster walls.
Electronics
When purchased in 2016, the original telephone-looking intercom system connecting the kitchen, chauffer’s quarters (shown here), and Bedroom #2 was still in place but not operational. There were bells and lights throughout the house to either summon or be summoned (even from the breakfast room which was right next to the kitchen). Some still exist but none are operational.
Original Linoleum Flooring in Kitchen
This piece was under the existing tile in the kitchens exposed during renovation. Notice the canvas backing.
General Exterior
Future Garage Area
The estate’s orginal 7-car garage was made part of a neighboring parcel so there was no longer a garage associated with this main house. There was, however, an area immediately next to the house bordered by retention walls where one could be built. It was obviously a purpose-built space, but that original purpose is still a mystery. The trees in front were removed between our first and second visits to the property.
Patio
The original patio was laid with beautiful colored slate mortared on preformed concrete slabs which made up the rest of the first floor of the house, and there was a crawlspace below open to the rest of the basement, which is curious. We believe that might have been to apply some heat to the exterior surfaces for snow melt or just general comfort in cooler whether. Each of the enclosed porches on the sides had that same characteristic.
General Interior Areas
Kitchen/Breakfast Rooms
Upon first viewing, the kitchen had original appliances, stainless steel cabinets and countertops, and an annunciator panel which could be activated from various parts of the house. (Amazingly, a typed card was still in place which associated its numbers with locations within the house.) A narrow breakfast room was immediately next to kitchen with doors to the outside.
Bedrooms (8)
Pictures were taken going clockwise within each of the bedrooms. Wall safes were found in three of the main bedroom closets as well as one floor safe in the office.
Bathrooms (6)
Original American Standard one-piece toilets (F2149) and Re-Nu faucets were used throughout the house. Radiators are within the walls behind the open tiles, with matching in-wall heaters in all the main bathrooms.
Basement / Mechanicals
Much of the electrical infrastructure was original. The compressor for the original refrigerator in the kitchen was still hooked up but not functioning in the basement. Originally designed with some sort of central air conditioning, there was none at this time, but it did have two fairly modern furnaces for forced-air heat, and a boiler for radiators in the kitchens and bathrooms.