Tatham Estate
The Tatham House stands above all on the peak of a hill, watching passersbys since its inception in 1908. Though the exact date of its construction is still the subject of controversy among historians. Even the style in which the house had been built still has no definite answer, due to poor record-keeping in the past. However, the consensus is that it was constructed sometime between the years 1908 and 1916 and built in either a Spanish or Mediterranean revival architectural style.
The grandiose size of the house is reflected in the wealth of its owner, Edwin Tatham. He was known as the founder of the Northern Westchester bank and also the sole president of it. Since he had created the bank in 1919 and beforehand, he had assisted his father's family business. His estate and servants served him well until his death on January 2, 1933.
Not too long after the previous owner's passing, the property was bought by one Warner D. Orvis. A former senior partner of Orvis Brothers & Co, member of the New York Stock Exchange, and part of the executive committee of Manhattan Savings Bank. With his accumulated wealth, renovations would be done to the house and the surrounding acres of woods. Such renovations included the addition of a pool house and showcase gardens; some plants from the garden remain to this very day. After 34 years, its owner perished on June 28, 1967. Soon after his death, the once-decadent halls were left to rot.
Three years after his death, the property would be bought and unsuccessfully transformed into a private hunting and fishing retreat. Despite this failure, another company attempted to create a community within the former estate. The proposal was to build over 1,200 luxury homes on 840 acres of the estate, and 500 of those acres were to be used for recreational activities. Tennis courts and an 18-hole golf course were just some of the possible uses, although the main attraction would be its horse stables. As the community had been meant for those fond of horseback riding, according to its president, it was be “the finest equestrian community in the country”.
It seems that the whole equestrian angle was dropped sometime before 1976, as they had built and furnished some model homes and a sales office that year. For reasons unknown, any further progress on the condominium complex was be halted permanently. Afterward, there was a proposal in 1988 to build an additional 278 homes that never came to fruition. The estate would be handed over to another developer who wished to expand on its infrastructure at the cost of demolishing Tatham House in 1997. Luckily, this proposal fell through much like the ones before it.
Presently, both the Tatham House and the failed condominium complex still stand, but just barely. Black mold now occupies the ceilings of the model homes. Various leaflets are scattered throughout warning any lost hikers of asbestos and hantavirus, which have fallen on deaf ears. Many buildings have had their unique dated wallpaper updated with this year's latest graffiti from the local juvenile population. Now the buildings lay vacant with gutted interiors, a reminder of what could have been.
