Pool House

DESCRIPTION

GAME ROOMS

Plum Orchard February 2007

Pool House Forward

Pool House Introduction

Pool House General Description

Pool House Hunting Lodge

Pool House Dressing Rooms

Pool House Pool Chamber

Pool House Squash Court

Pool House Game Rooms

Pool House Utilities

Pool House Surroundings

Pool House Drawings

Pool House Photographs

Besides the 12/12 roof pitch and solid brick foundation wall which it shares with the squash court as features distinguishing them from the other building elements, the game room wing contains a unique window feature. These are the 9-light plain glass basement sash on the southeast wall, the only location at the lower level of the complex where diamond glass lights are not used.

This wing is 78'-4" long x 22'-l" wide and 30' high, the first floor 5'-6 1/2" above the pool chamber floor, the basement 4'~2 1/2" below the pool chamber floor. There is an irregular low-roofed section at the northeast end over the stair connecting to the gym, its awkward configuration strongly suggesting that the game room wing was an add-on as previously mentioned. Exterior access is via a wood stairs to a 31'-6" x 9'-8" wood porch centered on the northwest wall, the seven-panel entrance door flanked by side lights and on axis with the porch. The chimney is in turn centered on this door. The window spacings each side of the door differ from one another| but the northwest and southeast upper level walls are symmetrical.

A natural finish yellow pine stair creating a design link with the pool chamber leads from the gym space to an entrance hall approximately 24' by 10'-3". This like all the other rooms is finished in white plaster and dark stained wood. It has an irregular ceiling height and a contorted expression, reflecting the awkward form at the exterior. The stair passes a spherical headed niche 7'-6" high by 5'-0" wide: no doubt in the building's heyday it contained a plaster cast of an appropriate ancient god or goddess.

The hall opens to a room 20'-9" by 18' with a fireplace flanked by two doors at the opposite (southwest) wall. Ceiling height is 11' - 1 1/2". A bathroom 10' by 8' is near the entrance. Through the door right of the fireplace is a small connecting passage 8'-l" x 6'-8" at the porch entrance; opposite the entrance are two built-in ice boxes. The door left of the fireplace leads to a similar passage which is also a wardrobe-dressing room (see below) with built-in drawers opposite the ice boxes.

From these two passages symmetrically placed doors flanking a second fireplace open to the large southwest room, 20'-9" by 25'-1". It was at one time used for pool or billiards, as indicated by cue racks at the north corner. An interesting, although heavy effect is created by the dark wood trim running horizontally around the entire room at wall base, window sill, head and cornice, and vertically from floor to ceiling at window and door jambs and corners. Another interesting feature is the variegated glazed tile facing at the fireplace.

Both fireplaces include heavy wood surrounds and mantelpieces, and all doors are enormous, 8'-10" high with seven panels like the porch entrance door.

Although these rooms were used for games such as billiards and cards, they were also used, according to Mrs. Rockefeller, as an apartment by one of her uncles. Precisely when they were so used, if indeed they were is not known.

The basement is accessible only from the patio under the porch, the concrete floor being 2'-l" below the patio level. It was used for storage of tennis nets and other game equipment and contains a wine cellar and three dog kennels.

[This information and accompanying photographs are from a National Parks Service Document. ]

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