Philippine Butterfly

Posts Tagged ‘New York Harbor’

A “villa” is something you may expect to find in the Southwestern section of the United States, or even more so, just South of the border of those states.  But there is a fabulous and elegant villa located in Manhattan.  One may assume by the luxury and the architecture that it is a best New York City hotel, but it isn’t.  It was built in 1857 for the Litchfield Family residence.  Edwin Litchfield was a man of high standing, involved in real estate development and the railroad.  He bought an area of land in Brooklyn, that was comprised of a meadow, and swampland in 1852.  This is where he envisioned his estate. 

The house was constructed atop a hill close to the Gawanus Canal, and was designed and built by Alexander Jackson Davis.  At the time Davis himself was a prominent man, one of the most respected architects of the time.  And as some men title their yachts for their wives, Litchfield named their villa, Grace Hill, for his wife.  The life in the villa came to an end however, when the Parks Commission of Brooklyn declared that they wanted the property for the building of what is now Prospect Park.  The villa, is of the Italianate style, a beautiful building with vaulted ceilings, ornately decorated moldings and window frames, plaster, and originally had a stucco exterior.  Not too common at the time.  Over the years the stucco was removed and the facade is now common red brick. 

The building when through a complete restoration during 1987, and is the office building for the Prospect Park Alliance as well as the headquarters for the New York Department of Parks.  The view from the top of the hill is stunning, allowing one to see not only the surrounding neighborhood of Brooklyn, but as far as the New York Harbor.  There is also housed in the villa, the Verizon Learning Lab, and the Con Edison Discover Nature Theatre.  These are open to the public, and offer a look into not only the building and the family who built it, but the wildlife and the natural surroundings of the park as well.