Esmeralda

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Today, I received a copy of an article entitled “The Dutch Farmhouse Type” (House Beautiful Magazine, 1913)  from KHS Member Jackie Zanca about “Esmeralda”, by Robert Gardner, the famed architect who designed so many of Spuyten Duyvil’s beautiful Along the Hudson Houses. Jackie informed me that she had also, in turn, originally received the article from KHS member Susan DeVries.

Esmeralda is a one-family dwelling built in 1899, Zoned R6A, and in the SNAD. As part of the Along the Hudson Homes it is “protected”  by a covenant restricting construction to single family that runs with the land.
It may be one of the oldest, if not the oldest existing houses in Spuyten Duyvil.
It is located at 3111 Henry Hudson Parkway, which was the Spuyten Duyvil Parkway when the house was constructed.

I have circled where it is on the  Along the Hudson Map.

Recently, it’s been reported that permits to divide the property into multiple lots were filed, and a demolition order issued.  I haven’t been able to find the demolition order but I’ll let you know when/if I do.

 

I thought the Forum would enjoy seeing this article and some ph0tos of the exterior and interior that I scared up, especially since yet another old, distinguished home in our community may soon be a memory.

Thanks to Susan DeVries and Jackie Zanca.

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Here are some photos from a Riverdale Nature Preservancy post.

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Here is the article from “House Beautiful”

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An article from the Riverdale Press, dated October 3, 2019
: https://www.riverdalepress.com/stories/let-the-esmeralda-enchant-you-to-a-higher-class-living,70173

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Photos from the Riverdale Press article of the interior.

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Backyard

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Here it is on the Along the Hudson Map

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[jbakerjonathan]

I assume that the covenant does not restrict multiple single family homes on the lot or that the lot not be subdivided. A shame that this beautiful house will possibly be razed. Plumbing and electrical service can be  potential problems in an old house, but still…such beauty just is not duplicated in modern construction, imho.

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Jbaker- multiple single family homes are not allowed on one lot. That’s why they are subdividing the lot, to get around that. But they have to build single family, and townhouses are allowed

[jbakerjonathan]

Yes, that is what I meant by “or that the lot not be subdivided”.  Apparently, no restriction to subdividing is in the covenant.  Too bad.

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<p style=”text-align: right;”>Jbaker- sorry I misread.</p>

[Thomas Casey]

I do not have a photograph of what house was replaced by the row of townhouses on West 232nd street, but we can expect more of the same.

[Thomas Casey]

I do have a photograph of what house was replaced by the row of townhouses on West 232nd street in 2007 as it was being taken down.

[jbakerjonathan]

Checking Google Maps Street View, the earliest picture was taken in September, 2007.  That picture shows that the original house(s) was razed and construction had begun, if, indeed, the property had been built upon.  Judging from the weathered look of the board barrier, they might have been up at least a year.  NYCityMap webpage lists the construction year as 2008 for those houses.   The house to the rear of Esmerelda facing Independence Ave was constructed in 1920, again, according to NYCityMap webpage.

[jbakerjonathan]

Tom, I think that your picture shows the near-completion of the townhouses.  Google street view photo dated September, 2021 shows the same building, without scaffolding.

[bstein]

There was a demolition permit issued in 2006, since expired and no new applications. However, the property was subdivided into two lots in October 2023.

[jbakerjonathan]

Bstein, are you speaking of the Esmeralda property?

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