Harbor Hill: Portrait of a House

Richard Guy Wilson

Praise:

“Wilson turns this chronicle of what reporters at the time called “Heartbreak House” into a page-turner….entertaining, enlightening cautionary tale.”

 - Period Homes

Overview:

A "palace" ruled by a "queen," Harbor Hill in Roslyn, Long Island, was commissioned by the beautiful and imperious Katherine Duer Mackay, wife of one of the country's wealthiest men. The mansion along with its magnificent furnishings, art, gardens, and the owners' striving, hubris, and ultimate failure are the dramatis personae of this saga. Stanford White, the architect, wrote, "with the exception of Biltmore, I do not think there will be an estate equal to it in the country." An extravagant product of the desire for social acceptance, the portrait encompasses western mining and old versus new wealth, religious differences and the building of a church, art collecting, and the many people, from the architects, builders, and workers to the servants and staff who ran the house and gardens. Harbor Hill's story includes elements of farce and tragedy; in a sense it is an American portrait.

About the Author

Richard Guy Wilson is Commonwealth Professor at the University of Virginia.

ISBN 10: 0-393-73216-9
ISBN 13: 978-0-393-73216-0
August 2007 / 9 color & 219 black & white illustrations / 264 pages / Hardcover