Title: American homes and gardens. Title of the picture: Superintendent's Cottage and Office.
Identifier: americanhomesgar51908newy (find matches)
Year: 1905 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Architecture, Domestic; Landscape gardening
Publisher: New York : Munn and Co
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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November, 1908 AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 421 in the second story. It is very elaborately equipped with the most approved devices. The superintendent's cottage is off to one side beyond this building, and hence is in the very center of the farm activity. The next conspicuous building in the group is the water tower, a twelve-sided structure with a stone base and shingled superstructure. A clock is inserted at the summit, and the whole is crowned with a bell turret. The woodwork of this building, as is that of the other structures on the estate, is stained a dark brown. Beyond is the garage, built of stone, with a shingled upper story and roof. The main portion contains a workshop, which is most elaborately fitted up with every possible de- vice needed in the repair of automobiles, while the long wing contains the storehouse for the cars. This completes the buildings of this great group, which impressively serve as an introduction to the many interests of this vast estate. Only an automobile is available for a rapid survey, and while some of the roads that are neces- bination building, containing some of the most utilitarian departments of the estate. Here is the coal storage, a depart- ment devoted to implement storage, blacksmith and wheel- wright shop and paint shop. It also is of stone, with a shingled roof. The lake is a lovely body of water, more than a mile long, that twists and turns through grassed and wooded borders, and thrusts about a third of its length into New York State. An electric launch is conveniently at hand for the exploring of its beauties. Another great group of buildings consists of the conserva- tories, fruit houses and allied structures. These are all situ- ated near the Manor House and are of glass, with founda- tions of stone. The conservatory is divided into sections, for the maintenance of various temperatures, and includes a domed exhibition hall, in which special plants are displayed from time to time. The orchid house is a separate structure, as are the fruit houses, which are chiefly used for raising hothouse grapes and peaches. An individual heating plant is needed for these buildings in which, it need hardly be said,
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Water Tower Superintendent's Cottage and Office sary to travel on are public roads, they are, for long dis- tances, bordered on both sides by Mr. Converse's lands. One passes presently through the fruit and vegetable gar- dens, each occupying its own side of the road. A sod plot is noted next, so that if some pieces of sod are needed for patching or other purposes, it may be had at once and in good order. Beyond is a private nursery, maintained for the raising of trees. Further on, quite hidden behind trees, are immense concrete manure pits. A twist and a turn or two bring you to Conyers Lake. To one side is the pump house, by which water is pumped to the two water towers of 22,500 and 35,000 gallons capacity each. A drive of three miles through Mr. Con- verse's own woods begins here, affording a charming and delicious excursion into the depths of nature. Across the road is Conyers Lake, or rather an outlet from it, for the waters of the lake are upheld by a massive masonry dam and only the overflow is here visible. An old grist and saw mill stood for many years at this point; it has now been completely modernized and remade over and is again used for the purposes for which it was built. Close by is a corn- some of the most interesting and certainly most beautiful products of the estate are reared. One other separate build- ing may be noted, and that is the house stable. It is located in the woods behind the house, and while following the gen- eral lines of the other structures it has a more picturesque quality from its varied roof. A word on the management. The whole estate is under the immediate direction of a superintendent, Mr. G. A. Drew, a graduate of the Massachusetts Agricultural College, at Amherst, who is responsible for the commercial aspect of the property. Under him are a series of head men, the head gardener, the constructive foreman, the head poultryman, the head of the livestock department. All these men have their assistants and laborers and each is responsible for the work in his own department. In addition there are special men engaged in special work. The head chauffeur and the coachman at the private stables are separate functionaries of high rank, who are directly responsible to Mr. Converse himself. Notwithstanding the real and actual importance of the Manor House, it is scarce more than an incident in the vast

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