A walk to Ossining – Overview

January 23, 2022 by Howard Dale Posted in Around the Neighborhood, Black & White, Ruins Leave a comment

Before the cold, snow and ice arrived I went for a walk to nearby Ossining, NY. From the house I walked down Holbrook Road, past the brick wall, which surrounded the former Speyer estate, up Maurice Avenue with some nice old houses. Crossing Albany Post Road (route 9), I went down Broad Avenue and over to Main Street. After exploring Main Street for a while I returned to Albany Post Road and continued back along the Old Croton Aqueduct, up Scarborough Road (past the brick wall of the Speyer Estate again), went by the former gatehouse to the Chilmark Estate and from there walked home (1 block).

Here part of the brick wall of Waldheim, the former Speyer Estate (I’ve always had a weakness for vines growing on walls) and some ruined brick pillars, which must also have been part of the estate.

Taken with a Sony A7IV and Sony FE 28-75 f3.5-5.6 OSS.

A Walk along the Old Croton Aqueduct – Untermyer Gardens, a Ruined Gatehouse

August 26, 2021 by Howard Dale Posted in Buildings/Structures, Ruins Leave a comment

The ruined Gate House was originally a two story house serving the estate. It is connected to the formal gardens above by a woodland garden cutting through the woods. The Gate House was [partially] restored in 2019 and contains a romantic Ruin Garden.

Taken with a Fuji X-E1 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II

Ruined stone buildings along the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail

July 6, 2021 by Howard Dale Posted in Black & White, Buildings/Structures, Ruins Leave a comment

I came across these overgrown, ruined buildings while walking along the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail. The bars make them look something like a jail, but I don’t suppose they were. Bars can, of course be used to keep people out too. Maybe something valuable was once kept inside. Judging from their location they are in some way connected with the Lenoir Preserve or one of the mansions (Lenoir Mansion, Ardenwold) that stand/stood there.

Taken with a Fuji X-E1 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II

Abandoned in the woods – Some interior shots

April 22, 2021 by Howard Dale Posted in Buildings/Structures, Ruins Leave a comment

I took a very quick look inside. I don’t usually like to go inside old buildings. Many years ago when I was growing up in the UK a friend of mine went exploring in a decrepit old building and fell through the rotting floor of a second floor room. He was quite badly injured and since then I’ve been cautious. However, on this occasion I couldn’t resist.

Taken with an Olympus OM-D EM-10 and Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-42 f3.5-4.6 II

Abandoned in the woods – Some exterior shots

April 22, 2021 by Howard Dale Posted in Buildings/Structures, Ruins Leave a comment

The main entrance of the house is on the west side and is accessed by a flight of curving stone steps that lead into a glass-enclosed vestibule that also served as a conservatory. Beyond this is the “great hall”. The first floor included an office, kitchen, a now-gone dining room with a fire place, a butler’s pantry, two small bathrooms, and five bedrooms for the servants. Below the house at ground level was a basement that was entered by a doorway on the east side of the house. It contained the boiler room, a laundry room and a three-car garage. Upstairs on the second floor were four family bedrooms, an enclosed sleeping porch, a small living room with a dumbwaiter, four guest rooms and four bathrooms.

There were some additional rooms in the tower section of the building. One of these was the Gun Room containing a fabulous collection of antique and special hunting rifles. A door in this room led outside to a set of iron steps that took one to the top of the tower with views of the Hudson River. The tower also held a ten thousand gallon water tank with a pump in the basement that lifted water from springs on the property and distributed it to the rest of the house by gravity.