Blueprint for a Colonial Revival garage

Like many garages of its era, the garage for 920 Cedar Brook Road was sited at the back edge of the property. It was designed at the same time as the house, so it shares similar colonial revival architectural details. And like the house, it's large. It's a two-story building, with a spacious ground level footprint that would have accommodated two sizable 1910s-era automobiles. Sometime later, an additional single-story bay was built, increasing the capacity to three cars. (The drawings below show the original configuration.)

Original drawings for the two-story garage at 920 Cedar Brook Road. The door in the side elevation (top right, first row) opens into the back yard. Image reprinted courtesy of the Local History Collection of the Plainfield Public Library, NJ. 

The garage's heavy sliding doors, detailed with inset panels and small windows across the top, still moved smoothly enough for adventurous children to operate in the 1970s. But we actually preferred to slip in and out through the "secret" hinged opening that was built into the left-hand door panel (see blueprint detail, below).

Detail of main garage doors. Note hinged panel at left, which is accessed by a small inset lock. Image reprinted courtesy of the Local History Collection of the Plainfield Public Library, NJ. 

Inside, the garage was just as much of an adventure. An enclosed staircase at the rear led up to the second floor, where a wood-paneled room was apparently used by the chauffeur during the day (see second floor detail of "Man's Room," below). A huge double window opened onto the garage space below, and the room itself was large enough for perhaps a bed, chairs and table. There is also a built-in closet, and as you can see from the chimney, the garage was once heated.

Second floor garage detail. Image reprinted courtesy of the Local History Collection of the Plainfield Public Library, NJ. 

Side porch entrance, April 2012.

By the late 1960s, when my parents moved in with two cars and three small children, they found it more practical to park in the driveway, and the garage became more of a storage space for lawn equipment and bikes. But imagine the vehicles that must have rolled out of that elegant old building back in the day. Summoned by a phone or bell, the chauffeur would have donned his cap and warmed up a beautiful Packard or other fine automobile from the period, and headed up the drive to collect members of the Hunstman family at the covered side entrance of the house.

Sadly, the old garage has fallen on hard times. Garages from the early part of the 20th century era are fragile structures, and finding an original one still standing is somewhat miraculous, according to the research I've done. So while this one will need to be rebuilt, the good news is that because the blueprints exist, it can be restored faithfully. In addition, I suspect that many of the original materials inside - paneling, interior and exterior windows, steps and doors - can be salvaged and repurposed.

With a little thought and effort, I believe this little gem of automotive architectural history, designed with just as much care and attention by Messrs. Marsh and Gette as the main house itself, can be successfully recreated and shine again.

 

 

Downstairs, upstairs

Here is the next set of blueprints for 920 Cedar Brook Road.

As mentioned in the previous post, the original drawings don't completely match the house as it was built. There were once some very grand plans for a two-story porch at the rear, and an additional third-floor bedroom was supposed to open off a hallway at the top of the main staircase. For reasons we will never know, those ideas were not approved by the Huntsman family, and the design for the rear of the house was scaled back.

Original rear elevation for 920 Cedar Brook Road. Image reprinted courtesy of the Local History Collection of the Plainfield Public Library, NJ.  

Rear elevation, April 2012. The final blueprints were modified to this much smaller porch design. The drawing above proposed a large two-story porch, as well as more elaborate windows on the upper floors.

Of course, the home's final layout is still abundantly spacious. It includes five bedrooms on the second floor, another huge family bedroom on the third floor, plus the two smaller "Servant's Rooms" on the third floor. And according to the drawings, there was once another servant's room on the first floor. This was adjacent to the kitchen, and included a built-in dresser. Was this room used by the cook? The chauffeur? We'll never know, but it's fun to wonder.

Detail from first floor plan for 920 Cedar Brook Road. Interesting that both a coal range and a gas stove were specified in the kitchen. Image reprinted courtesy of the Local History Collection of the Plainfield Public Library, NJ. 

Kitchen view, November 2011. Most of the original cabinets and drawer fronts are still present, with some stripped and/or refinished.

The back porch, April  2012.

Regardless of who slept there, the room behind the kitchen is no longer a separate space. As you can see in the image above, the walls have been removed, courtesy of a remodeling project completed by my parents in the early 1980s. The kitchen itself is already a very large room (15'8" x 14'10")...with the extra 10'2" x 8'2" included, it's huge space, full of light and possibilities. And yes, it's due for an update. But it could be such a showplace! Note in the drawings that it includes two very large closets, one of which was used to keep foods cold before modern refrigeration. And just to update the status of the "Servant's Porch," as it's noted in the drawings, this is actually just a regular (but very nice) back porch. It's one of the two main access points to the back yard.

Butler's pantry, Nov. 2011.

The butler's pantry, just off the kitchen, still has its original built-in glass front cabinets and large copper sink. I imagine this was used to store china and silver, as well as to organize food before it was brought into the dining room. The Huntsman family, of course, would have summoned their next course via the buzzer plate on the floor, which was wired into the kitchen signal box. (Not quite Downton Abbey but still a lovely remnant of a forgotten American lifestyle...and lots of fun for children to play with in later decades.)


Moving up. As you explore the second floor, you'll see that the master bedroom is labeled "Owner's Room," and has adjoining rooms on either side that open directly to the main hall. It includes a very large dressing closet with a mirrored door and large bath. Down the hall is the other main bedroom, labeled "Mother's Room." According to the 1920 Census records, Mrs. Maud Huntsman's mother lived with the family during this period; I don't think it's a crazy guess to imagine that this room may have been built for her. It also has its own private bath.

What's missing, however, is the "Sleeping Porch," that would have opened off the back hall. There's just a normal window there now, but the sleeping porch seems like such a romantic idea. I imagine it would have been screened, and filled with the scent of flowers from the backyard below on warm summer evenings. 

Detail from second floor plan for 920 Cedar Brook Road. The sleeping porch was never built. Image reprinted courtesy of the Local History Collection of the Plainfield Public Library, NJ. 

The back wing held the children's play area and sewing room. The playroom is actually a bright and cozy bedroom now, and the sewing room could easily be re-purposed into anything you imagine - an office, studio/crafts room, family room, or a sunny, spacious laundry room.

Third floor tub. 1970s yellow-orange paint (sorry).

From the top. Up on the third floor, there are three more rooms - the large "Guest Room" (mine, growing up) and two charming smaller ("Servant's") rooms. There's also a huge cedar closet (labeled "Storage Room,") and two full baths - each with an original deep soaking tub. As mentioned before, the "Boy's Room" at the back, does not exist. This would apparently have been built above the sleeping porch. There is also only one main hallway, right off the top of the stairs. A small closet was placed where the opening to that imaginary rear hallway would have been.

Detail from third floor plan for 920 Cedar Brook Road. The design for the rear boy's bedroom was eliminated prior to construction. Image reprinted courtesy of the Local History Collection of the Plainfield Public Library, NJ. 

You should visit the house in person to see its final design! I can recommend an excellent local resource who knows the house well and would be happy to guide you.

Back to the drawing board

As 2013 begins and 920 Cedar Brook Road officially enters its 100th year, it seems like a perfect time to look back at the architectural features that make this house so special. Fortunately, I have recently received permission from the Plainfield Public Library to publish some of the original blueprint images, which are dated March, 1914, in this blog.

This current entry is of one of several that will focus on the floorplans and details of the house and garage.

The fact that these images exist at all is something of a miracle. I am extremely grateful for the extraordinary efforts made by the Plainfield Library to preserve and digitize the architectural history of so many of Plainfield's beautiful homes, including the house I grew up in. The library's Detwiller Collection is simply an amazing archive of information - not just for for the residents of Plainfield, but for anyone who is interested in the architectural heritage of the 20th century.

Interestingly, however, it is also clear that the set of drawings filed so many decades ago by the architects who built 920 Cedar Brook Road underwent substantial changes before construction began. I may never know why the drawings were altered. I only know that there must have been a great deal of discussion between the clients and the architects. And in the end, the design was scaled back significantly. But more on those particulars later. 

Just to go back to the basic history of the house for a moment (see also "The Huntsman Mansion: A Jewel in the Queen City"), 920 Cedar Brook was designed by Augustus Marsh and Otto J. Gette, the architectural firm behind many of Plainfield's prestigious homes during the early 20th century. Marsh & Gette were commissioned to build the home at 920 Cedar Brook Road by John and Maud Huntsman, who, according to the 1910 census records, were already residents of Plainfield. They lived a few blocks away on Watchung Avenue prior to taking ownership of their new mansion on Cedar Brook Road.

And it was indeed a mansion. Certainly not the largest of its time, but a very substantial home that reflected the success and stability of its owners and offered gracious living spaces and a wealth of fine architectural details that even now, can clearly be seen to have been executed by master craftsmen. It also reflected what was already one of America's most beloved historical styles - the Colonial Revival.

There's much to say about that subject, too. But for now, I'd like to just post a few images from the blueprint file. We'll start inside, on the first floor.

First floor plan for 920 Cedar Brook Road. Image reprinted courtesy of the Local History Collection of the Plainfield Public Library, NJ. 

I realize much of the detail of the plan may be lost in translation, although the scale of the house is apparent. So here are a few important things I'd like to highlight. First of all, the room sizes. On the far left is the living room. It opens to the piazza, via two sets of French doors that flank the fireplace. The room measures 25'2" long (front to back of the house) by 16'2" wide.

Living room, about 1969.

View into living room, early 1990s. That's our sweet elderly dog, Gray.

 

It's a big room. And I can tell you from experience that there are many ways to arrange it. Initially, my mother placed a single, very large sofa against the far wall overlooking the back yard. Various chairs were grouped around the fireplace, and her cherished baby grand piano took up one of the corners. There were lots of open areas for all of us (and our friends) to play. Later, she moved that same sofa to face the fireplace, with bookcases and lamps behind it and some new occasional chairs grouped in the corners. Her last arrangement was my favorite: a red sofa and matching loveseat  formed a lovely unit around the fireplace; matching leather wing chairs were placed near the rear windows, with my parents' vintage walnut table between them; a Colonial style chair-and-a-half/loveseat was tucked beneath one of the front windows; and a game table with an inlaid chess board occupied the other front corner. This is the way I still remember this room. Similar to the foyer, the walls were covered in a pale gold wallpaper, the woodwork was gleaming white, and brightly colored drapes framed the four windows.

The proportions of this room must have been ideal for entertaining in the second decade of the 20th century. I could spend far too much time imagining how it was furnished back then. But it's just as versatile today. And I must also mention that what I remember most about this room is the fireplace. I don't think a cold winter day ever went by without a fire laid in that hearth. We stored a big pile of firewood in the yard just down the steps from the piazza door, always keeping enough dry logs and kindling on the piazza itself, within easy reach of the living room's French doors, to keep the fire crackling from dusk 'til late evening.

Christmas in the foyer circa 1970s. Note original light fixtures.

Moving into the foyer. This is the room that isn't really a room. And yet it's an integral part of what makes the house so open and lovely. First and foremost, it's the perfect place for a very large, beautifully decorated Christmas tree. It has two charming windowseats (with radiators underneath) and an elegant beamed ceiling. It sets off the curving lower steps of the staircase perfectly. And if you have a very large dog, an Irish Wolfhound, for example, he or she will feel entirely at home on their oversized pet bed in one of the corners. Without ever feeling cramped. The foyer is 12'6" deep by 21'2" wide. One can also set up an indoor putting mat, play a lively game of indoor football with small children, or dream up dozens of other things to do in this space. When my sister celebrated her wedding in the house, this room was the center of the reception. It was perfect.

Current view of foyer into dining room.

The foyer connects on the other side to the dining room, which is as wide as the living room (16'2") but not quite as deep (18'2"). Like the living room, it has a fireplace and four windows. It also shares the same tall, sweeping carved arches to the foyer as the living room. It connects to the side hall via a swinging door. I will confess we did not use this room every day. But when we did, it was always special. The original light fixtures were still there during our tenure - old gas lamps that had been converted to electric, with delicate etched and frosted globe shades above and long, faceted prisms dangling below, catching the candle light from the table along with the orange glow of the fireplace.

The other room I'd like to mention is the library, which also opens off the foyer. On the blueprint, there's a door indicated between the library and living room. By 1968, this had been converted to an inset bookcase on the library side, which is still there. It has an arched top and at least three shelves, and if I remember correctly, it also has some built-in storage below, with doors. You would never know there had once been a door in that space; it was an interesting surprise when I first looked at the plans.

The kitchen is such an interesting subject I will save that for the next entry, with a closer look at that portion of the blueprint. For now, I'd like to close with this front elevation view of the house - and note that with the exception of the balcony over the side door, nothing here was altered from the architects' original vision. The house today retains the same graceful proportions and details.

Original front elevation view of 920 Cedar Brook Road. Image reprinted courtesy of the Local History Collection of the Plainfield Public Library, NJ. 

For the record

I've recently realized that there are a couple of facts in the MLS listing for 920 Cedar Brook that need a bit of clarification. I'd just like to be sure anyone who's reading this blog has the right information, and isn't confused by details in the MLS that don't match what I've described here.

First - let's start with the MLS number. It's 2794663.

House number at the end of the driveway

Now...if you were to search for the number, you will find the house  listed as 914 Cedar Brook, not 920.  I am a bit confused by this myself, and don't know where that number comes from. All I can think is that it's based on some old property records somewhere that maybe had a range of numbers for that parcel of land. I'm just not sure. What I do I know is that the address on the front door is 920. It's been that way as far back as I can find records.

Another point of clarification: The house was not built in 1905. It was built in 1914. This is the date on the original blueprints on file in the  Detwiller collection at the Plainfield Public Library (viewable at http://www.plainfieldlibrary.info/Departments/LH/LH_detwiller.html. Enter "Huntsman" for owner's name and "1914" for year.)

The MLS listing also doesn't clearly explain what bedrooms are where. It states that there are 3 bedrooms on the second floor, and 4 or more on the third. I don't want anyone to be confused about this, so here is how the bedrooms are arranged.

Second floor view to master bedroom

The house has 8 bedrooms. There are 5 bedrooms on the second floor. There are 3 bedrooms on the third floor.

Starting on the second floor: The master bedroom is on the left side of the house as you look at it from the street (the same side as the piazza). Opening off the master bedroom, there is a large, lovely bedroom or sitting room that is directly above the foyer. This room could easily serve other purposes...we used it as a playroom, a music room, and an office at different times. This room opens directly to the main hallway as well as to the master bedroom. 

The next bedroom is at the back and shares the master bath. It's a bit smaller but it's still a very nice room and overlooks the back yard. It opens to the main hallway (see the picture above - the light coming in from the right side is from this bedroom). This would be a nice baby's room. Or a study. Or, you could use this group of rooms for several children's rooms with a shared bath, as we did.

Doorways to 4th bedroom and sitting room (seen from stairs to third floor)

The 4th bedroom is at the opposite end of the house (see the doorway to the left in the adjacent image). It is similar in size to the master and is another large, lovely and bright room, with 2 windows over the driveway and 2 facing the front yard. It has its own private bathroom. (By the way, both bathrooms have large closets.)

Finally, there is the 5th bedroom on the second floor - the airy room at the end of the back wing. We used this as a guestroom and it's one of my favorite rooms in the house.

Second floor with view to back hall at right

I need to mention that there's one more room in the back hall. It's not counted as a bedroom, although it's certainly large enough. (I believe its original purpose back in 1914 was a sewing room.) It has a huge closet that runs almost the full length of the back wall. Because my grandparents usually stayed in the back guestroom when they visited from Chicago, my mother had a half bath installed in this room. I don't know if the plumbing for that is still there, but the room is certainly large enough for a combination bath/sitting room. Or any other purpose. I think, for example, it would make a great office or workshop. It's roomy, it's cheerful, and it's right off the back stairs to the kitchen, so it would be pretty convenient for grabbing coffee or lunch while you were working. 

(By the way...the windows in all the upstairs rooms are well placed in terms of light and cross ventilation. In fact, most of the bedrooms have windows on at least 2 walls. The exceptions are  the second floor sitting room/bedroom and the middle bedroom on the third floor.)

Middle bedroom alcove, third floor

Moving up to the third floor: There are two smaller bedrooms at the top of the back stairs (the original servants' rooms) that share a cozy bath with a clawfoot tub. At the opposite end of the house, above the master bedroom, is a delightful guestroom that has windows on 3 sides - overlooking the front, side, and back yards. This room is very private and peaceful and has its own bath just down the hall, also with a big clawfoot tub. It may also be the largest bedroom in the house - though unfortunately I don't have the exact dimensions of any of the rooms. But I'm trying to see if I can find them. I'm also hoping to get more pictures soon, especially of the kitchen and breakfast room, as well as some of the other rooms I didn't have a chance to photograph last November. (The rest of those images are in the "Details, details, details" post from 2011, if you haven't seen them.)

One last note: the price has recently dropped to $259,900. To the best of my knowledge, the house is still a short sale, and I suspect the bank is trying to move things along. But as I've explained before, I'm not legally involved in the property or the real estate details.

View down front stairs from the second floor landing

I simply love this house because I grew up in it. It's beautiful, spacious, solid, and comfortable. There are wonderful details around every corner. And while it's a big house, it's also warm and welcoming and a pleasure to live in.

Wouldn't it be nice to come down the front stairs every morning with this lovely view at your feet? With the shades up in the dining room (doorway at left), the intricate parquet floor would be even more beautiful. 

But seeing 920 Cedar Brook in person would give you a much clearer sense of its character than I can ever convey here. So I highly recommend a visit! And if you need the name of a realtor to call in the area or any other information about the house, just send me an email. I'll be happy to help.

It's back

Update: 920 Cedar Brook is officially back on the market. For the past few weeks, it was listed as under attorney review. But that offer apparently did not progress any further, and the house is available. It's still waiting for the right owner.

Now and then

NOW: A few daffodils in the old rock garden.

Standing in the back yard at 920 Cedar Brook two weeks ago, it was nearly impossible to remember where all the trees and shrubs and flowers used to be. The only thing I could recall clearly was the magnificent old magnolia that used to carpet the yard with thick, pink waxy petals every spring. We lost that tree about fifteen years ago, and my memories of everything else seem to have faded along with it.  

Fortunately, some of the old photos my sister and I just found have brought the yard back to life. The terraced flower beds my mother designed...the lovely, shady rear corner of the yard...the thick shrub border that used to screen the pool from the driveway. There's even a picture of the ancient flowering crab apple in the front yard - which is still alive, though under serious threat from heavy overgrowth of ivy around its trunk.

It was a wonderful surprise to find these pictures, not just because they fill in the missing colors and textures in my memory, but because seeing how pretty the yard used to be softens the harshness of the current landscape. There's a gorgeous acre+ of gently rolling property surrounding the house. Just imagine what a lovely space this can be again.

NOW: Back view across the empty yard. The grass has mostly overrun the railroad ties that framed the flower beds and the steps leading down into the lawn. This would all look lovely rebuilt with some nice blue stone or brick. 

THEN: Back view with the old magnolia in full bloom, a newly built flower terrace, and early tulips in the background. This image dates to the late 1980s or early 1990s.

NOW: The pool, looking towards the driveway. Imagine a line of lush shrub roses interspersed with some stately columnar evergreens in place of this forlorn, falling-down fence...

THEN: The pool (and some visitors), sometime in the early 1990s. This is also looking towards the driveway. There were lots of mature shrubs as well as some flower beds along the edge.

NOW: The back corner of the yard, which slopes down from the pool. The garage, to the right, has seen better days and needs to be replaced. The white building on the left is the neighbor's garage.  

THEN: The same corner, the first spring after some new flower beds and a flagstone path were installed. Eventually there was more soil and mulch added and it was all so pretty and shady. That's the same neighbor's garage in the background.

NOW: With so little else to brighten the landscape the day I was there, it was wonderful to find a handful of my mother's tulips still bravely blooming, tucked into a sheltered spot near the basement steps.

THEN: The front of the house as it looked in the early 1990s, the original black-and-white scheme newly upgraded with a fresh coat of white paint, new red-brown roof and matching shutters. It really set off the brick steps and walk. And of course, the old crab apple was as pretty as ever.

From the beginning...

The back yard as it looked in the late 60s. The attic fan is still there. 

A quick update on the status of 920 Cedar Brook: according to a realtor friend who was kind enough to look in the MLS for us last weekend, the house is "in attorney review." Given that the house is also a short sale and bank owned, I don't know how complex this process might be--or what the odds are the sale will move forward.

We all have our fingers crossed.

In the meantime, on my last visit to Plainfield, my sister and I dug through a large pile of old boxes and discovered a treasure trove of photos...some of which I didn't even know existed. And as luck would have it, a friend of mine at work has recently started a neat little photo scanning business. She just finished digitizing about 30 images for me. So here's a quick look at the house in our first years there. I will do another post shortly with more recent pictures of the front and back yards. 

Summer 1968 - the year we moved in. 

My mother's first big project: The pool!

 

We lived in that pool all summer, every summer...and so did our friends.. This image is from about 1970. Eventually all our own children enjoyed it as much as we did. I wish I had a picture of my mother floating on a raft, coated with Bain du Soleil...iced tea glass in hand... She loved her house, but the pool was her favorite room.

Inside, right after we moved in. This is one of the large front bedrooms. Love that  40s wallpaper! (My mother was not a fan; it was quickly replaced.)

The dining room with 1940s/50s  formal style.

 

The dining room after re-wallpapering and painting. It was a great place for a birthday party.

The foyer as it was in 1968, before the floors were stripped and refinished.

My mother and grandmother in the foyer on Christmas morning, a year or so later.