In today’s Transitions column, we continue excerpts from an Old Timer’s column in a 1932 edition of this newspaper, written by Rufus, the pen name of A. Clark Jr. Mr. Clark’s focus was the interior of Litchfield Chateau as follows:
The decorations of the spacious interior are lavish beyond description. In many of the rooms are fireplaces, designed and carved in Italy and other foreign lands, which add greatly to the decorative beauty of the different floors and parts of the building.
In the “great hall” there is a fireplace of wonderful design, which formerly adorned the palatial drawing room in the Madison Square apartments in New York City, owned by the late Stanford White who was shot in 1906 by Harry K. Thaw during an alleged quarrel over the famed actress, Evelyn Nesbit, wife of Thaw.
When the White estate was settled and his princely belongings sold at auction, Mr. Litchfield bid on the fireplace and rated it as being one of his most valuable possessions.
In the large hall there are 174 heads and animals, trophies of the hunt, shot by Mr. Litchfield, his son, Hubert, and members of his party on hunting expeditions to Africa, Scotland, Europe and other lands.
The vast collection is said to be one of the largest and most varied groups extant, privately owned.
In the art gallery is a collection of oil paintings, priceless in value, comprising many historical Biblical works, one being a painting of the “Head of John the Baptist.” Another is a work of art executed in oil centuries ago by an early master, which was purchased in Vienna 125 years ago by Mr. Litchfield’s father while on a continental tour.
For nearly 20 years the owner set apart Thursdays of each week as “visitors” day. Attendants were provided and hundreds of eager sightseers visited the grounds and castle and enjoyed the hospitality of the beautifully ordained place.
When the owner was present with guests, he always took special pains to call their attention to the long lines of heads and hunting trophies, nearly all of which were bagged by himself and his son, Hubert.
He would also recount with well deserved pride, of one of his late trips to a friend’s hunting lodge in Scotland, during which he brought down five stags out of six shots.
Mr. Litchfield would remark facetiously, “Pretty good for a 76 year old hunter, isn’t it?”
The first superintendent at the park was Orlin Puffer of Lowville, appointed 38 years ago. Among those who have since held the position, we recall the following: .A Shuhardt, Thomas Scott, John Johnson, M. Mayhew, James Minogue, Andrew Chase, John J. McCoy, Oscar McNeil, William Rice and Joseph Greene, the present incumbent.
Their duties were to supervise the work by park employees, see to it that repairs were made when needed and everything about the large preserve kept up according to orders from the owner.
Note: these duties and many others are today under the competent supervision of Kevin Littlefield, the current superintendent of the park.
Eight years ago (1924) it was decided to begin lumbering on a scientific scale to clear the forest of all over grown and fully ripened timber.
Mr. Litchfield appointed as woods engineer to take charge of the operations Floyd A. Hutchins of Tupper Lake, a son of the late Almanzo Hutchins of Brandon, well known timber cruiser and surveyor throughout Northern New York.
William W. and John B. McCarthy, comprising the firm of McCarthy Brothers of Tupper Lake, were awarded the contract for lumbering which has been continued for seven years by sub-jobbing firms of this place. All trees permissible of being felled were so marked by Mr. Hutchins and every effort was made to preserve the young and growing timber.
Note: Mr. Hutchins’ management approach was to cut half the mature trees over a certain diameter. The idea being to provide a factor of permanence to the lands of his employer. Mr. Hutchins retired in 1959 and was succeeded by the late John Stock, formerly forester for the Emporium Lumber Co. of Conifer and an independent forestry consultant. Scientific management continues today under the guidance of a well-known lumbering firm. It is estimated that between 75,000 and 100,000 cords of pulp wood have been cut that were sold to the St. Regis Paper Co., and the International Paper Co. Upwards of 15,000,000 feet of hardwood logs have also been cut and sold to C.H. Elliott and Son for their Tupper Lake mill to be converted into hardwood lumber and mangle rollers for export to England and foreign countries.
Edward H. Litchfield, the founder of this large estate, died in March 1930, leaving the property by will to his son, Major Hubert Litchfield, officer in the World War, who is carrying on the great projects his father began nearly 40 years ago.
Note: Major Litchfield died in 1951. He was succeeded by Edward S. Litchfield. Today the park is under the direction of Pieter Litchfield, a fourth-generation, great grandson of the builder. Innovation, creativity and an ethic of resource management have allowed the perpetuation of the original “magnificent Edwardian dream” of its founder, Edward Litchfield.
Litchfield Park remains a welcome and valued neighbor – a major influence and a significant contributor to the history of this community.