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Located in
the center of 134 acres of woodlands and meadows is the Robert
Treat Paine Estate, also known as Stonehurst. Robert Treat Paine
and his wife Lydia built a fine but modest Mansard-style summer
house in Waltham in 1866. In 1884, Mr. Paine engaged the famous
architect H.H. Richardson to design
a great addition to his summer house. The first story of the
Richardson addition is constructed of massive glacial boulders
and features a Syrian arch, a well-known signature of the architect.
The second floor of the mansion is sheathed in weathered shingles,
with three stone towers rising from the ground. The house is
situated on a spectacular rise selected by landscape architect
Frederick Law Olmstead, who also designed the gardens and terrace.
The interior of the Paine House is the largest remaining domestic
interior designed by H.H. Richardson. The great hall, with its
terra-cotta red walls and stenciled Japanese designs, anticipates
the flowing spaces of modem architecture. Another significant
feature of the Paine Estate is the great staircase, one of the
most famous in American architecture. With its carved, paneled
woodwork, magnificent marble and tile fireplaces, and original
furnishings, the interior of the Paine House is unequaled in
the work of H.H. Richardson. |