Architectural Description

Ashton was a substantial mid-nineteenth-century country house, its exterior combining classical symmetry with the relaxed informality expected of a suburban retreat. The main block is two stories in height, capped by a low hipped roof punctuated with dormer windows, giving the house a broad, settled profile rather than a vertical emphasis. A deep, wraparound porch defines the principal façade, its slender posts and decorative brackets softening the formality of the masonry walls and encouraging outdoor living during the summer months. French doors and tall windows open the principal rooms to the grounds, visually and physically linking house and landscape.

History

Ashton served as the residence of Henry Maunsell Schieffelin (1808-1890), a prominent American merchant, philanthropist, and partner in the wholesale pharmaceutical firm W.H. Schieffelin & Fowler. He lived there with his second wife, Sarah Minerva Kendall (1834-1921), whom he married in 1859, and by 1870 they had made it their home. The estate functioned as a retreat from urban life in Manhattan (where Schieffelin also maintained a residence at 665 Fifth Avenue) and was used for family gatherings.