Was This Home Designed by Stanford White?

A unique Scarsdale home is now on the market near Scarsdale Village on Rochambeau Road. Rumor has it that the house was designed by Stanford White and we did a little work to see if this claim could be confirmed.

First stop was Village Hall where Village Planner Elizabeth Marrinan pulled up the microfiche where old house plans are stored. Unfortunately though the house was built in 1907, the first plans on record at the Village pertain to a renovation that was made to the house in 1937. So without the original plans, it is difficult to confirm the provenance of the design.

Next, we visited the house and spoke to the current owner as well as Susan Field, the listing agent with Coldwell Banker. The current owners moved to 10 Rochambeau from another house down the street 12 years ago. They purchased it from a family who had moved to town from South Africa and raised a family of nine boys in the house … the last two were twins! It is easy to imagine how a family of eleven could fit into the spacious house with its 32-foot living room, seven bedrooms, 11 ½ foot ceilings on the first floor and 10 ½ foot ceilings throughout the house. The house sits on almost an acre and the large yard has plenty of room to run around. The previous owners claimed that the house was designed by Stanford White.

A look at the architectural features of the house and the dates of White’s life neither confirm or rule out the possibility that he designed it. Typical of his work, the house features grand columns, porticos, symmetry and balance. There are three large pillared porches, wood wainscoting that extends up the grand stairway, plaster-relief rosettes, pocket doors and leaded glass windows. The current owner reports that the foyer originally housed two small phone booths and that a fireplace was uncovered when they renovated the kitchen.

As for the timeline, the famous story of White’s murder dates his death to June 25, 1906. White was involved with model and chorus girl Evelyn Nesbit and her husband Harry Kendall Thaw shot Stanford White at a performance at the Madison Square Garden roof theatre in a fit of jealousy. Whether or not the plans for the home were drafted by him before his death is anyone’s guess.

Now the house is ready for a new family to move in. You can see the complete listing and schedule a visit to the house by clicking here .

10 Rochambeau Road
List Price: $2,647,000
Real Estate Taxes: $36,164

See the Complete Listing Here

Here are a few more homes that closed this past week:

72 Walworth: Classic Federal Colonial filled with charm. Beautifully renovated with great care taken to preserve its original architectural integrity. Spacious, open floor plan with French Doors. Inviting sun-filled rooms. New eat-in kitchen with hardwood floors, granite counters, Viking refrigerator, 6-burner stove and wine refrigerator. Bosch dishwasher, charming patio. level fenced-in yard off kitchen. Separate garage with rec space.

List Price: $1,395,000
Sale Price: $1,300,000
Real Estate Taxes: $22,775

20 Jefferson Road: Elegant Colonial situated on a tree-lined street. Gleaming hardwood floors welcome you into this spacious 4 bedroom 2 1/2 bath home. Large rooms with a multitude of windows overlooking the property fill this gracious home with abundant sunshine. Charming sunroom/family room with sliding glass doors to a private slate patio. The kitchen features a center island and view of the backyard. Great flow for living and entertaining both inside and outside.

List Price: $915,000
Sale Price: 882,500
Real Estate Taxes: $17,956