Page 86: MANSION ON ROUND HILL
The following is extracted from the book titled, Memoirs of a Westchester Realtor, by George Howe.
“In 1937…I had a call from Dr. Charles V. Paterno who was one of New York’s greatest builders,” the author reported.
“He had built many of New York’s fine apartment houses, including 270 Park Avenue. He had built a castle for his own occupancy on Washington Heights overlooking the Hudson River. There he had one of the finest greenhouses in the country, where the most beautiful orchids were grown.“
“His love of country and horticulture had drawn him to a district in Westchester near Armonk where he developed Windmill Farm,” the Paterno reference continued. “He developed a magnificent horticultural garden. He was a man with great imagination, extraordinary energy and intelligence. He never gave up when he started to accomplish something.”
“It occurred to him that he would like a piece of land in Greenwich near Windmill Farm. I took him around,” reported Mr. Howe, “and was amazed that, even though partly crippled, he managed to climb over stone walls and up hills. He saw in the distance a hill top. It was the famous Round Hill, the highest spot along Long Island Sound between New York City and Boston.”
“When we reached the top,” continued the author, “we saw magnificent views in all directions. He told me that this was the location he wanted for building a home.”
The property was owned by a New York lawyer who did not want to sell. It was advised that Round Hill would not be suitable for residence because no trees woul grow on it. When told of this Dr. Paterno is reported to have remarked:
“Who said I could not grow trees on Round Hill? Just get the property for me and see what I will do.”
After due perseverance the lawyer reluctantly said he would sell 23 acres of Round Hill, with certain restrictions, and the minimum price would be $6,000 an acre. This was a high price in the prevailing real estate market, but Dr. Paterno said he would pay it, and without hesitation.
The first thin Dr. Paterno did, according to the author, was dig many deep trenches, deeper than the hardpan, from the top of Found Hill down to the bottom. He placed drains and water pipes in the tranches. There were valves to turn water on the roots of trees. Drains took away surplus water. As a result he grew on Round Hill the finest group of trees.
“Had anyone ever met a man who carried out his determined purpose more completely?” inquired author George Howe.
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As Dad was busy building Castle Village with Anthony Campagna [cousin & brother-in-law] and Lyndon Brown [step-son] assisting, I was given the assignment to build Mother and Dad’s new…
Page 88: …home on Round Hill in Greenwich, Connecticut. Dad had selected the architect but I closed on all the contracts and made daily visits to the job site until its completion a year later.
(Photo) Caption: The house I built for Mother and Dad on the top of Round Hill, Greenwich, Conn. in 1939.
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