On a quiet street in New Castle sit two elegant early 20th century mansions, set deep off the curb, as if to say leave us alone.
Standing in front of them -- one is in the Tudor Revival style and the other Greek Revival -- you would swear that they are related nonetheless. After all, both command respect with equal amounts of elegance and grandeur -- like a brother and sister off in worlds of their own.
In a way, that's what they are. They were designed by New Castle architect Frank H. Foulk (1874-1929) for Alex Crawford Hoyt (1881-1975) and his maiden sister May Emma Hoyt (1875-1962), children of industrialist and financier Lewis Stiles Hoyt (1840-1912).
Today, joined by a glassed-in walkway, the two mansions comprise the Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts, which they have been since 1965 when they were donated to the Lawrence Cultural Association by Mr. and Mrs. Alex Crawford Hoyt.
Known throughout the region as an art museum and cultural center that mounts premiere exhibitions by some of the countries best known artists -- the current one is "Wolf Kahn Pastels" through Sept. 28 -- "The Hoyt," as it is called by the locals, has become an integral part of the communal fabric of New Castle.
Both mansions comprising The Hoyt sit on a city block between Leasure and Winter avenues. But even with such a spread, nearly all of the art related activities are confined to the May Emma Hoyt house, known as Hoyt East.
Over the years, it has been transformed into galleries, studios, classrooms and offices, while still retaining much of its original historical character. And today it is the "heart" of the museum's programming, which attracts more than 15,000 visitors each year.
However, Hoyt West, Alex Crawford Hoyt's house, has remained relatively unchanged. Only used sporadically for private and corporate functions, as well as weddings, it had never been completely restored. That is, until now.
Thanks to a sizable trust created by late Allentown philanthropist Lewis J.G. Buehler (who died in 2003), Hoyt West has come alive again. This time as a house museum, which officially opened on Sept. 1.
"It has given us the momentum we needed to move this house along," says Kimberly Koller-Jones, the Hoyt's executive director, about Buehler's trust.
Lewis Stiles Hoyt was a reputable investor of oil, steel and coal and was also known as a financier.
"He died early. He was 50 when he had a heart attack," Koller-Jones says. "The rumor is that when he passed away his children inherited $100 million each."
But son Alex was no slouch either. A third-generation philanthropist, banker and industrialist, Alex was elected a director of Citizens National Bank, First National Bank and National Bank of Lawrence County, which were all located in New Castle.
Alex's house was once known as "Rosewall" because of the cascading roses that covered the stone walls surrounding the property. It features early 20th century "state-of-the-art" devices such as a bell intercom, central vacuuming system and an elevator. "It still works," Koller-Jones says of the elevator.
The house was completed in 1917 at a cost of approximately $250,000. "The cost to build the average house at the time was about $5,000-$6000," Koller-Jones says.
Aside from having the most modern of conveniences at the time, such as one of the area's first telephone rooms, the house is made entirely of steel-and-concrete construction, with walls and floors anywhere from 18- to 24-inches thick.
The exterior of the two 1/2-story-high structure is covered in common bond brick. But the red tile gable roof -- with its long overhangs and obvious German and Swiss influence -- has a main ridge running east to west and a lower cross gable. Brackets are located under the eaves, further emphasizing the drama. Roof dormers are adorned with kingpost gable decorations, and battlements crown two sets of bay windows that flank a trio of French doors
Inside the house, the central entry, otherwise known as the receiving room, includes three French doors with round arch openings and sleeping porches located on each side. The living room sports a fireplace of carved sandstone with an acanthus leaf design, as well as original bookcases made of mahogany. And the sun porch, which is tiled in terra-cotta, was a family favorite, having lots of light and overlooking the expanse of lawn and the Mercer Street property where Alex Hoyt once had his gardens.
Buehler also donated about 80 percent of the home's furnishings. Having met Buehler while he was still alive, Koller-Jones says she traveled to his home in Allentown five different times, bringing back everything from Jacobian chairs to German beer steins, all of which date to the early 20th century.
Koller-Jones says that because of the Hoyt family's German heritage, which Buehler shared, "It was like going to the Hoyt's cousin's house to pick stuff up and bring it back, because it was the same time period. They were the same kinds of things the Hoyt's would have had."
However, some pieces are original to the family, like the 19th-century Bavarian grandfather clock at the base of the main stairwell. The stair rail has elaborately carved medallions with the letter H at the core. And on the landing, a stained-glass window features the family crests.
Much of The Hoyt's permanent art collection also is housed in the house. It includes formal portraits of both Lewis Stiles Hoyt and Alex Crawford Hoyt, which hang opposite each other in the receiving room, as well as original works by Clyde Singer (1908-1999) on the sun porch and Charlotte Buell Coman (1833-1924), the first woman artist to exhibit in a Whitney Biennial. Her painting, titled "A Farmer's Cottage," is located in the living room.
The second floor of the house contains the master bedroom, which has an adjoining dressing room and bathroom. In the bedroom, a carved-wood and tile fireplace is distinguished by its decorative Corinthian columns. The curtains have a floral design, which coincides with the decorative floral tiles in the fireplace, and, amazingly, are original to the house and in fine condition.
The connected dressing room and bathroom contain an armoire and banks of storage shelves hidden behind tall drawers. Two mirrored side closet doors pull open to make a three-way mirror.
The second floor also houses maid's quarters, outside of which is a bell intercom that would alert the staff that someone was needed wherever the arrow was pointing.
Amazingly, the attic is not an attic at all. Instead it is a ballroom, complete with sitting rooms. It also was used as a studio by Alex Hoyt's wife, who enjoyed bookbinding as a hobby.
Of course, there is much more to this house -- too much to mention here. There is a room where Oriental artifacts are displayed, as well as a kitchen that has one of the earliest examples of a fluorescent light. But without question, such a magnificent home is well worth the visit. And after seeing it, visitors will agree, it was well worth the wait.
Additional Information:
'Hoyt West: Alex Crawford Hoyt Mansion'
Hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays; and noon-4 p.m. Sundays.
Admission: Free
Where: Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts , 124 E. Leasure Ave., New Castle.
Details: 724-652-2882.
