Willowdale Estate

Historic, Charming, Scenic

Built in 1901, Willowdale Estate was created towards the end of the Arts and Crafts movement, an era that emphasized craftsmanship, simplicity, and nature in design. The movement, which began as one of social reform, was in response to the changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution in mid-Victorian England. Factory workers, who felt exploited and stripped of their dignity, drove the movement towards creating a more simplistic and natural lifestyle. The architectural design reflected this backlash, as it resisted traditional mid-Victorian overly ornate designs. Architect Frank Lloyd Wright and Interior Designer William Morrison were the pioneers of the Arts and Crafts style, which fused the designs of the Shaker movement and Native American crafts.
Bradley Palmer, a well-known attorney who represented President Wilson at the Versailles Peace Conference at the end of World War I, built and lived at Willowdale Estate. In designing the interior of the stone mansion, Palmer drew inspiration from the Arts and Crafts tradition; the wall-to-wall wood paneling and wood floors throughout the house reflect the nature theme, and the stained glass and mosaic tiles reflect Frank Lloyd Wright’s geometric style. In an effort to personalize the mansion, Palmer wove motifs of royalty from the Medieval Period with the Arts and Crafts style creating a unique and eclectic home. Along with various representations of queens, knights and kings, two stone-carved fireplaces, which bellow over six feet tall, are the focal point in the Great Room and the Dining Room. The fireplaces represent an extinct form of artisan in present-day America, as the materials and design are impossible to replicate. The Great Room has high-vaulted ceilings that tower over 80 ft; it was in this room where Palmer held lavish soirees with distinguished guests such as General Patton and the Prince of Wales.