Springside Gate House

Springside Gate House

Springside Historic Site, not to be confused with the 1980's condo development, was designed by Andrew Jackson Downing circa 1850-1854 for client Mathew Vassar, the brewer magnate and Vassar College founder.

Land intended by Vassar to become the new rural cemetery outside the city limits, but for a lack of subscriptions, became his ornamental farm and a public "pleasure ground".

 

Downing, with Clavert Vaux assistance, designed several wonderful structures for the 23 acre site of which, sadly, only the gate house survives.  

Funded by a Community Development Block Grant in the middle 1990's, ADG provided plans and specifications for restoration of several features.

The original roof appearance was recreated using new correct thickness cedar shingles matched to surviving samples found protected under a second level eave.

Long absent "yankee” style wood gutters of roof mounted boards were reintroduced and leaders utilize the evident historic penetrations.  Zinc material wraps the wood and flashes upwards to both extend the life of this critical moisture control device and assure its efficacy.

Siding and trim paint was analyzed to determine the earliest color scheme specified for the high quality preparation and paint.

Sadly, to this day, it is missing its front porch, however, many of the site's disturbed building components have been documented, HABS has some drawings, WPA photos exist in the Library of Congress and the main house portico is on display in the NYS Museum in Albany.  

The site is open to the public for self guided walking tours.  Its springtime plant sale provides critically needed monetary support.