National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Resource History and Description of Existing Conditions
Brothers carried out the ornamental design. 510 There is a hanging pierced metal lighting fixture
with a glass globe. 511 A pair of Italian green pottery jars purchased by Stanford White flank the
inner doors. 512
The vestibule stands today as it was designed with little deviation from McKim, Mead &
White's drawings and with an exceptionally high degree of integrity. The only visible change is
in one doorknob out of the four that does not match. The Vanderbilts and/or National Park
Service may have spruced up the painted finishes. 513
Elliptical Hall
The Elliptical Hall is an elliptically shaped room in a classical French Renaissance style
designed by Charles McKim. 514 It is documented by eleven drawings drawn by Hunter and Hall.
There is a terrazzo floor with pale-colored borders. The walls have Italian green marble
pilasters with white marble bases and capitals above which is a molded cornice with a decorative
frieze of stylized anthemions in relief on a pale green painted ground. An elongated octagonal
opening in the ceiling provides light from the second-story skylight. A similar band of
anthemion decoration in relief on the ceiling surrounds the opening. There are two doorways
opening onto the west portico overlooking the Hudson River. Other doorways open into the
Lavatory and Coats room, Lobby, Den, Gold Room, and Grand Stair Hall. The North and
South Foyers join the Elliptical Hall to the Dining Room and Living Room respectively.
There were only minor deviations between the McKim, Mead & White drawings and the
executed design including the vertical panels over the entrance door, bathroom, and Lobby
where stacked urns were used in place of berries and leaves. 515 The work was carried out by
510 Herter Brothers Sales Ledger, 1898-1904, Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts, Winterthur
Library (Herter Brothers hereafter), vol. 18, 65, Entry April 10, 1899, "F.W. Vanderbilt, Hyde Park,
N.Y. Messrs. McKim, Mead & White, archts." It is worth noting that this was a direct contract
between McKim, Mead & White and Herter Brothers, and not a sub-contract from Norcross Brothers, as
occurs elsewhere in the mansion.
511 This is probably an antique fixture that was refitted for electricity by Caldwell.
512 See bills SW Papers, Box 49:3, and Box 19:2.
513 No paint samples have been taken.
514 The following MMW drawings refer to this space:
no#- 3/4 detail of caps
#110 (6/21/97), 1/4 Plan
#111 (6/21/97), Elevation of Lobbies leading into Dining and Living Rooms
#162 (12/13/97), 3/4 Plan
#171 (2/19/98), Longitudinal Section
#175 (2/1/98), Elevation of Door to Reception Room 3/4 Scale details of one bay of elliptical hall
#178 (2/7/98), Window Bays
#179 (2/7/98), Partial Plan of Ceiling
#184 (2/16/98), Details of Lobbies and Doors
#205 (3/15/98), Plan showing furring for marble work
#285 (7/11/98) Detail of Bronze Grill for Vestibule Door
515 Other deviations: Close examination shows that #184 reveals more precise detailing of five
doorways that are similarly represented in #171. The two constructed differences in #184
versus extant decoration are the elimination of the designed rosettes in the corner-blocks of the
104