Richmond Hill, Irvington, NY

The brother of a friend died, and in his possessions THE BOX was found in his garage.

The box was once deep red, with gold letters inscribed RICHMOND HILL. Inside there are some seventy professional high-quality photographs of the interior of a fine house.

The photos were all carefully staged – no people – no exteriors – very few clues. So I tried Richmond, Surrey, Richmond, Yorkshire – no leads there. To my horror the gazetteer shows some 25 places in the world called Richmond or Richmond Hill! Then the penny dropped that RICHMOND HILL was the name of a house, rather than a town. So where does one start? Clues in the photos – there is a calendar and a Christmas Tree that dated in at December 1930. There are a few portrait photographs, but whose were they?

Ballroom with Christmas Tree.

View of Billiard Room into Sitting Room.

Library.

The internet produced several likely places including Richmond Hill Inn, Asheville, NC, and surely there it is. But it was not. I tried the Richmond Hill, NY, historical society, but they did not recognise it. I found a record of an architect called Hill who had built houses around Washington, but it was not his. And so the quest went on.

Broncho Bill.

There are a number of fine bronzes, including Broncho Bill with an inscription to George Hill from “his broncho busters.” But who could George Hill have been?

Broncho Bill inscription.

And in one photograph there is a telephone. And on the phone there is a disc that can just be discerned as IRVINGTON. Would you believe that there is a website that collects old telephone exchange names that led me to Irvington, NY! There I have had great help from first Betsy Sadewhite of Westchester libraries, Lord & Burnham who built the conservatory, and then from Rob, and many others along the line.

Bust and telephone.

Telephone (detail).

Here is one of a number of pictures of the house that I now have. This one dated 1896 is described Dr Lucien Warner’s house (of corsetry and Warner Gymnasium).

Dr. Warner’s House, 1896.

Then I learned about Daniel Gray Reid, and George Washington Hill of American Tobacco (in)famy. I have recently made contact with a descendant of George Washington Hill’s brother, and the quest goes on.

Residence of DG Reid, Irvington.

And here is George Washington Hill’s portrait taken in 1945, the year before he died at 61.

George Washington Hill.

Two things puzzle me still. I cannot trace any record of the photographer, whose signature appears to be Paul W Martin, and how the box came to my friend’s brother, who lived at Harrow, Middlesex, UK. If I can learn more about the photographer, this could throw light.

Sadly I was a quarter century late to see the actual house!

Regards

Oliver Parsons

Stair from hall.

Hall towards stair and conservatory.

Paneled room with big bay.

Ceiling detail.

Ballroom with stage.

Bedroom.

Main bedroom.

Palm house with parrot.