Wednesday, March 21, 2012

'Whiteholme'

'Whiteholme', the Mrs. Henry Barton Jacobs estate designed by John Russell Pope c. 1901 in Newport, Rhode Island. Mrs. Jacobs had married Dr. Jacobs, the physician of her late first husband Robert Garrett, following Garrett's death in 1896. 'Whiteholme' was demolished in 1963.



Photos from Architecture, 1905.

9 comments:

The Ancient said...

http://www.garrettjacobsmansion.org/2010/09/17/robert-garrett-ii/

The Down East Dilettante said...

Ancient beat me to it.

Pope pulled off a lot of complicated tricks here--joining the house to an older house which became the service wing, orienting the house to a corner site---and turned out a great bit of well organized gilded age fluff. In other words, CPH who?

Salve Regina should be shot for this demolition. The yellow brick building---who the hell invented yellow brick--they should be shot too. Off with their heads.

The Down East Dilettante said...

Here is the bing link to the site today. Directly to the east is one of McKim Mead & White's masterworks, 'Southside' for Robert Goelet, and south of that, Richard Morris Hunt's 'Ochre Court' for brother Ogden Goelet, the real beginning of Newport's palace building spree

http://binged.it/GEp4qa

To the south of the 'Whiteholme' site is a wonderful shingle style hennery and lodge that first went with 'Vinland', then were owned by the Jacobs. Salve Regina restored this and added a not too bad Robert Stern student center, after they learned how to do contextual architecture---too late for the other yellow brick (WTF is it with the Catholic Church and yellow brick boxes?--is it Vatican decree?) that was built on the Vinland site directly on the Cliff Walk---a real poke in the eye of the historic landscape.

archibuff said...

I dont know? I think Miley Hall, yellow brick and all, is really a pleasant looking building, nicely sited within the landscaped grounds and a pretty buff shade of pale yellow. After all the college couldnt utilize Whiteholme very well as a dorm and classrooms. What could they do?

Okay, I cant continue, Just too much fun. I presume reading that alone would get under DED's skin.

I really love the complex layout of Whiteholme and always thought this was just the right size for a Gilded Age summer entertainment pavillion. The link has some wonderful floor plans and also Whiteholme's first floor which shows the inter-relationship between the public spaces and how well organized the entire plan is. Also loved the formal gardens. A major loss to Newport as the immmediate area around the Breakers has lost alot of it's original context.

http://www.acanthuspress.com/PDF/Plans.pdf

The Down East Dilettante said...

Archibuff, I first saw Newport in 1969. It was a little shabby around the edges in places, the great days were over, and Miley Hall had already been built---BUT the neighborhood around the Breakers, as you reference, still looked 'right'. The next time I saw it, Salve Regina had sprawled, sidewalked, vapor lit and parking lotted the whole area, and it felt like a shopping mall. The good news is they've saved the buildings, the bad news is they've wrecked the neighborhood. Baby/Bathwater

chauncy primm said...

I think this is best residential comission so sad to see it go. Oh yeah he did design the final addition to the Garrett-Jacobs mansion. Unfortunately they only do group tours there.

John S. Cary said...

My late mother, Mrs. Frances Phillips was married very briefly to a Mr. Alec Phillips inthe 1950s and both I and my sister lived briefly in the house. Mrs. Annette Townsend Phillips was still alive at the time and was also resident. Sadly the marriage was short lived and my mother, my sister and I returned to the U.K.
I don't believe there was any further contact with the family.

Anonymous said...

Further to my earlier comment, my e-mail address, should anyone wish to contact me is: drinaghlodge@gmail.com I am now 74 years of age and living in Co. Kerry, Ireland. The marriage between my mother and Mr. Alec Philips took place at Caxton Hall, Westminster, London following a whirlwind courtship aboad the SS. Newfoundland whilst en route between Boston and Liverpool. We returned to the USA aboard either the SS. Washington, United States lines or the Queen Mary, though I am uncertain as to which. I still have two photographs of the house at that time.

SCDrago413 said...

Does anyone have the floor plans, or know where I can find them? I've looked everywhere I can think of...even the Library of Congress website, with no luck. I would greatly appreciate any & all assistance. Thank you!!! :)