19th Century Folk Art Historic Swanswick Sign

Details

Description

Dimensions: 42 inches wide, 29 inches tall, 10.5 deep

A historic sign for Swanswick the home of Leslie Pell-Clarke, the … Read more Dimensions: 42 inches wide, 29 inches tall, 10.5 deep

A historic sign for Swanswick the home of Leslie Pell-Clarke, the grounds now of Otsego Golf Club in Cooperstown, NY.
Leslie Pell-Clarke married the charming Henrietta Temple, a cousin of Henry James the novelist, and of William James, the psychologist. He changed the name of the place to Swanswick, and lived there from the early 'seventies until his death in 1904. The Pell-Clarkes made Swanswick known as a haven of good cheer for miles around. The old house, simple in its lines and modest in proportions, had an air of singular distinction. The library in the west wing, with its curious skylight, and bookcases well stocked with the classic favorites of an English country gentleman, was a revelation to the connoisseur of old volumes; and the whole house was full of quaintly delightful surprises. It was the master of the house himself who gave to the place its atmosphere. He was ideally the center of things, especially when he sat in the library reading aloud from some favorite author, which he did always with perfect justice of expression, and in a voice of unrivaled melody. He was a lover of outdoor life, and laid out on his own property at the head of the lake the golf grounds now managed by the Otsego Golf Club, the oldest links of any in America that have been maintained on their original course. See less