Form 10-300 UNITIED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (July 1969) I NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

•HAtidH^: .ft;ECI-ST£R OF HISTORIC PLACESINY EN TORT - NOMINATION FORM

(Type all entries — complete applicable sections)

,STATE:

ConnecticutCOUNTY: ,, ':

.'.MiddlesexFOR NPS USE ONLY

- ' ™ GENTRY NUMBER DATE

*}&/$*0&>'&Gll JQltoJUj

COMMON: •

-^ D avis on Art . ©§&|,§£7 "AND/OR HISTORIC: " ' ,"

- — Alsop' House•

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STREET- AND NUMBER^-;

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- Wi -'CATEGORY.:; ' , . .;' ; 6wNERSHIP '". '".--- •'* " f Check One) i^v : ' "" •'•' ' ' '"--; .' -. .' '; . '•"

PJ District ; Q Building . El Public Public Acquisition:

PJ Site "Q. Structure 12 Private , ,. ' D In Process

vi.{T] .Object- . -(~3 fi°th -s PJ Being Cons

"PRESEN T.U^ESfJiCftecft'XJne or More -as 'Appropriate)

•|_3 f"Agricu1turd';l' • " : Q Government ' Q Park

PJ Comrnercial ; , " ' •' : D Industrial _ Q Pri vote Residence

0 Educational O- Military Q Religious

PJ Entertainment : (Kl Museum PJ Scientific

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" ''-. ;T-^V STAT'US

i Sfl Occupied PJ Unoccupied

idered - Q l=re5eVyptix5n work;.'.'.• ;: . in progress

. ••• "'.' • T, :'-•' -^; •O Transportation

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ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC

Yes: gp Restricted PJ Unrestricted .

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PJ Comments

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OWNER;S NAM.E: ,-

Wesl-eyan University .STREET ^AND NUMBER:

CITY 'OR TOWN: , ' .

^lliddlet ovmW2$#$w3$^j^^COURTHOUSE, REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC:

Gitir Hal 1 •STREET AND NUMBER:

CITY OR TOWN:

'Middletowi

-. -•STATE: .,..;.

ConnecticutCODE

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STATE

Connecticut . _.»CODE

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'tlTLE OF SURVEY: ... . . ,' . _, . ,, . . „. , . •••••••... , historic American Buildings Survey (1) - '-Connecticut Historic Structures and Landmarks Survey (2)

DATE b-F SURVEY: 1966 ( *}} Ltl Federal Q State Q County PJ'

Local

DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS: / -, \ - . , „ _- -• (1; Liorary of Congress-(2) ConnecticTit .HJKtn-r-inRl Cnrrmn ss-j nn

STREET AND NUMBER:

(2)75 Elra" StreetCITY OR JOWN: /T \ TT i . . T> n., •-' (1) feashington^ D.C. -

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STATE:

Connecticut1 cob•i i — ....lOt-

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ENTRY NUMBER

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CONDITIONO Excellent 1

gp Altered

J2 Good

( Check One,)

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D F<» r

| Unaltered

(Check One)

D Deteriorated

'nQ Ruins l"t Unexposed

(Check One)

Moved (3 Original SiteDESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL fit known) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

The plan consists of a cejitral J3lock. which had a pair of parlors across the eastern front, with iLhe dining room, pantry and staircases behind. There are two smaller recessed wings connected to either side of this bloc the one to the South being a morning room, and the northern one contain­ ing a library and vestibule. The interesting and unique features of this arrangement are: first, that the entrance, unlike almost all. con­ temporary designs, is on one of the recessed lateral wings,..second,

that the staircase'(or hall) is completely an interior room with ho windows and not located -on the central axis of the plan, ~ and that it contains a-double-balustraded stair, eliptical in plan, and partly free , standing, and third, that the plan is, asymmetric. None of these features is original, but it was seldom that so many were incorporated into the plan of the house. .

The treatment of the^rterior is also a departure from the usual. A deli­ cate wrojigJit^-i^oji^porch1- surmoantejd by a ba^cjony^jTT:^^ of_the_central block to the"square"-plllared colonades of the lateral wings. The m"osTT1Sutstanding features of the facade are the painted frieze of the center block and the three sunk panels t, - - ' -"" - . » *«*«"". i n,-*/BS,.i-i.. A

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ceiling provide three vertielein the central block of the facade." ""Here the central window opening of the first floor is filled with a grisaille consisting of the statue of Sratp with her lyre standing in a niche. Similar vertical accents are formed by windows and niches painted"a trompe 1'oeil" in the lateral wings. On the south wing the central panel on the ground floor level is a representation of a niche containing a grisaille statue of Juno. Directly above in a niche is the grisaille of an urn. On- the north wing 'the central pnr?c3 on the ground floor is a painting of Victory. Here the1T trompe I'eefil" niche on the second floor level with a gris­ aille of an urn is located note directly above this painting but rather next to the main section of the house. The aiejl^j^ieze beneath>the ;

H 70

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cornice of the center block consists of a wide band showing a delicate curvilinear pattern of^swags and ribbons. The ground of this frieze is rust. The stuc^^f^t^'^^^^oS^^ZS^^^B is pink. The eaves and t h e jc eil Jji^^nEhe^porch are sky blue. ' """ " ~

Inside the house the staircase is lined and painted to resemble marble*i^,-.. - -«.».-..,,-_*— , -.,»^....L,^, ww—t-r->,,«».. vfiiwvrf-*-;<•• +'&^-^^Wf'-.\*.t~ttn^:,i~^.&.^.:^^at+t^

It has on the stair wall two female figures executed in the same manner as those on the exterior. The walls of the two parlors are painted

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to resemble paneling and there are four medallions of dancing^" on the street wall. The over-mantles and the ceilings of these rooms are alive with ange!l^^haerujbsj, j birds, and insects, and center of each ceiling 'is a large rmraiT^The one in the nort depicts -Phoebus _in a^ c^hj-r^oj^ .jdral^r'*Byv horses, and the one in south parlor depicts "jovejln a chariot drawn by eagles.

The morning room contains probably the most charming and certai most informal of all the wall decorations.. Rere there are birds viness olaced in open arcades with wicker work in front of blue skies

PERIOD (Check One at More as Appropriate)

0 Pre-Columbian | 0 16th Century

0 15th Century 0 17th Century

Q 18th Century

5JJ W»h Century

Q 20th Century

•SPECIFIC DATEts) (II Applicable and Known)

AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE (Check One or More as Appropriate)

Abor tgina'lQ Prehistoric

Q Historic

0 Agriculture

gp Architecture

P Art

0 Commerce0 Communications

:'Q ' Conservation

.0 Education

0 Engineering

I | Industry

)[3 -Invention

Pi Lendscope

Architecture 0 Literature

0 Military : 0 ' Mus rc^/ ''•• '•',; •

O "Political

0 Religion/Phi.

losophy

( | Science:

0 Sculpture

0 Social/Human-

- itarian •*-•

0 Theoter 4;

0 Transportation

0 Urban Plonmng

|2Jj Other (Specify)

Hist o ry

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STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

The : Alsop'^house is; significant as, a buiMing bf ality ', and; .as a suinmation^of . manj aspects ; o£ i^

'dividu-

mater.ial^ancl \ c'ompara't'ljvs'-study -of 'other :-btiildings;^iy^^^ the de_sjypi oi^i^£jt|oji^^is/known^to ha'v%;'fe§en 't^^l'a^chitec't -Of^'iihe'^Si^^^was one''of. the mcs'ii-isip^t^aitfcr -architects of •' the;;''C^e^^i^^a^:it2?le.' •

-••The dis^inctiorr and' prominence of "his" \ls^^^^:^'^T^^^^^si^^s^^ of. which; were- desis^ed^ffi conjunction wit&' his-der Jackson ;iDayis^;arid:vthe fame ©f his. a^ehitectiaral 'librarif -won 'him id.de recognition. The' fact' "-'that the' records ': show -many changes^ made iri the process of the erection of the :house' would ''indicate that" lfr». Oliver , who-->ras on the site most of the time, may actually 'have' had something to do >rith the design, though probably under the . guidance of £own» This would bear out the Alsop -family tradition that some member of the -family had. designed the house, ' -.

It is interesting to note the close resemblance of the Alsop House not only to a composite of Town's otlieT'l^olFEfT"^^

the most outstanding Classical'In\f acty vBf^sjj|^LJsg«a&

House,Revival, architect ;inPotsdam is almost^everT^o the trompe-1 ' oeil statues of the "facade ..and decorative irorwork. ' - . ' '.''

Though the house is technically Greek Revival, it .sums up in general many other aspects of the Classical Revival Era, called Empire in France and Regency in England, and illustrates the restrained propor­ tions and elegant grace of the period which sometimes, .as here,- did not always fgl&ow the classical orders too slavishly. The house is one ©ftthose most prominently discussed and illustrated in. the standard work by -Talbot Hamlin, Greek j^eviyal .Architecture In America, and is one of the buildings featured in Great Georgian Houses in America,

The &s&§£3&2^^--3^e&^ oil on_£laster are unique in the domestic architecture of America! "Although they are attributed in Edward Alien1 s Early American Wall Paintings to Brumidi, who decorated the wall of the .United States Capitol, stylistic comparison

Talbot Hamlin, Greek Revival Architecture in America. New York: Dover ,

Publications, Inc., 1964.

Logan Luke, "Historical and Critical Evaluation of the Alsop House." Unpublished term paper for a course in architectural history at Hesicyan University in 1953-

The George W> and Harriet B. Davison Art Center. Pamphlet published by Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 19.qfc>

LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES DEFIN4NG A RECTANGLE LOCATING THE PROPERTY

CORNER-

NW

NE SE SW

LATITUDE

Degrees Minutes Seconds

LONGITUDE

Degrees Minutes Seconds

LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATESDEFINING THE CENTER POINT OF A PROPERTY

OF LESS THAN TEN 'ACRES

LATITUDE

Degrees. Minutes Seconds-41° 33' 30"

U, 2?; ?'•

LONGITUDE

Degrees Minutes Seconds

T>° **' <&£ •J*<z-..

APPROXIMATE ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY: <3*/»

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ILIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROP ERT1 ES OVERLAPPING STATE O R

STATE: CODE COUNTY CODE

CODE COUNTY:

COUNTY: "Tgl . £ ^ L ,r\ o^..^ £/

CODE

STATE: CODE CODE

NAME AND TITLE:

Constance Luysfrer, Administrative Trainee

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ORGANIZATION

Connecticut Historical CoimrissionDATE

April 15, 1970STREET

75 Sljn StreetC1TY OR TOWN:

HartfordSTATE

Connecticut

As the designated State Liaison Officer for the Na­ tional Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the criteria'and procedures set forth by the National Park Service. The recommended level of significance of this nomination is:

National PL__. State [33 Local

1 hereby certify that this property is included in the

National Register.

Chief, Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation

OCT 6 1970Date .

Name X*

State ^tstsoiTOff jfcer and Chairman Title Connecticut Historical Gornmissloij

Date April 15, 1970

ATTEST:

Date

Form 10-300a (July 1969}

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM

(Continuation Sheet)

ConnecticutCOUNTY

MiddlesexFOR NPS USE ONLY

ENTRY NUMBER

(Number a// entries)

- 2 -

Present and original Appearance

and the illuso ry __per ;spe ct ive of these panels is reminiscent of the great scenic murals of the Italian Renaissance, In' one: of the .panels .a green, red, and yellow South Carolina parakeet is sitting on a hopp, The feeling of the room is both, light, gay, and .decorative,

In the transformation of the old Alsop house, into the; present Davison Art Center changes were made in the staMes, .xmich we^e' remodel ed into studios, and the lower floor of a se:i?.ce_j^^^

bedroom "which was. divided into two offices. The formel^porcB^along the wing was incorporated into -a long gallery carried a round two sides of a court to the main gallery i-tfhich in its . exterior ''design reflects the siiaple lines and masses of the original house. .Besides the addition of the gallery, the use of the building as an art center required a newly built area 'joining the house to the old stables. This addition provides office space > an entrance to the new gallery and a passageway to the old barn which although considerably altered outside retains its fine exterior,

The two formal drawing rooms, the morning room, the stair hall, foyer and dining rooms are preserved with their original wall, and ceiling decorations. These were cleaned and restored under the direction of Richard Buck, Head of the Conservation Department at the Fogg Museum of Harvard University, Since little of the original painting was badly damaged, the present effect is substantially what it, wa,s. ,_ when the painting was new. The roori^l^ve^eejt^l^^ to reflect the best taste of the period^ and not to reproduce the

of' its former owners,

Form 10-300a (July 1969)

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM

(Continuation Sheet)

STATE

ConnecticutCOUNTY

MiddlesexFOR NFS USE ONLY

(Number all entries)

Significance; - 4 -

shows this ascription to be unlikely. The Italian, moreover, did not come to this country until 1&52, and evidence points to the paintings having been executed soon after the completion of the house. Talbot Hainlin says in the 1964 edition of- his Greek Revival Architecture in, America that the Alsop family tradition has it that the builder of the house took his bride for their wedding journey on an extended trip through France and Italy and, returning, .brought back with him a group of: skilled' Italian craftsmen. The general plan of the; house he devised' himself'and had the .help, of a. . local architect in seeing it into the final "form, "the ai^ual-construction and the entire .odecoration. being, the work of the Italian craftsmen he had brought i-d.th'.him for that purpose*

Form 10-300o (July 1969}

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM

(Continuation Sheet)

STATE

ConnecticutCOUNTY

MiddlesexFOR NPS USE ONLY

(Number all entries)

- 2 a -

Plan of the Alsop House taken from Talbot Hamlin's Greek RevivalArchitecture in America

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pia"ns/(C6n"v1raiilntly arranged for living and enter^aihlngSoiiithe grand"scale;