Illus. 416.—Mantel in Schuyler House, Albany.
The mantel in Illustration [416] is in the Schuyler mansion in Albany, New York, which has been wisely and thoroughly restored to its original beauty, and stands a monument not only of the Albany life of the eighteenth century, but to the early efficiency of woman, for it was built in 1760 by the wife of Gen. Philip Schuyler, during the absence of her husband in England. This mantel is in the room called the Hamilton room, because it was here that the daughter of the house, Elizabeth Schuyler, was married to Alexander Hamilton. The wood of the mantel is, like that in the other rooms, pine, painted white, and the room is handsomely panelled, with a heavy cornice. The shelf is narrow with a panel above it which is surmounted by a cornice, with a broken pediment. The mantel is very dignified and does credit to the excellent taste of the colonial dame who chose it and superintended its instalment.
Illustration [417] shows a mantel in Philipse Manor in Yonkers, New York. The original house was built in the seventeenth century, but in 1745 it was greatly enlarged by Judge Philipse, the second lord of the Manor, and it was probably at about that time that the fine woodwork in the house was installed. Judge Philipse was the father of Mary Philipse, to whom in 1757 Washington paid court—unsuccessfully. She married Roger Morris in 1758, and in 1779 fled with him to England, attainted as Royalists, together with her brother, the third and last lord of the Manor, which then passed from the Philipse family.
Illus. 417.—Mantel and Doorways in Manor Hall, Yonkers.
It was purchased in 1868 by the village of Yonkers, and remained in the possession of the city until 1908, when the title to the Manor was taken by the State of New York, and the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society was appointed custodian, thus insuring the preservation of this historic house.