An Architectural Overview of Bellarmine Hall

              ~~ AN ARCHITECTURAL OVERVIEW OF ~~
October 2004
Dear Friends:
On the occasion of my inauguration as the eighth president of
Fairfield University, I am pleased to share with you one of the
University's new publications, An Architectural Overview of
Bellarmine Hall.
When Mr. and Mrs. Walter B. Lashar had the house custom-built in 1921, they incorporated
an array of styles and features they had seen and noted during their extensive travels abroad.
Unfortunately, they lost the home they had called Hearthstone Hall to taxes during the
Depression. In 194 2, Fairfield's founding] esuits acquired the estate - five buildings on
lOS acres- from the Town of Fairfield, with a $100 deposit on the $62,000 purchase price.
Each two-page section herein features a photo of an originally furnished room, with a descrip­tion
of its key architectural features on the facing page. Also included is an invoice detailing
the price paid for some of the furniture and draperies and, on the inside back cover, a key to
the architectural terms used in this guide.
As one who has spent a lifetime involved in the study of history, I hope you will enjoy coming
to know a bit more about the history of a building so central to Fairfield University today
Sincerely,
Jeffrey P von Arx, S.]
President
0 riginally the residence of a five-member family, and
subsequently the on-campus home of Fairfield
University's Jesuit community, Bellarmine Hall has, since
1981 , housed the office of the University President and
other administrative departments.
The 44-room
mansion was designed
and built for Mr. and
Mrs. Walter B. Lashar
in 1921, on the highest
point of a 105-acre plot
of land that included a
commanding view of Walter and Aurelia Lashar
Long Island Sound. They named their family home
Hearthstone Hall, a reflection of its 13 fireplaces. Mr. Lashar
was president of the highly profitable American Chain
and Cable Company at a time when the United States
was experiencing incredible growth and prosperity. Bridges,
ships, and buildings were all in need of Mr. Lashar's chains
and cables.
Mr. and Mrs. Lashar were world travelers and enjoyed
choosing exterior and interior finishes based on styles
they had observed while touring Europe and Asia. The
rooms include a potpourri of decorative styles ranging
from Tudor to Adam to chinoiserie.
The interior was built off-site in sections by the
Haydon Company of Bridgeport, Conn. These were then
brought to the hill and reassembled. Architects in Europe
were employed as advisors on reproducing many of the
decorative features of England's great manor houses. Oak
flooring in the house is, for the most part, laid in a
French herringbone pattern, and most lighting fixtures
and hardware are original to the house.
From 1922 to 1929, Hearthstone Hall was the site of
many elegant social gatherings. However, Mr. Lashar lost
much of his fortune in the stock market crash and, as a
result, the house was turned over to the Town of
Fairfield.
In March 1942, the New England Province of the
Society of Jesus bought Hearthstone Hall and its acreage
from the Town for $62,000.
The Jesuits renamed the mansion, dedicating it as
St. Robert Bellarmine Hall in honor of the 16th-century
Jesuit theologian who became a cardinal and saint.
Some rooms became classrooms for the newly chartered
Fairfield College Preparatory
School, while the rest of the man­sion
housed Jesuits. Prep classes
ultimately moved to permanent
facilities across campus, and the
Fairfield Jesuit Community con­tinued
using Bellarmine Hall
as its residence untill981
St. Robert Bellarmine, 5.].
1542-1601
EXTERIOR
The 44-room mansion originally known as
Hearthstone Hall reflects the style of an English
manor house. Built of Weymouth granite, its design is
modified Tudor and Gothic, and typifies the many revival
mansions built throughout the United States in the 1920s.
Gargoyles poised at the main entrance and above win­dows
on the building's north, west, and south sides stare
fiercely to ward off evil spirits. This hybrid architectural
feature adds charm to the fa<;,:ade.
The south side of the building features a stone terrace
set between the wings formed by the dining room and
solarium. Stone steps with carved newels and balusters
lead down to a perennial garden, walled in by a low
stone fence.
To the west of the building, a Japanese garden built in
the late 1920s features three bridges spanning several
small pools, each cascading to another over properly
placed stones. The garden includes several lanterns and
statues, among them a miniature replica of Mount
Fujiyama that had the capacity to give off smoke. The
garden's designer, Arthur Shurcliff, had previously recre­ated
the gardens of Williamsburg, Va.
The Lashars paid great attention to the landscaping
and included a wide variety of trees to show off their
home. Among these were: mugo-mugo trees from China,
placed to the east and west of the stone driveway leading
to the front doors; Kwansan and weeping cherry trees;
Norway spruce; ginkgo; and in the Japanese garden area,
a cedar of Lebanon.
• EXTERIOR: Weymouth granite.
• WINDows: original to the house.
• ROOF: slate.
• GARGOYLEs: perched at the upper
corners of the front, west, and rear
entrances.
• TERRACE: slate terrace facing south
with small embedded garden.
• GARDENS: perennial in rear,
surrounded by low stone wall,
Japanese garden to the west,
designed by world-famous
landscape architect.
• LANDSCAPING: many unusual
ornamental trees, including
mugo-mugos from China.
ENTRANCE AND VESTIBULE
The Lashars discovered the motif for the nail-stud­ded
oak entrance doors at Blickling Hall (Norfolk,
England) , which stands on land that was owned by Ann
Boleyn's family during the reign of Henry VIII. The
vestibule is of stone, and includes a stone cornice to the
height of the circular-headed door's spring line.
To give interest to the walls, the Lashars introduced
circular-headed niches set into each sidewall, similar to
those in the entrance porch at Mapperton House (Dorset,
England) This niche design dates to around 1618.
The inner doors of the vestibule - of glass, wood,
and wrought iron - are similar in design to doors in the
cloister of Hatfield House (Hertfordshire), built about
1611 In the original doors, the fleur-de-lis ornaments
were of wood, but here they have been reproduced in
wrought iron. The hinges and locks, also wrought iron,
reflect the English originals as well.
Granite steps lead from the vestibule up to the
center of the Main Hall. To the right and left, the hall
becomes a beamed corridor, paneled in oak to a height
of seven feet.
Two large stone columns, copied from those in the
Pillar Room of Bolsover Castle (Derbyshire, England),
are its main feature. Their arches blend with six orna­mental
pilasters. A bronze lighting fixture in the form of
an old sailing ship hangs in the corridor. The decorative
metalwork wall sconces are original to the house as well.
• ENTRANCE DOORS: nail-studded oak.
• WALLs: rough case plaster originally tinted a warm
gray; circular-headed sidewall niches to display
sculpture.
• VESTIBULE: barrel-vaulted and decorated with plas­ter
flat-strap work of squares and circles. Various
devices- portcullis, lion's head, Tudor rose, thistle,
brass lamp, and castle- are modeled in low relief
within the squares and circles, and are painted in blue
and gold.
• INNER DooRs: glass, wood, and wrought iron.
• STEPS: granite steps lead to Main Hall.
• MAIN HALL: beamed corridor, oak paneled.
• COLUMNS: of stone, copied from Bolsover Castle,
Derbyshire, England.
• LIGHTING: antique bronze lighting fixture in the
form of an old sailing ship; wall sconces of decorative
metalwork.
• FLOORS: granite.
MAIN STAIRCASE
The staircase in the Main Hall is copied from The
Charterhouse, London, which dates to before 1560.
The balusters terminate in male and female forms, from
which spring arches suggestive of rusticated stonework.
The plaster ceiling above the stairwell, with its incred­ible
detail, is modeled on one found in Loseley Hall
(Surrey, England)
The register plates in the sills
of the landing windows are
made of pierced brass, with
wood-pierced register openings
beneath them. At the second
story level, carved oak arches
separate the staircase hall from
the second story hall.
• STAIRCASE: oak.
• THE BALUSTRADES: Carved
with male and female busts.
• THE NEWELS: intricately
carved motifs depicting battle
equipment, musical instru­ments,
exotic animals,
mythical birds, flowers , and
strap and ribbon patterns.
• STAIR LANDING. typical
English manor house design.
• REGISTER PLATES: pierced
brass.
• COLUMNS AND ARCHES AT TOP OF STAIRWELL:
carved oak, typical English manor house design.
• STAIRWELL CEILING. plaster with molded ribs ter­minating
in fleur-de-lis and floral ornaments, bosses,
leafwork at the intersections, and quaint figures of
birds in diamond panels.
• LIGHTING. the suspended star lamp, a particular
favorite of Mrs. Lashar, added a 1920s touch.
THE GREAT HALL
The design of the Great Hall was inspired by English
manor houses of the early 16th century The rafters
that divide this room into three bays frame the bowed,
coffered oak ceiling and are supported on carved corbels
and further strengthened by curved braces.
One large window floods the room with light. It con­sists
of 15 separate leaded windows, constructed in
Tudor style with three rows of five windows each. The
room's paneling features an unusual linen-fold pattern­the
earliest form of ornamental panel - styled to resem­ble
a piece of symmetrically folded linen.
An overhanging room above, lighted by five small
leaded windows, was a musicians' gallery, and was used
when the Lashars entertained in the Great Hall. It also
allowed the Lashars to determine which guests had
arrived so they could plan their entrance down the main
staircase. An entry on the second floor provided access to
the gallery, but that access has now been removed.
• ENTRANcE: accented by three pilastered and arched
stone doorways. Floor is of stone paving.
• PANELING: unusual linen-fold
pattern (the earliest
form of ornamental panel)
• WAINSCOT: oak, with
carvings of grape clusters,
leaves, vines, and Tudor
roses. Copied from panels
in Haddon Hall, Derbyshire.
• SPANDRELs: contain intricately carved pierced Gothic
tracery of wood.
• MUSICIAN' S
GALLERY: overhangs
east fireplace; used by
musicians when the
Lashars entertained.
• TWO FIREPLACES:
hearths repeat Gothic
shape of the ceiling.
Like most others in the
manor, the firewalls are
faced with intricate
patterns of brickwork in
ROOM 115
varied sizes. Their stone mantels and surrounds are
carved with shields and interwoven patterns.
• WEST FIREPLACE: surrounded by the linen-fold
paneling; reliefs of a Renaissance man and woman.
• EAST FIREPLACE: recessed under an overhanging
area of Tudor-style half-timber and stucco.
• CEILING: bowed and coffered oak, with intricate
brackets of crowned kings.
• PRINCIPAL RAFTERS: divide ceiling into three bays,
each supported by carved brackets and curved braces.
• WINDows: Tudor-style; 15 separate leaded windows
in three rows of five windows each.
• oou BLE DOORs: oak, lead to stone terrace over­looking
the expansive rear lawn and gardens.
• HARDWARE: lighting fixtures, door locks, and
hinges are original to the room.
• FLOOR: stone.
THE D INING ROOM
The scheme for this room - formerly the Lashars'
dining room- stems from the latter part of the
17th century, and reflects the school of Christopher
Wren, one of England's most famous architects. The
rich walnut paneling is very different in design from the
Main and Great Halls, with large decorative panels that
lift to within a foot of the ceiling.
The Hayden Furniture Company of New York, the
interior decorator of Hearthstone Hall, commissioned a
London architect to make drawings of rooms at Belton
House (England) with permission of its owner, Earl
Brownlow. Although this room was not reproduced
exactly as at Belton, the details of the moldings and of
the hardware on the doors are very similar.
The large opening for the south window is treated
with carved brackets and impost supporting the beam
above. The details are copied from St. Paul's Cathedral,
London, Wren's great masterpiece.
• PANELING: richly decorated walnut, with dado
around the lower part of the room and paneling
above reaching in full height to the cornice.
• CORNICE AROUND THE ROOM: reflects that in
Kensington Palace.
• covED CEILING: oval band of fruit and flowers in
the Grinling Gibbons manner. Floral borders were
partly modeled with some lea es and flowers cast
separately and inserted into pattern. Cartouches with
marine motifs are on the central oval axis lines.
• FIREPLACE MANTEL TREATMENT: characteristiC
leaf work of the Wren period.
ADMISSION/BOARD ROOM
ROOM 114
• CARVED FRUIT AND FLOWER DECORATION: in the
style of the School of Grinling Gibbons, famous
woodcarver employed by Wren on most of his impor­tant
work. Lower part of the mantel also typical of
the Wren School - heavily molded variegated marble
in what is known as the "bolection" molding, without
shelf or fri eze above.
• FIREBACK: copied from a
Charles II cast-iron version in
Whitehall Palace.
• SILVER SCONCES AT THE
MANTEL: original to the room.
• WALL SCONCES: delicately
carved wood, composed of
drapery and festoons in
character with the Grinling
Gibbons carving of the period.
• SOUTH WINDOWS: Carved
brackets and impost support the
beam above and are copied from St. Paul's Cathedral,
London. The register openings are of carved wood,
done in the Gibbons style.
• DOORS TO THE HALL AND PANTRY: classical
molded architrave, with carved fri eze and circular
pediments . Original model in South Kensington
Museum, England.
• DooR HARDWARE: engraved locks copied from
those at Belton House; bird motif from Lashar crest is
introduced.
• FLooR: oak, laid in herringbone pattern.
1
J
THE LIBRARY
1 D esigned as a private retreat area, the Tudor-style
1~ library's unusual entrance separated it from the
more social rooms of the house. A large oak structure,
known as a corner porch, was a feature of many old
houses and served as an entry passage that screened the
user from view. The one pictured here (since removed)
was copied from a home in Westmorland, England.
The library's primary feature is its heavy beam work,
which not only carries the full width of the room in
front of the windows, but also forms the recess for the
bookshelf to its right. Other recesses are formed by
bringing the upper wall - supported by heavy beams -
out to the face of the bookcases and fireplace. The
height of the room adds to the effect.
The walls reflect the uneven texture of old plaster­ing,
which was meant to give an artistic effect.
Stonework around the fireplace opening is Tudor -
arched, molded, and carved.
• ENTRANCE: an entrance "porch" separated the
library from the main corridor. Original is now in
South Kensington Museum.
• WALLs: Tudor-sty le, uneven plastering and half­beams.
• BooKCASEs: three walls of recessed shelving backed
by paneling and topped by heavy beam.
• FIREPLACE: ornately carved and arched. The origi­nal
firebacks, made in Sussex, England, of cast iron,
protected the herringbone brickwork and also threw
heat into the room.
CONFERE NCE ROOM
ROOM 113
The entrance porch
• MANTEL: early Renaissance style, in oak, with fluted
pilasters and arched panels.
• CEILI NG: raised, with oak crossbeams.
• CHANDELIER: original tO house.
• WINDows: Tudor-sty le leaded windows.
• FLooR: oak, laid in irregular-width planks.
•>'i=El 13 ~·
ENCLOSED P ORCH
ENTRANCE SUITE- OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
Three rooms compri e the uite that is now the Office of
the President: the entrance and reception room (west);
the President's office (south); and the Executive Assistant
to the President's office (north) During the lashar
tenure, these functioned re pectively as an enclosed
porch, a drawing room, and a reception room.
This large room, which the Lashars used as an
"enclosed porch," give full play to color decoration
on its walls and ceiling. Originally, the walls above the
five-foot mark were decorated with Gothic scrollwork
with quaint figures of the "chase" taken from the old
castles in the Tyrol.
The ceiling's large wood crossbeams have smaller
beams framed into them, and their sides and soffits are
decorated in the French Renaissance manner.
The mantel, similar to one in the 14th-century Cobham
College (Kent, England), is an example of the hooded
Gothic style, with molded jambs projecting to support the
heavy stone lintel and sloping plaster hood above.
The original raised and curved hearthstone gave
importance to the fireplace and set off its accessories -
the andirons and a triple-arched fireback. The latter
(since removed) dates to late-17th century Dutch design
that depicted scriptural subjects, in this case featuring
Rebecca at the Well. A new hearthstone has since been
installed.
• WALLs: originally featured Gothic scrollwork illus­trating
figures of the "chase."
PRESIDENT' S RECEPTION ROOM
ROOM 123
• ARCHED NICHE: on north wall over wrought iron
heat outlet. The Lashars displayed sculpture in the
niche.
• MANT EL: hooded Gothic style, with molded jambs
projecting in corbel form to support the heavy stone
lintel and sloping plaster hood above.
• FIREWALL: brick backs and cheeks laid in herring­bone
and straight courses.
• C EILING: large wood crossbeams, with smaller beams
framed into these, decorated in color in the French
Renaissance manner. Cartouches on large beams
feature painted landscapes; between these are birds
and floral decoration. Smaller beams are divided into
panels with lines, scroll ornaments, and floral sprays.
• WINDOWS: Palladian.
• DooR HARDWARE: wrought-iron hinges, handles,
and locks are original to the house.
• FLOOR: Stone.
·>l=E> 1 5 6=1-<•
T HE D RAWING RooM
This room offers an excellent example of an early
17th-century paneled room. The difference
between its plain wood paneling and the Great Hall's
linenfold carving illustrates the contrast between 17th­and
16th-century design. Earlier panelwork was almost
never the full height of the room, but this later style has
been carried almost to the ceiling. The space above it is
treated as a cove in plaster.
The pilasters dividing the wainscot into bays were
also a innovation of the day, and were often decorated
with a finely carved strapwork design, the replications
here can be found in a room at 17 Fleet Street, London.
The cornice is copied from woodwork at St. John's
College, Oxford. Its dentil molding, bracketed fri eze,
and raised panel ornamentation also reflect the 17th
century.
The large stone mantel, richly carved, was copied
from one in the ruined Donegal Castle, Ireland. In place
of the Donegal coat-of-arms, the upper panels are
carved with the coat-of-arms of Lashar and his wife.
• WALLs: early 17th-century paneling.
• CoRNICE: dentil molding and bracketed fri eze,
ornamented with raised panels. Copied from
St. John's College, Oxford.
• MANTEL: stone, richly carved. Replicates one from
Donegal Castle, Ireland.
• covED CEILING: plaster, richly ornamented, with
circles and squares of molded ribs, sprays of flowers ,
oak trees, and oak leaves.
THE PRESIDENT' S OFFICE
ROOM 124
• LINTEL ACROSS BAY WINDOW: separateS Ceiling of
room from that in bay - the latter being flat and lower
than in main room, but ornamented in the same fashion.
• HEAT ouTLETS: pierced flat balusters.
• OAK DOUBLE-DOORS: surrounded by arched, Tudor­style
stonework. Spandrels in upper corners of
doorframe show Lashars' coats-of-arms.
• SoLARIUM: through south door, with an outdoor
stone terrace adjacent.
• LIGHTING FIXTURES, DOOR HARDWARE! original
to the room, wrought in metal.
• FLooR: irregular-width planking in oak.
THE RECEPTION ROOM
Used by the Lashars as a reception room, this office
reflects the Adam style of decoration, an influence
of the late 18th century Robert and james Adam (1728-
1784) came from a Scottish family of noted architects
and their united influence was felt in the decorative arts.
Besides designing exteriors and interiors of their build­ings,
they designed furniture , carpets, fire grates, door
hardware, and so forth, to accent and blend with their
architectural style.
The cream-colored marble mantel is beautifully inlaid
with accents of green marble. The carved frame above,
surrounding the old Italian painting, is a characteristic
Adam treatment. The painting is original to the house.
Further reflecting the Adam style are the dado
around the room, with its carved cap and base, the door
trim with carved frieze and cornice, and the mahogany
doors with richly carved moldings and finely veneered
panels. The ceiling, of delicate ornamental plasterwork,
is also classic Adam design.
The cornice, with frieze ornamented with vases and
honeysuckle, is copied from a door head in the South
Kensington Museum.
• DADO AND DOOR TRIM : carved in Adam style.
• CARVED PAINTING FRAME: characteristiC Adam
treatment, surrounds an Italian painting original to
room.
• CoRNICE: frieze ornamented with vases and honey­suckle.
Copied from South Kensington Museum.
OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT
ROOM 121
• MANTEL: cream-colored marble, inlaid with accents
of green marble.
• CEILING: delicate ornamental plasterwork.
• WINDows: carved, heart-shaped pilasters and cornice
with ornamental lunette above. Heat registers of cast
metal.
• LIGHTING FIXTURES: gilt and enamel.
• DooRs: mahogany moldings and veneered panels.
• DooR HARDWARE: specially made in England, scroll
hardware and mortise locks replace bolt locks of
earlier years.
• FLooR: oak, laid in herringbone pattern.
MRS. LASHAR'S DRESSING RooM ADVANCEMENT OFFICE
SECOND F LOOR
Family bedrooms, guest bedrooms, and servants' quarters
occupied the second and third floors. Several of the rooms
still bear strong evidence of the Lashars' choice of design.
This room is a fine example of the lacquer work, or
chinoiserie, which was much in vogue from 1680
to 1750. Growing trade with the East had brought more
and more Chinese art to Europe, and shells of cabinets,
clocks, and other pieces were frequently sent to China
to be decorated by lacquerers there. This art form soon
found ready imitators in Holland, France, and England.
The wainscot from floor to ceiling is of a warm,
biscuit or mustard-toned lacquer, with landscapes,
pagodas, oriental figures, flowers, and foliage cleverly
introduced. Parts of this detail stand out in heavy relief,
adding richness to the effect.
On the north wall, double doors with a pierced panel
above open to reveal triple dressing mirrors that were
lighted from above by an electrical fixture. The pierced
panel served as a vent to the closet, and similar panels
occur over other closet doors.
Other doors in the room opened to large walk-in
closets, lingerie drawers, hat and glove storage, and a
safe containing Mrs. Lashar's valuables and jewels.
Another in the south wall leads to what was Mrs.
Lashar's solarium (today an office) with an expansive
view of Long Island Sound.
• CHINOISERIE
decor.
• WAINSCOT:
warm biscuit- or
mustard-toned
lacquer, with
painted images
cleverly intro­duced
from floor
to ceiling, many
in raised relief
• DOUBLE
DOORS: triple­mirrored
dressing area
behind them.
ROOM 228
Pierced panel above served as a vent to closet.
• OTHER DOORs: opened to large walk-in closets, lin­gerie
drawers, hat and glove storage, a safe containing
Mrs. Lashar's valuables.
• SoLARIUM: through south door, offered an expansive
view of Long Island Sound.
• DOOR JAMBS AND ARCHED MOLDINGS: solid
wood, carved in character with the period's stone
molding and held together by wooden pegs.
• LIGHTING FIXTURES: decorated lacquer in keeping
with decor.
• REGISTER PLATES: Chinese lattice design made of
metal, finished to match woodwork.
• FLooR: oak, laid in herringbone pattern.
-~ 21 e=f-<•
THE LASHARS' BEDROOM
Long before the middle of the 18th century, the
value of stucco decoration for wall surfaces was
fully realized by architects of the day. The decorative
scheme could be successful, however, only if the archi­tect
and furniture maker worked in conjunction to
ensure proper scale between the two elements.
Craftsmen of the Georgian period, as reflected in this
room, achieved excellent results.
The walls above the dado are carried out in stucco
and served as a suitable background for the
Chippendale furniture the Lashars chose for their bed­room.
The French influence is reflected in ornamental
panels of the walls, with festoons of fruit and flowers
above the arched openings and "drops" of fruit and
flower decoration on the wide upright stiles.
The cornice is in the same material and the lower
members are of pendant form. This combination of
Chinese detail and Louis XV leaf work is one of the
characteristics of the Chippendale school, a style car­ried
through in the wall lights and the mirror frame
over the mantel.
The arched opening to the passage is balanced by a
similar shaped door opening on the southwest wall of
the room that once led to a bathroom. The large open­ings
to the windows are treated with classical
ornamental architraves.
The wood mantel combines Chinese lattice decora­tion
with classical ornament. The facing is of Siena
marble, with white linings, and the same colors are
repeated in the paneled white marble hearth.
VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT
ROOM 225
• ENTRANCE HALL AND PASSAGE BETWEEN
BEDROOM AND DRESSING ROOM: paneled in Simple
Georgian style. Four original architectural renderings
of Hearthstone Hall, in pen, ink, and watercolor, are
mounted in hall.
• WALLs: stucco
above the dado;
ornamental panels
have French influ­ence,
with festoons
of fruit and flowers
above arched open­ings
and "drops" of
fruit and flower dec­oration
on wide
upright stiles.
• CORNICE: lower
members take a
pendant form. Its
combination of Chinese detail and Louis XV leaf
work is a characteristic of the Chippendale School.
• MANTEL: wood with Chinese lattice decoration com­bined
with classical ornament; Siena marble facing
with white linings and a white marble hearth.
• WINDows: large openings have classical ornamental
architraves.
• REGISTER PLATES: Chinese lattice design, made in
metal and painted in with the woodwork.
• FLooR: oak, laid in herringbone pattern.
·~ 23 G=<-<•
THE HAYDEN COMPANY
Walter B. Lashar. Esq;
Jairfield, Conn.
••• T0aC A.DUIU
PA.I( AYINUI AT 17TH .-Tallt
COVERS (Continued)
FURNITURE :, DECORATIONS ; , ANTIQUES
ARCH IT ECT URAL WOOD WORK
UPHOLSTERY .'. DRAPERIES
UO.Ut N. GOODMAN ST.
Drawing Room: 1 7124 Bench
2 9404 Side Chai~s, G $85
1 9 ~71•A Sofa
1 9732 D~ Bed
1 107157 so fa
1 11237 Side Chair
3 10861 Chairs C $650
3 11359 •
2 11420 Wing Chairs C $1290
1 117.75 Bench
Reception Room: 2 11631 Arm Chairs 0 t750
Own Bedroom
&
Dr essing Room:
CURTAIN'S
Hall
Dining Room:
Reception•
Drawing "
Libr ary
Dr es singRm.
Bedroom
2 10668 • " • 250
1 10223 Set tee
1 7015 Bench
l Own Sota
·2 7204 Arm Chairs ® $'720
3 11548 Side • @ t 80
1 9614 sot s.
1 9959 Wi ng Chair
1 9965 Bench
1 ~1521 Bench
l 11880 D~ Bed
l 11878 Bed Drapery
3 pair red vel vet curtains l 2 single "
3 pair " • portiere a ,
3 pai~ blue damask curt ains
1 • • • porti eres)
1 • Adam Damask ourtaina
1 • Silver ~& ~matal damask
portieres)
1 " Needlework curtains
~ • Blue Damask curtains
2 " •
ROCHESTER, N. Y.
october 31. 1921 •
150.00
170.00
l~'fOO.OO
840.00
2,800.00
85.00
1,950.00
430.00
2,580.00
175.00
1,500.00
500.00
275.00
3215.00
580.00
1,440.00
255.00
1,025.00
750.00
100.00
100. 00 eoo.oo
850.00
5,400.00
1,980. 00
8,400.00
4 ,800.00
1,'750.00
1,820.00
2,650.00
2,200.00
2,400.00
The $285,791 invoice at the
left offers a window into the
world of wealth enjoyed by the
Lashar family during the 1920s,
and shows the ways they made
Hearthstone Hall a place they
could call home.
Included in this particular
invoice are charges for plaster­work
($146,651) , antique
oriental rugs, hand-woven
in Persia, Turkey, Kurdistan
($13,120), custom-made and
antique furniture primarily of
oak, mahogany, and walnut
($34,425), bedroornlsolarium
furniture ( 4 rooms; $16,695);
nursery furniture ($1 ,515);
and accessories for the home's
13 fireplaces ($3,894)
Of particular interest
is the staggering amount
spent on curtains- $15,780
for the main hall alone _
in "1921 dollars," no less.
Sadly, the Lashars lost
most of their reported
$80 million fortune
in the stock market
crash of 1929
·"""'El 24 ~·
KEY TO ARCHITECTURAL TERMS
Architrave: in classical de ign, the lowest member re ting on a column
(pages 11 , 23)
Baluster: the vertical post in a balustrade (page 3, 7)
Balustrade: the collection of rails and posts with a rail along the top
that form the wai t-height wall to the ide of stair or to a terrace
or balcony (page 7)
Boss: ornamental projecting block (page 7)
Bowed: shaped like a bow (page 9)
Brace: see "bracket" (page 9)
Bracket: projecting wall support, beneath a ceiling or overhang; in
masonry, known as a corbel (page 9)
Cartouche: ornate or ornamental frame (page 11)
Chinoiserie: style of art or decoration, including colors and lacquer­work,
refl ecting Chinese style or motif (page 21)
Coffered ceiling: ceiling with recessed panels (page 9)
Corbel: similar to a bracket but more often made of stone; rise upward
and outward from vertical surface (pages 9, 15)
Cornice: a molded and projecting horizontal frame, often decorated,
that crowns an architectural composition, frequently along the top
of a wall (pages 5, 11, 17 19, 23)
Cove: architectural member with a concave cross-section; a rounded
area where walls meet ceiling (pages 11 , 17)
Dado: lower part of an interior wall when specially decorated or faced
(pages 11 , 19, 23)
Dentil: mall projecting blocks, like teeth, beneath a cornice (page 17)
Fireback: decorative, upright cast iron screen inside hearth; used to
reflect heat (pages 13, 15)
Firewall: inside walls of a hearth, including back and cheeks (page 9)
Frieze: sculptured or richly ornamented band that lies between the
architrave and cornice of an entablature; found along the top of a
cla sical building (pages 11 , 17 19)
Gargoyle: a grotesquely carved figure, often projecting from a roof gutter
to throw rainwater clear of a building (page 3)
Georgian: a style of architecture that has refin ed and symmetrical
features and a decorative crown; named after English royalty
(pages 5, 23)
Gothic: a tyle marked by window with pointed arche , exposed
framing timbers, and steep, vaulted roo fs (page 3)
Impost: block, capital, or molding from which an arch prings (page 11)
Lacquerwork: the layering of numerous coats of varni h, sanding in
between coats to create a mooth, lu trous effect (page 21)
Lintel: a upporting piece found above a window or doo r, usually
made of wood or stone (page 15)
Lunette: ere cent-shaped area (page 19)
Newel: upright post at the foot of a tairca e or on a landing (page 7)
Pediment: a triangular, rounded, or otherwise shaped structure over a
portico, door, window or niche, usually filled with ornamentation
in the clas ical style (page 11)
Pilas ter: quare column or pillar generally attached to a wall , from
which it projects a third, forth, fifth or a sixth of its breadth
(page 9, 13, 17 19)
Portcullis: grating of iron hung over the gateway of a fortified place;
often at th e entrance to a castle after the drawbridge (page 5)
Relief: mode of sculpture in which forms and figure pro trude from
or are carved into surrounding plane surface (pages 5, 9, 21)
Rusticated: a facing of rough-surfaced masonry blocks with beveled
or rebated edges that create pronounced joints (page 7)
Soffit: underside of a part or member of a building, such as a beam,
arch, eave, overhang, or dropped ceiling (page 15)
Spandrel: ornamental part of a wall adj oining an arch or below an
upper-level window· the part of a porch facade that re flects the
balustrade (pages 9, 17)
Stile: one of the vertical members of a frame or panel into which the
secondary members are fitted (page 23)
Tracery· architectural ornamental work with branching lines, such as
decorative openwork (page 9)
Tudor: features half-timbering, and facades dominated by one or more
steeply pitched cross gables (pages 3, 5, 9, 13)
Wainscot: lower three or four feet of an interior wall, usually fini hed
differently from remainder of wall (pages 9, 17 21)
.,._~ CREDITS ~-<·
This booklet is based on research done by the Rev. Charles f Duffy, S.]. (1912-1992), who came to Fairfield Prep in
1945 and joined the University two years later. There he served first as bookstore supervisor and then as regisu·ar until
1977 In retirement, Fr. Duffy spent hours and hours in the University Archives compiling information about Fairfield's
early days, including the 20-page, single-spaced document distilled herein. He also authored Volume I of The Chronicles
of Fairfield University, published shortly before his death.
linda Gustavson '00, who graduated through University College with a degree in art history, further researched and
edited tl1is volume while working as publications assistant in the Office of Public Relations. Margaret Galeano designed the guide.
Fa'irf ield
UN IVERSITY
j esuit. Personal. Powe1jul.
1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield, CT 06824-5 157
www. fairfield.eclu
10/04