Join us as we embark on a journey through the life and legacy of Charles Platt, a renaissance man whose mastery in painting, etching, and architecture reshaped American aesthetics. Dive deep into the hidden world of Timberline, a grand estate lost to time, featuring lush gardens, intricate designs, and a history intertwined with America’s elite. From its Renaissance inspiration to its untimely demise, discover the untold story of this architectural marvel and the genius behind it.
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Public Domain Photos from: Library of Congress,
CC BY-SA 3.0(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)Photos from: Wikipedia User: Dori, Dzhoy Zuckerman
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Music from Epidemic Sound
Charles Platt, born in New York City embarked on a multifaceted career that spanned painting, etching, and architecture. Initially trained as a landscape painter, Platt honed his skills in etching under the guidance of Stephen Parrish in Massachusetts, in 1880. His academic journey included time at the National Academy of Design,
The Art Students League in New York, and the Académie Julian in Paris. His early works, particularly in etching, were recognized at the Paris Salon of 1885 and further celebrated with a bronze medal at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1900.
Even with a touch of fame, fate had other plans for his talent. A pivotal moment in Platt’s career was his trip to Italy in 1892, where he photographed Renaissance gardens and villas. This experience profoundly influenced his aesthetic direction and led to his publication of
“Italian Gardens” in 1894, a seminal work that greatly and instantly influenced American garden design. This garnered him attention from some of society’s most elite individuals who outbid each other for the chance to have buildings designed by him. From the likes of Edith Rockefeller McCormick
Who had Platt design a distinctly American villa drawing inspiration from the Italian renaissance, to leading figures such as Vincent Astor who would keep him busy with numerous projects, Platt’s architectural endeavors, marked by a refined taste and an elegant simplicity,
Became the envy of the wealthy elite. He demonstrated a wide range in his work, from luxury housing to institutional design, such as the Freer Gallery of Art at the Smithsonian. And for completing his projects in the most aesthetic way possible, he collaborated with other celebrated designers including the Olmstead Brothers.
One of their collaborations lead to the creation of the country estate known as Timberline in 1907. Commissioned by William Hinckle Smith, a wealthy financier, the house and gardens were to compete directly with some of the nation’s most lavish country homes in Philadelphia’s affluent Main Line.
Unlike many buildings which were designed first and later landscaped, the house and gardens were designed at the same time, not as a reaction to each other, but as a continuous design, allowing the indoor and outdoor spaces to flow together in mathematical harmony through the use of proportions and texture.
Grand staircases were planned to break away from terraces, leading you through garden paths to discover fountains and pools. Some gardens were meant to grow wild, while others were perfectly manicured. As you traveled through over the peagravel paths, you
Would find statues and clay pots adding a sense of intrigue. And if you grew tired of walking, you could rest in the shade of fruiting vines overgrowing pergolas and pavilions. As you travel away from the house and look back, this private oasis disappears behind the brush,
As if it were a secret garden only meant to be known its owners. We will now circle back around the house and begin making our way towards the front door. The façade is finished in a creamy stucco, nearly indistinguishable from the house’s limestone accents and all sheltered below a muted terracotta tile roof.
Entering the home, we will pass below the bifurcated staircase’s landing and arrive in the Hall. Looking back from the Hall, we see the grand staircase behind stone columns supporting a ceiling of exposed wood beams. Just before the house was built, Mr. Smith purchased a large
Portion of architect Stanford White’s furniture from his widow during their estate auction. As we travel into the dining room, we might recognize more pieces from Stanford White’s collection decorating the rich interior. The library continues with this simple, but refined theme, and while it is not rustic,
Great restraint was placed on its finishes so that it would flow with the rest of the house. Timberline went on to inspire generations of architects, including David Adler, who would be inspired by the work of Platt and the Olmstead Brothers. Unfortunately, when William Smith passed away, the Timberline was left abandoned
By his family. By the 1970s, the once architecturally significant estate had fallen into disrepair. So when the Blue Route Highway was planned to run straight through the mansion, little pushback was given to attempt to save it. Thankfully, we still have a handful of photos and drawings to remember it by.
Which room was your favorite? Let me know down below in the comments section. And while you’re there, make sure to hit that subscribe button so you never miss an exciting episode of This House!
30 Comments
😎😎😎😎😎
Hi Ken and Dalton, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your viewers.
As always a wonderful video.
My favorite areas are the gardens. A question, are you still remodeling your home?
Please keep us up-to-date !!
This house was magnificent!! I really like the gardens. Too bad it was demolished, like so many wonderful old homes!! Thanks Ken for sharing another exciting video!!! 👍👍🙂
The heirs of the original owners of these magnificent buildings and gardens often weren't as invested in them. However, it is nevertheless sad that such beauty and craftmanship is abandoned after just a few decades. I imagine the saddest might be the artisans and craftsmen and women who might have spent years working tirelessly to create these masterpieces.
How sad! No one in the family was interested?..what an absolutely beautiful house and grounds. Such a shame that it couldn't be given a new life. Thank you for your tours. Always enjoy them
What a beautiful setting that was designed for the house. Too bad it only survives in photographs!
Could you please do me a favour? It seems you have destroyed most of the beautiful buildings in the US. Wouldn’t it simply be better to list those who have not (yet) been destroyed? It can’t be that many.
Of the many people who think they know how things should look, very few (like Platt) know how things should look.
I don't have a favorite room here, but I think the landscaping and outdoor spaces were beautiful. Having been there many times, I'm partial to the Freer.
The dining room fireplace was beautiful. Hope some of the elements were saved.
There's a rare Charles Platt house in Montreal, Quebec, do you know it?
It was a monastery for a while but became a single family home again a while back
So sad that we have lost these homes. You can see the symmetrical and design similarities in this house carried over in some of David Adler's projects in Lake Forest, IL. Fortunately, at least for the time being, most of those Lake Forest homes have people living in them but with property taxes growing higher and higher, at some point they may be at risk. 255 N Green Bay Rd, Lake Forest, IL was recently for sale and 700 Arbor Dr. Lake Bluff, IL was sold a few years back. Both are beautiful Adler designs.
This house was built in PA? From the looks and gardens, I would have thought it was in CA or even FL . When you said,' If you got tired walking the garden, you could sit in the shade of fruit trees and flowering vines.' The only thing I could think about was who would want to walk that garden in the winter, let alone sit under friut trees?!. Perhaps I'm mistaken and put 2 & 2 together from the Bryn Mar drawings and assumed this house was in Philadelphia. It was a nice house, and the idea of trying to combine the gardens to look like the interior flowing into the gardens I wish I could see. I can "see" a solarium/greenhouse flowing from a room but not a formal garden. I think that would have been awesome.
Thanks for another great story, Ken! Beautiful pictures too!
CAP was a true iconoclast who worked for the artistic freedom his talent afforded him, and not for “filthy lucre.” His own home in Cornish is a perfect mixture of casual formality, and harkens back to a bygone age where things were created to endure.
Philadelphia's Main Line is one of the most interesting stretch of Historic Homes in America.
Thank you
I appreciate your effective use of both architecturally and historically descriptive terms throughout.
What a place! And it had some of the murdered Stanford White's furniture! It survived until the 70's! It should still be here now!
Beautiful! I would love to sit on one of those balconies and look out over the gardens.
The interior holds little interest contrasted to the elegant exterior lines and the grounds. One would wander daily and never tire of the changing paths, especially with each season. How so much labor, thought, and expense could be just walked away from by owners baffles me. Curious: what would have been the acreage of Timberline? Thank you for this viewing. peace
I drive the blue route frequently, and even though it is a necessary road, I’m saddened to learn of the loss of such a beautiful estate for the highway. 😢
Lived on the Philadelphia Main Line including Bryn Mawr! Would love to hear about more mansions from this area 🤩
ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER IDIOTIC DEMOLITION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Charles is the great-grandfather of the actor Oliver Platt. On his mother's side, he is the great-grandson of Cynthia BURKE-ROCHE who was the aunt of Frances Ruth Burke-Roche who in turn was the mother to the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
I can’t believe his family abandoned such a beautiful home. Surely they had enough money to sustain it.
Wow to have this just disappear is tragic. I love those fireplaces. But the gardens were exquisite and seemed so private. Thanks Ken and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. Good fortune in the New Year to you and all your followers!
Any video that mentions Massachusetts 🤩
I would love to hear your narration of the Muse’s Department Building in Atlanta! What once was one of the best spots to shop for menswear.
Today the building has been converted into apartments if that’s of interest. Much love! 🙂
The difference between Italian (most Euro) and US architectural landmarks.
Greedy American real estate developers who profit on teardowns.
This should have been restored and transformed.