New York City - Historic Houses

Bartow-Pell Mansion, The Bronx

See 23 preserved historic sites in all 5 boroughs of NYC

History Begins at Home. Historic House Trust is a not-for-profit organization operating in tandem with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. Their mission is to provide essential support for houses of architectural and cultural significance, spanning 350 years of New York City life. These treasures reside within city parks and are open to the public. Visit www.historichousetrust.org for information on the other 20 historic houses.

The History Channel is proud to support Historic House Trust's many NYC preservation efforts and is particularly pleased to report on three specific sites' progress.

The Bartow-Pell Mansion, The Bronx

Nestled deep in the woods of Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx, and only a mile from a network of bustling highways, the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum is a rare example of country elegance in New York City. The estate and house have a long and noble history.

Thomas Pell, an English doctor from Connecticut, bought the land that today forms Pelham Bay Park from the Siwanoy Indians as part of a nearly 50,000-acre tract in 1654. In 1666, King Charles II chartered the Manor of Pelham, encompassing Pelham and the Borough of Westchester. Thomas Pell was consigned the land grant, and built a manor house on the property near the marshy banks of Long Island Sound. His nephew, Sir John Pell, completed this in 1670. The home served four generations of Pells before it was burned during the American Revolution.

The Orangerie at the Bartow-Pell Mansion

The estate, reduced to 220 acres by the end of the Revolutionary War, was purchased in 1836 by Robert Bartow, a Pell descendant who owned a publishing business. Southwest of the original manor, Bartow built the present gray stone mansion in the Greek Revival style, and moved into the house with his wife and children in 1842. It remained in the family until 1888, when the City acquired the estate. The International Garden Club, Inc. has maintained the house and grounds, which include formal terraces, a fountain, and herb and perennial gardens, since 1914. An uncommon 1840s stone carriage house has been restored and is open to the public on a seasonal basis.

The last of many mansions that once graced Pelham Bay, the house was used by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia as a summer office in 1936, and opened as a museum in 1947. Today the museum continues to transport the visitor to the world of Robert Bartow, his family and their times.

Restoration of the Bartow-Pell Mansion Orangerie is Completed

When the Pell family built their Bronx country estate in the 1830s, its palatial Greek Revival design included an Orangerie. Facing south to receive maximum sunlight and protected by the bulk of the mansion to the north, the Orangerie was tall and warm enough to house fruit trees year-round.

When the International Garden Club adopted the Bartow-Pell Mansion in 1914, they commissioned the architectural firm of Delano & Aldrich to restore and enlarge the mansion. The Orangerie was prominent in that restoration, and six sets of French doors and arched, light-admitting transoms were installed, overlooking the terraced, formal gardens rolling down to Pelham Bay. Warm and bright, with sweeping views, the Orangerie was ideal for elegant, festive events.

Restoration work on The Orangerie

Over the years, the Orangerie's painted wooden doors and window frames deteriorated severely due to weathering, moisture infiltration and the extreme temperatures of the site. As a result, finishes peeled, cracked and fell away. The bare wood, vulnerable joints and delicate hardware were exposed to the elements. Wood rot set in, a serious problem that can compromise the structural integrity of the building.

Last year, the Trust's architectural conservators analyzed the condition of the Orangerie and developed a plan of restoration. With generous funding from The History Channel and a donation of paint from Benjamin Moore & Co., all the doors and hardware were removed to a carpentry shop for conservation. Simultaneously, onsite at the structure, paint was removed from all the wood carefully by hand, so as not to damage the woodwork. Now, after three months of work, the doors and hardware are restored and reinstalled. The delicate woodwork, from the refined window muntins to the engaged pilasters, is once again sound and sealed against the elements, and the whole façade looks fresh and new.