Monday, February 25, 2013

'Fox Fields'

 'Fox Fields', the William Struthers Ellis estate designed by Wilson Eyre c. 1910 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Ellis, an attorney and civic leader, was the son of Rudolph Ellis, former president of the Fidelity Trust Company.  The younger Ellis was president of the Board of Commissioners of Radnor Township for many years.  Click HERE for a 1924 aerial of the estate from the Hagley Archives.  'Fox Fields' was demolished in the 1970s.

Photos from Architectural Review, 1914.

9 comments:

Kellsboro Jack said...

While a celebrated Wilson Eyre work I never fell in love with it. The rapid development, which Ellis tried to stave off, eventually swallowed his country estate.

I'm still amazed the beautiful and historic Litchfield, CT property by Eyre - which is now tied up in a bank short sale - remains unsold. Rye House Built for Isabella Douglas Curtis in 1908 its retained the grandeur of the architecture.

http://www.raveis.com/door/mls/CT/98516658

The NRHP listed home:
http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/00000940.pdf

Additional photos -
http://theryehouse.net/Rye_House/Welcome.html

chauncy primm said...

I swear the front and back resemblance to Naumkeag by Stanford White is uncanny. Wonder if he formerly worked for them

john said...

I live very close to where this place was.It was formerly the centerpiece of the Radnor Hunt before the Hunt moved to its current location in Willistown. The estate was formerly farmland owned by the Senior Ellis , whose home still exists on a rise overlooking what is now an upper class development. This part of Pennsylvania still has many of the original estates still standing...Laurier(Charles Barton Keen), Portledge(Horace Trumbauer), and Ardrossan(currently facing development.

Jeff Wible said...

A casualty of the Blue Route, for many years the road to nowhere

estateman said...

In the 70s "Foxfields" sat on a lonely pine tree shaded knoll surrounded by acres of fields that cattle roamed freely. The house was 1/2 burned leaving only stone walls and some built in bookcases in the library, basement, and the servant's wing with kitchen, pantry,and the large Georgian dining room, (which was oval shaped)had ornate swags of plaster flowers that trailed down between the windows - very different from the rest of the house. Today surrounded by the developement the exterier stone walls of the library wing was saved by being incorporated into a new home!---
Zack, I have many things I could send you but can not access your
e-mail. Please contact me.

Zach L. said...

My email is oldlongisland@gmail.com.

Josh said...

Just came across this thread. My name is Josh Mitchell. I am doing maintenance work on this property right now. Would love to know more about it or see additional pictures. The current owner was explaining about the fire

Josh said...

I would love to see what you have as I am currently working on the property, doing maintenance repairs on stone walls

Josh said...

Forgot my email is csw.masonry@gmail.com