Longfield (Bristol, Rhode Island)
Encyclopedia
Longfield is an historic house at 1200 Hope Street in Bristol, Rhode Island
.
on sixty acres of DeWolf family land given to Charles Dana Gibson (the grandfather of the famous artist
bearing the same name) upon his marriage to Abbey DeWolf, the daughter of the late Senator James DeWolf. Warren had built many other important buildings in Bristol for the DeWolf family, who rose to prominence through the slave trade
. In 1901, the house was passed down from Abbey DeWolf Gibson to granddaughter Josephine Gibson, who became the longtime chatelaine
of the estate. Josephine was one of the models of the "Gibson Girl
" illustrated by her brother, named Charles Dana Gibson
like her grandfather. Longfield was a center of social and artistic gatherings until Josephine's death in 1969. Her son, bookbinder Daniel Gibson Knowlton
, sold the house in 1972. In May of that year, it was nominated to the National Register of Historic Places
. Public records indicate that it is still being used as a private residence. Daniel built an adjacent home and bookbindery
named Longfield Studio on the property at 1202 Hope Street. There are other smaller houses and cottages on the property, originally constructed to house servants and caretakers.
survey, the foundation of the house is of stucco
ed stone and the walls are constructed of wood clapboard
s. The house has four chimneys. The original cut-out bargeboard
trim was removed from the gable
s around 1907. The front porch was rebuilt with a steeper shingled
roof and its Gothic bracing and wooden crocket
s were removed. The Gothic window over the front porch may have had its sill
-level raised. The south side porch was enlarged from a half-octagon shaped protrusion, which had been accessible from only the south parlor window. Its Gothic balustrade, bracing and parapet
railing were kept. The original exterior window blinds of the house are stored in the attic. The rear entrance porch was rebuilt in 1963. The original partition separating the front southwest bedroom from a dressing room was removed. The house originally had a wood-shingled roof and was painted light red with darker trim. As of 1979, the house was painted white with black trim.
Bristol, Rhode Island
Bristol is a town in and the historic county seat of Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 22,954 at the 2010 census. Bristol, a deepwater seaport, is named after Bristol, England....
.
History
The house was designed in 1848 by architect Russell WarrenRussell Warren (architect)
Russell Warren was an American architect, best known for his Greek Revival style, and notably the design of the Weybosset Arcade, now known as the Westminster Arcade in Providence, Rhode Island.Warren was born in Tiverton, Rhode Island...
on sixty acres of DeWolf family land given to Charles Dana Gibson (the grandfather of the famous artist
Charles Dana Gibson
Charles Dana Gibson was an American graphic artist, best known for his creation of the Gibson Girl, an iconic representation of the beautiful and independent American woman at the turn of the 20th century....
bearing the same name) upon his marriage to Abbey DeWolf, the daughter of the late Senator James DeWolf. Warren had built many other important buildings in Bristol for the DeWolf family, who rose to prominence through the slave trade
History of slavery in the United States
Slavery in the United States was a form of slave labor which existed as a legal institution in North America for more than a century before the founding of the United States in 1776, and continued mostly in the South until the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in...
. In 1901, the house was passed down from Abbey DeWolf Gibson to granddaughter Josephine Gibson, who became the longtime chatelaine
Chatelaine
Châtelaine has the following meanings:*Châtelaine, a woman who owns or controls a large house ....
of the estate. Josephine was one of the models of the "Gibson Girl
Gibson Girl
The Gibson Girl was the personification of a feminine ideal as portrayed in the satirical pen-and-ink-illustrated stories created by illustrator Charles Dana Gibson during a 20-year period spanning the late nineteenth and early twentieth century in the United States.Some people argue that the...
" illustrated by her brother, named Charles Dana Gibson
Charles Dana Gibson
Charles Dana Gibson was an American graphic artist, best known for his creation of the Gibson Girl, an iconic representation of the beautiful and independent American woman at the turn of the 20th century....
like her grandfather. Longfield was a center of social and artistic gatherings until Josephine's death in 1969. Her son, bookbinder Daniel Gibson Knowlton
Daniel Gibson Knowlton
Daniel Gibson Knowlton was an American classicist bookbinder at Brown University. Knowlton is the nephew of illustrator Charles Dana Gibson and a descendant of Plymouth Colony governor William Bradford.-Biography:...
, sold the house in 1972. In May of that year, it was nominated to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Public records indicate that it is still being used as a private residence. Daniel built an adjacent home and bookbindery
Bookbinding
Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a book from a number of folded or unfolded sheets of paper or other material. It usually involves attaching covers to the resulting text-block.-Origins of the book:...
named Longfield Studio on the property at 1202 Hope Street. There are other smaller houses and cottages on the property, originally constructed to house servants and caretakers.
Architecture
The house is a slightly altered example of Gothic Revival architecture interpreted in wood. According to a National Park ServiceNational Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
survey, the foundation of the house is of stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
ed stone and the walls are constructed of wood clapboard
Clapboard (architecture)
Clapboard, also known as bevel siding or lap siding or weather-board , is a board used typically for exterior horizontal siding that has one edge thicker than the other and where the board above laps over the one below...
s. The house has four chimneys. The original cut-out bargeboard
Bargeboard
Bargeboard is a board fastened to the projecting gables of a roof to give them strength and to mask, hide and protect the otherwise exposed end of the horizontal timbers or purlins of the roof to which they were attached...
trim was removed from the gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
s around 1907. The front porch was rebuilt with a steeper shingled
Shake (shingle)
A shake is a basic wooden shingle that is made from split logs. Shakes have traditionally been used for roofing and siding applications around the world. Higher grade shakes are typically used for roofing purposes, while the lower grades are used for siding purposes...
roof and its Gothic bracing and wooden crocket
Crocket
A crocket is a hook-shaped decorative element common in Gothic architecture. It is in the form of a stylised carving of curled leaves, buds or flowers which is used at regular intervals to decorate the sloping edges of spires, finials, pinnacles, and wimpergs....
s were removed. The Gothic window over the front porch may have had its sill
Sill plate
A sill plate or sole plate in construction and architecture is the bottom horizontal member of a wall or building to which vertical members are attached. Sill plates are usually composed of lumber. It usually comes in sizes of 2×4, 2×6, 2×8, and 2×10. In the platform framing method the sill plate...
-level raised. The south side porch was enlarged from a half-octagon shaped protrusion, which had been accessible from only the south parlor window. Its Gothic balustrade, bracing and parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
railing were kept. The original exterior window blinds of the house are stored in the attic. The rear entrance porch was rebuilt in 1963. The original partition separating the front southwest bedroom from a dressing room was removed. The house originally had a wood-shingled roof and was painted light red with darker trim. As of 1979, the house was painted white with black trim.
Literature
Josephine Gibson Knowlton and Andrea Hurley recorded the history of the house and the family in a number of books.- Longfield: The House on the Neck (1956)
- Butterballs and Finger Bowls (1960)
- What a Life: The Incredible Story of Josephine "Dadie" Jordan (2004)