Classical American Homes Preservation Trust

ABOUT US

–	History of CAHPT

–	Richard Hampton Jenrette Founder

–	Board of Directors & Management

Introducing a New Force in Preservation
Some of America’s finest houses were built in classical Greek or Roman style in the early 19th Century – like Edgewater, shown above, built in 1824 on the Hudson River in upstate New York. Our early Presidents were in the forefront in popularizing the classical style in their own homes, witness George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, James Madison’s Montpelier, James Monroe’s Oak Hill and Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage. To that list, one can add the White House itself. All feature massive colonnades in the classical manner across their front facades. Greek Revival mania soon swept the nation, lasting until the mid-19th Century and recurring periodically in the 20th Century.
My own interest in classical architecture, undoubtedly stimulated by growing up in the American South and watching Gone With the Wind too many times, reached a fever pitch in the late 1960s when I acquired not one but two spectacular examples of classical residential architecture in America – Edgewater, shown above, and Roper House built in 1838 in Charleston, South Carolina (below). These two acquisitions set the tone and direction for what was to become a fascinating lifetime hobby – collecting and restoring old houses and antiques of the period.
Forty years, more or less, have passed and during this time I have bought and restored at least a dozen old houses, all in the classical American architectural style that so captivated me. Some were sold or given away, but I retain six of the best. These houses are filled with antique furniture, paintings and other decorative arts, much of it original to the houses. The decorative arts of this period manifested the same fashion in classical Greek and Roman forms that had inspired the houses. The Duncan Phyfe, Lannuier and other antique furniture that I acquired to go with the houses represents the final flowering of hand-carved furniture in America, before machines replaced these craftsmen in the mid-19th Century.
Why I Am Going Public
During a long career on Wall Street, I was involved in bringing many companies “public,” including our own firm (Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette) which became the first NYSE member firm to sell its shares to the public.
So now, at age 77, I believe it’s time for me to go public with all these houses and their related collections. That is why I formed Classical American Homes Preservation Trust (CAHPT), a not-for-profit foundation that will eventually own all of these houses and open them to the public. Two of the houses are already owned by CAHPT, and the others will be given to the Foundation as my tax and personal circumstances dictate. Meanwhile, the houses that I still own also are open for special group tours by museums, garden clubs, and various preservation organizations. All proceeds from these tours are donated to either the sponsoring organization or CAHPT, as are the proceeds from the sale of the book Adventures With Old Houses, which describes my 40-year odyssey in collecting and restoring old houses and antiques.
There are quite a few things that are different or contrarian about Classical American Homes Preservation Trust vis-à-vis other preservation organizations, which I would like you to know about before you consider participating in our activities.
A Highly Focused Collection
First off, unlike many museums or preservation groups, we are not trying to be “all things to all people.” Our collection of old houses and decorative arts is tightly focused – first half of the 19th Century, residential (as opposed to public buildings, churches, etc.), classical (i.e. inspired by Greek and Roman precedent), and American. When it comes to antique furniture we are even more focused, especially in New York-made furniture (Phyfe, Lannuier, etc.). Exceptions to the Americana rule are imported luxury items, used but not made in the U.S. at the time. The six houses include an important collection of classically inspired early 19th Century English, French, and other European crystal chandeliers, mirrors, clocks and porcelain, some of it original to the houses.
Why are we so focused on the early 19th Century art and architecture in America? It’s partly happenstance, since I accidentally stumbled across the two magnificent Greek Revival houses. Of more historical importance, this was America’s critical first 50 years – the “take-off stage” – following our success in gaining independence and founding a new nation. The classical architecture of the Greeks and Romans became our national style. It seemed to reflect the Republican values of early Rome and Athenian Democracy at its peak.

Felix Kelly painting of
Edgewater on the Hudson
River, upstate New York.

A Belief in Restoring Things to Their Original Glory
Our views on restoration and preservation also appear to be a little at variance with current thinking by some of our friends in today’s museum world – that is to say we still believe in restoration and preservation. I have been advised that the preferred term today is conservation (as opposed to restoration). We have conservators instead of restorers, etc. Implicit in this semantic debate is the belief that some of us old-timers may have gone too far in restoring things to their original condition. Berry Tracy, the late curator of the American Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, used to boast that “we are getting things ready for the next 100 years.” Tracy’s efforts, as well as the work of Clement Conger and Edward Vason Jones at the White House and State Department, literally brought American Federal Period and Empire furniture out of the shadows (or I could say out of the grime and dirt of two centuries) and back into popularity. Whether this hurt the “integrity” of the piece or the resale value, I will leave to others to debate. I do know that the neo-classical furniture of this early 19th Century period was considerably more exuberant and showy than the more restrained 18th Century pieces so prized by many collectors (and often considered untouchable when it comes to restoration). Early 19th Century furniture, however, relied on stenciling, gilding, brass ormolu, and highly polished mahogany veneers for effect. When these features are obliterated, i.e. covered by dirt, Federal and Empire furniture recedes into the background and loses its snap, which made this style so popular in the early 19th Century.

Overall, most of us who restored old houses and antiques over many years have respected the existing conditions of the house or antiques at the time of the acquisition. But we also have not hesitated to restore missing plaster work, gilt or stenciling as needed to display the original intent.

A Highly Personalized Collection – In Two Ways
This preceding discussion perhaps highlights another distinguishing feature of CAHPT’s collection, namely that it is very “personal” – not just to me but to the previous owners of the houses. The houses and their contents obviously are very personal to me since they have been my home for many years. But a strange thing happened along the way – the longer I lived in the houses, the more I became aware of the families who had preceded me, either in building or owning the houses. Many of the original furnishings, including family portraits, porcelain, silverware, etc. began to show up almost miraculously. Once the process of seemingly returning the house to the original owners started, I merrily joined the search. While the houses were home to me, I never felt that I was anything more than a custodian – as it turns out for nearly 40 years. I believe these houses have become far more interesting, not only to me but to visitors, because so many of the original furnishings have returned to their home. The houses tell a fascinating tale of changing life in America over hundreds of years.

As a result, most of my acquisitions in recent years have not been “one more Gilbert Stuart portrait or Phyfe table” but focused primarily on acquiring items that were original or related to the houses. There are still many more family items “out there” and my hope is that by turning the houses into museums, open to the public, we will have opportunities to recover even more of the original furnishings.

Having Fun With Old Houses
A final objective of Classical American Homes Preservation Trust is to make sure that these fine old homes are enjoyed and that it is a “fun” experience to visit them. I have certainly enjoyed them during my tenure and love sharing them with others. This is not always the case with house museums. Not to keep picking on museums or my other preservation colleagues, I do feel all too often we are inclined to put the old houses in “moth balls,” so to speak, rather than enjoy or celebrate them. They were enjoyed in their time and are best enjoyed today in ways other than the standard docents’ tour, which of course can be fun but often isn’t. I believe the houses owned by CAHPT should also be opened “off hours” on special occasions – to groups that will respect the integrity of the house and enjoy it. All too often, house museums close at 5 p.m. and shut down. Yet the magic of an old house often only comes out at sunset or with candlelight. Trustees of Monticello have told me their most meaningful moments are candlelight receptions, sipping wine in the house when the spirit of Thomas Jefferson seems to return (he did love wine!).

It is my hope that the old homes that I am turning over to CAHPT – some already nearly 200 years old – will be around another 100 years or more, serving as models and guides to the spirit and aspiration of the people who founded our nation. Above all, I want visitors to these houses to have a memorable and fun visit – and then join our cause of preserving America’s heritage of classical architecture.

Thank you for your interest in Classical American Homes Preservation Trust!

Richard Hampton Jenrette
Founder and President

Felix Kelly painting of the Roper House, built in 1838 overlooking the harbor in Charleston, South Carolina captures some of the drama and romance of this house, which was my first acquisition in 1968.