Ruth Middaugh Brown (30 Jul 1924 – 2 Jul 2009) was the eldest daughter of Lyndon Middaugh Brown (1892-1977) and Ruth Marie Welsh (1898-1952) and is my 1st cousin one time removed. These are her wonderful recollections provided to me by her son William “Bill” Effingham Lawrence III, my second cousin and steward of so many special family mementoes.
“I was born at home – 26 Haven Avenue, New York City – in an apartment house that had to be torn down in order to build the George Washington Bridge that spans the Hudson River.
My mom and dad and I moved when I was one year old to a brand new stretched out apartment in a very modern apartment complex overlooking “The Castle” and the Hudson River and the New Jersey Palisades. The apartment complex was called “Hudson View Gardens” and was built by my grandfather Dr. Charles V. Paterno [1878-1946]. There were a dozen apartments attached with cellar ways connecting so one could walk from one to another in bad weather. An A&P drug store, restaurant and radio station were in the complex. Also a large rose garden and a separate children’s park with a sand box large enough for all the children to play in.
Our apartment was designed for us – two apartments connected. It was stretched out with the large dining room in the center, a kitchen (with dishwasher and other appliances) and a large laundry room, the same size as the kitchen were to the side. A foyer ran along the back of the apartment where the front door was (we were a flight below street level) with a telephone in the outer foyer of the building for security. At one end of the dining room was the living room and beyond that a large bedroom and bath and just the opposite on the other side of the dining room was a “nursery” (like a family room) with a murphy bed. A large master bedroom and bath were at this end and screened porch and path, garden and stairs going down to the street below. It was a wonderful apartment with beautiful views from all the window (large foot deep window sills). There was a second murphy bed under the large tapestry in the living room. We had a grand player piano in the living room where our parents entertained frequently.
My sister Marilyn [Gertrude Middaugh Brown 1927-2007] arrived three years after me and then brother Charles three years later.
Our grandparents living across the street in the Castle. It was wonderful having them so near and being invited for Sunday dinner almost every Sunday.
The Castle was built of white marble set on 20 acres high above the Hudson with a three-foot thick grey stone supporting wall all along the side above the river. The front side had a decorative iron fence with three automobile entrances and three pedestrian entrances spaced along Northern Avenue. At the end of the property were the seven garages which housed the limousines and above which the two chauffeurs and families lived in their own apartments. The driveways ran so that it would be convenient for the cars to leave the garages, drive out onto Northern Avenue up the street to the third entrance and drive down the driveway and stop at the front door of the Castle under the porte-cochere.
The front door had red carpeting running out under the double grill covered glass doors down the two steps to the driveway. Inside the foyer were two “knights of armor” and chairs and tables of Italian design. On the right side was the Japanese room. All done in Japanese style with a constantly glaring ember fire in a Japanese hibachi. Further down the foyer one entered an octagonal shaped center room in the middle of the castle with a fountain and goldfish pond in the middle with Italian furniture on the outer walls. To the left was the dining room very formal done in dark wood to the left of that the large pantry. Off the dining room doors opened into a long tiled floor (heated) three sectioned green house with flowers growing on each side at waist level. At the end of this one entered a huge solarium with a glass roof, carpets over tile floors, a large stone fireplace and a dozen hanging bird cages with canaries and potted plants everywhere. This was a favorite room to entertain in always bright compared especially to the darker rooms of the castle.
Off of this room one opened double glass doors and went down three steps into the billiard room which was fitted out with a very heavy pool table, dome lights, cues, racks, etc. and high stools to watch the game. Once again another set of glass doors and you walked down three steps into a series of greenhouses one after the other [rows?] of flowers but specializing in different kinds of orchids. Our grandmother [Minnie Minton Middaugh Paterno 1868-1943] wore a fresh orchid everyday on mink, sable or chinchilla coats. The greenhouses ended at the engineers house which faced houses for some of the servants.
Back again in the billiard room a small stairway led to the exercise room with a large mechanical horse and another one called the elephant. These exercise machines were great fun for us children. They went from slow, medium to fast.
A dozen steps down from this room was the pool. The pool was surrounded by rattan furniture along one long windowed wall and the other wall had goldfish set in four glass aquariums in the wall. The pool had a diving board at one end, ropes for swinging on in the middle overhead and had a beautiful blue tile bottom.
Beyond the pool there were dressing rooms on each side, six for the ladies and six for the men with an assortment of bathing suits for their use. Bathrooms for each of course and beyond this a very large health room with Turkish bath, massage table and water hoses all supervised by the engineer Mr. Tagalieri.
Now we go back upstairs to the grand octagonal foyer. And turn left after we come out of the dining room. We go into the library. The library has a circular glass window at one end and in front of the furniture lies the head and body of a beautiful tiger stretched out on the floor. An open area with long windows separates the library from the music room. Here the grand piano, the French furniture and the beautiful lion on this floor.
We leave this room and turn left. Walk past the grand staircase and further left to a ladies sitting room and adjoining powder room which is next to the Japanese room. Turn back to the grand staircase and you will see that you can look straight up to the glass roof. The second story has a red velvet balustrade running around the entire second floor and also the third floor. Back to the stairway you walk up three red carpeted stairs and continue as the stairs turn right for the full flight to the second floor or else take the elevator up to the second or third floor. As we reach the second floor we will notice organ pipes in the left corner. We walk to the first door and we enter a large foyer. A closet on the left houses my grandmothers shoes – dozens of them in all colors. The next door in the foyer area leads into my grandfather’s room – dark masculine with a large fireplace. Leaving that room and going into the doorway across from the foyer door is a very large white bathroom with sunbathing deck outside which is above the porte-cochere. All of the commodes in the bathrooms in the castle are covered with white wicker chairs.
The next room off the foyer area is my grandmother’s “boudoir.” With bed, day bed, chairs, small piano, fireplace and a room for the family to gather in. And for me to sleep on the day bed whenever I spent the night when I was little. A second door from the boudoir led into a little hall with a back stairway going down to the pantry. And through the hall was a good sized sewing room. Beyond that a large bathroom belonging to my Uncle Carlo [Carlo Middaugh Paterno 1907-1995] and then his room which had a circular area surrounded by glass windows. This room also had entrance by a door from around the second floor balcony. We walk a little further to a large walk-in cedar closet and then a few feet further, open the door into a small foyer area. And there are two guest rooms with small fireplaces, a bath to share, all lovely with balconies overlooking the Hudson.
We now leave the second floor and go up to the third floor. We now enter the grand ballroom area with grand piano. The ceiling and walls covered with al frescos and velvet chairs and mirrors covering the sides of the rooms. Besides the ballroom there is a full dining room, kitchen and powder rooms.
We go back downstairs to the pantry and see the dumb waiter that brings the food up from the kitchen and can also bring food up to the send or third floor if necessary. There are heating ovens, china cabinets, sink, etc. with a door to outside and terrace.
We take the back servant’s stairway and go downstairs all underground to the kitchen, servants lounge, servant dining room and servant sleeping quarters all. Beyond these bedrooms do have windows. [Not certain of transcription on last sentence.]
Once as a teenager my cousin Gladys [Gladys Middaugh Hazeltine 1897-1994] and her daughter who was my age, cousin Harriett [Harriet Hazeltine 1924-1989] from Pasadena, California, came to visit. My grandmother’s chauffeur Glen [Glenn Lybarger] took us down through the servants quarters to a secret door. There we went through on unfinished part of the cellar where we walked on gang planks and walked out to the stone wall overhanging Riverside Drive and looked out over the small cars below. It was very scary. Above the stone wall was a white pergola which ran the length of the property.
The castle was built in [1907] by my grandfather whom we always called “Doctor.” He came to the United States as a small boy. [This sentence is crossed out in the original.]
My grandmother “Nana” was very blonde, tall, and statuesque, while my grandfather “Doctor” was shorter in height and he had a waxed mustache and goatee. They were wonderful grandparents. I have many memories of going with them in the chauffeured driver Rolls Royce covered with five blankets and not feeling too well. They had two chauffeurs Glen and Albert, two cooks, three or four house maids, a personal maid, butler, etc. When they entertained they needed extra help. Old Glen and Albert’s wives would pitch in from the time I was a baby.
In the summer Nana and Doctor would go to their farm in North Castle, New York. They would bring all the servants with them and the chauffeurs would take turns.
The barns were mostly down by the road running along Route 22. The bull was tied with a chain through his nose near the barns and as I walked down to the barns from the Big House through the arbor, the bull was always there. I was petrified of him and had been told never to wear a red dress because then he would go crazy and try to break loose. It was in the area where they butchered the chickens, etc.
There was a 9-hole golf course across the street from the Big House and tennis courts down by the barns and an ice house plus several other houses on the property.
When I was about 8 years old and “they” did over the farm: built beautiful barns and stables and cottages way in the back of the Big House. An enormous garden the size of a football field, a polo field, a very large artificial lake with boat house and dressing rooms and bathrooms attached. And upstair was the living room. There were seven artificial lakes and windmills to pump the water if needed. The farm was renamed “Windmill Manor.” [Later to be called Windmill Farm.]
There were miles of bridle paths and large deer pens in the woods. There were ten horses, four work horses, cows, sheep, goats, chickens, pigs, my pony named “Mickey” and several peacocks.
There was a dairy where they made the cream and butter. This farm supplied everything: meat, fish (the lakes were full of fish), vegetables and fruits from the garden, eggs, butter, milk, etc. from the dairy.
With the new farm they did away with the golf course and the tennis courts.
I had a lovely play yard with play horse, swing, wading pool, roller coaster, etc.
I was also given a pony “Mickey” and pony cart besides having “Laddie” my old circus horse to ride.
My grandmother rode her horse “Gloria” every day side saddle. The groom would bring the horses up to the Big House every morning. A permanent mount was always there to help one get on the horses.”
Thank you Ruth for capturing your memories and thank you Bill for preserving and sharing your mother’s delightful writing.
