Obviously, this house isn't significant other than being the one-time home of a famous architect.  However, it does show that Richardson, early in his career, was pretty much sticking to convention and designing houses in the fashion of the time.  His office buildings during this period also reflected his French academic training.  With the design & construction of Trinity Church in Boston Richardson would veer away from the tried & true and give us the first example of the style now bearing his name. USE YOUR BACK BUTTON OR CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE HHR TOUR

H.H. Richardson's Home Staten Island, NY

Julia Richardson's father, Dr. John Cole Hayden is thought to have financed it's construction.  Dr. Hayden wrote to his wife after a visit to Staten Island commenting on the handsomeness of the house.  He also praised it for having modern conveniences.  Richardson had gas piping built into the house even though gas was not available until after the house was completed.  Richardson and his family lived here until moving to Brookline, MA in 1874. The house has passed through many hands since then.  It now contains doctor offices as part of a complex with the house next door.  At one time the house had been covered with stucco.  At my first visit here in April 1995 I wrote in my notes, "No stucco!! (good news)  Colors!! (bad news)"  The stucco has been replaced by clapboards, as it had originally, but the house was not white when Richardson lived here.  The roof shingles were painted a bright Chinese red.  The pictures on this page, taken in November 1999, show a darker red shingling.  The house next door still has the earlier red. It's much faded but not evident in these pictures. The interior has changed so much over the years that there is no original detail remaining.  The area at the front of the house, next to the present porch, was originally the front porch before being enclosed.  The front door was approached from that side.  The low shed-like structure at the side is not part of the original house.

H.H. Richardson and Julia Gorham Hayden were married in January 1867.  Their first home was a small cottage on Staten Island.  Richardson apparently began designing the house shown on this page in 1868.  It was completed in January 1869.

Obviously, this house isn't significant other than being the one-time home of a famous architect.  However, it does show that Richardson, early in his career, was pretty much sticking to convention and designing houses in the fashion of the time.  His office buildings during this period also reflected his French academic training.  With the design & construction of Trinity Church in Boston Richardson would veer away from the tried & true and give us the first example of the style now bearing his name. USE YOUR BACK BUTTON OR CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE HHR TOUR