Historic Homes of America: Hackley & Hume Houses

 The Hackley and Hume Houses, located in Muskegon, Michigan, were the residences of Charles H. Hackley and his business partner Thomas Hume.  Hackley was the owner of the J.H. Hackley & Co. lumbering firm which he started with his father in 1859, and was joined by Hume in 1881 to create the Hackley and Hume lumbering firm.   The success of their lumbering company allowed Hackley to purchase land for his family's new home and sold part of it to his partner, who also built his family home there.  Both homes were designed by David S. Hopkins in the Queen Anne style, Hume's completed in 1888, and Hackley's in 1889.  The homes share the 'City Barn', a carriage house built between the houses.  Both homes stayed in the family until around the 1950's, and joined the list of National Register of Historic Places by 1972.  Both were fully restored and open for tours by 2017.

Hackley House

Hume House

Further Research:
Hackley & Hume Historic Site
Wikipedia: Charles H. Hackley House
Wikipedia: Thomas Hume House

Historic Homes of America: The Crane Estate

  The Crane Estate, located in Ipswich, Massachusetts, was the summer home of Richard T. Crane, Jr., son of the founder(with the same name) of R.T. Crane & Bro. which later became the Crane Company.  Richard Jr. purchased the property in 1910, and built the first version of the house as well as the gardens in 1912.  It was then torn down in 1924 and was finished being rebuilt in 1928, which is the home that stands now.  David Adler designed the home in a 17th Century Stuart style, with the gardens having remained unchanged, designed by the Olmstead Brothers.  Richard Jr. married Florence Higinbotham in 1904, and they had two children, Florence and Cornelius. Richard Jr. was a member of the Jekyll Island Club, which was a prestigious club with members of the Vanderbilt, Astor, Rockefeller, and other wealthy families.  The Crane Company still exists today, but the house and its grounds are owned by The Trustees of Reservations, who received the property after the death of Richard Jr.'s wife in 1949.

My visit to the Crane Estate corresponded with the Roaring Twenties Lawn Party held there every year, so I was only able to get one shot of the outside.

Further Research:
Crane Co. - History
Trustees of Reservations: Crane Family Collection
Wikipedia: Castle Hill(the grounds of the house)
Trustees of Resrvations: Castle Hill on the Crane Estate

The Phantoms of the Biltmore

  Back in May the Biltmore Estate put on an exhibition of reproduction clothing by Cosprop London, a renowned costuming company involved in film and television.  The clothing on display were copied from actual photographs of the Vanderbilt family(owners of the Biltmore) and their friends and staff from the turn of the 20th century. As a lover of historic homes and historic fashion, the combination of the two was not to be missed. 

Left: Adele and James Burden; Right: George Vanderbilt

Edith and George Vanderbilt with baby Cornelia

Left: George with his mother, Maria Louisa; Right: Edith and George Vanderbilt

Left: Edward Wharton; Right: Edith and George Vanderbilt, Edith Wharton

Elizabeth Mayo Dodge, opera singer

Left: Pauline Dresser Merrill and Cornelia; Right: George and Edith Vanderbilt

Left: Wilfred George Shackley, valet; Right: Martha Laube, lady's maid

Cornelia Vanderbilt and her cousin John Nicholas Brown

Left: Emily King, housekeeper; Right: Edith Vanderbilt

Detail of Edith's dress.

Elizabeth Mayo Dodge, opera singer, again.

Left: Edith and Ernesto Shepard Fabbri; Middle: Lila Vanderbilt Sloane Field and William B. Osgood Field; Right: Corinne Roosevelt Robinson and Douglas Robinson Jr.

Detail of Corrine's dress.

Bowling outfits.

Left: Bathing(swimming) attire; Right: Gymnasium attire

Left: Chef's assistant attire and chef's attire; Right: Laundress attire

Left: William S. Matthews, coachman; Right: Footman attire

Left: William B. Osgood Field and Lila Vanderbilt Sloane Field; Right: Hamilton McKown Twombly and Florence Vanderbilt Twombly

Details of Florence's dress and head piece.

Detail of Lila's dress.

Left: Edith and George Vanderbilt; Right: Catharine Clinton Hunt and Joseph Howland Hunt

Detail of Edith's dress.

Detail of Catharine's dress.

And lastly, Elizabeth Mayo Dodge, opera singer, yet again.

Further Research:
Cosprop London
Biltmore Estate
Wikipedia: Vanderbilt Family