The Davies house at Roslyn, Long Island, is not a period house, though it looks like an 18th century colonial. It is personal and polychrome. It is a cream-colored stucco house with Greek columns and Venetian grilles. The roof is peacock blue, and there are cerulean blues on the window frames, black caps on the chimneys, big terra cotta panels over either side of the vestibule, and brilliant terra cotta colors against the buff-colored stucco. Yet it all looks quiet, for everything is in almost the same key and scale. It stands on top of a wooded hill, with an open court to the south surrounded on three sides by the middle part of three stories and the two wings of one story each. The middle part contains on the ground floor the dining room, library, drawing room, and loggia looking out on the court. The southwest wing has two guest rooms and a porch open to all the breezes. The southeast or service wing goes over the hill and has two stories at the back, with a garage below, which gives it an appearance of fitting and clinging to the hill.
 |
| The view, above, of the front facade shows, in addition to the portico, several uncommon features, especially the wide cornice, the recessed second story and the parapet of the wings broken by decorative openings. RESIDENCE OF ERNEST P. DAVIES, ESQ., ROSLYN, LONG ISLAND. N. Y. |
Abundantly styled with decorative elements and colors, the house was executed in light buff stucco with contrasting limestone-tinted cornices and columns. A standing-seam tin roof painted peacock blue complemented the turquoise Venetian grills and blinds and shutters.
 |
| Wrought iron, classical urns, Doric columns and circular medallions have been effectively used in the treatment of the entrance portico. A planting of evergreens gives the house comfortable relation to its site. RESIDENCE OF ERNEST P. DAVIES, ESQ., ROSLYN, LONG ISLAND. N. Y. |
A flat-roof portico supported by fluted Doric columns and flanked by a pair of relief medallions on the second-story dominates the facade. Four classical urns were placed along the front edge of the portico roof, which was enclosed in black wrought-iron railing, forming a balcony off the second-floor front bedroom suite. A belt course running beneath the recessed second story divides the two levels of the central block.
 |
| The original terra-cotta panels flanking the front door can be seen above. Note the missing urns and railing above the portico. RESIDENCE OF ERNEST P. DAVIES, ESQ., ROSLYN, LONG ISLAND. N. Y. c. 2007 |
 |
| Located in the wing adjacent to the dining room is the kitchen, pantry, servants' hall, bedrooms, and porch. RESIDENCE OF ERNEST P. DAVIES, ESQ., ROSLYN, LONG ISLAND. N. Y. c. 2007 |
 |
The first floor is unusual, with a library located in the middle of the house off the sun room, a small curved stairs and guest rooms and service in the wings. RESIDENCE OF ERNEST P. DAVIES, ESQ., ROSLYN, LONG ISLAND. N. Y. |
Two guest suites and the enclosed south porch occupied the wing off the drawing room.
 |
| A courtyard is created by the two wings. One steps off the middle sun-porch on to a brick paved terrace.There is also an enclosed porch at the end of the guest wing. The middle door leads off the drawing room. RESIDENCE OF ERNEST P. DAVIES, ESQ., ROSLYN, LONG ISLAND. N. Y. |
The U-shaped floor plan creates a grassy courtyard accessible from the sun room, drawing room, dining room, guest room, and enclosed south porch. Full-length windows and doors on the first floor and double-hung sash windows on the second floor provided abundant light and ventilation.
 |
| Italian architecture of the 18th Century, modified to meet our living requirements, has been used in the design of the house. The Italian richness of color is also employed—a light buff stucco with cornices and columns of limestone tint, Venetian grills and blinds and shutters turquoise blue, and peacock blue roof. RESIDENCE OF ERNEST P. DAVIES, ESQ., ROSLYN, LONG ISLAND. N. Y. |
 |
| LIBRARY RESIDENCE OF ERNEST P. DAVIES, ESQ., ROSLYN, LONG ISLAND. N. Y. |
The library is positioned at the center of the first floor and surrounded by the public entrance hall, drawing room, dining room, and sun room.
A small curved stairway in the entrance hall ascended to the second-floor owners' suites.
Dean Alvord, one of the earliest large home, developers in the United States, began to sell houses and sites in Roslyn Estates in the village of Roslyn. The area's 263 acres, complex topography, winding roads, and rustic beauty make it unique among suburban communities developed during the early 20th century. Thirty-four houses were erected by Alvord by 1920 in a variety of revival styles. In 1915 one of these houses was built for Mr. Davies with designs by Architect William Lawrence Bottomley. Ernest Pinckney Davies was a member of the stock brokerage firm E. H. H. Simons and Co., died in 1934. Married Marguerite Helene Walbridge, who died in 1966. She was the daughter of Henry David and Lucy Sivey Walbridge of "Waldene" in Roslyn. The Davies house is one of a few that remains essentially as built.
wikimapia LOCATION.
BING.
 |
| The owner's rooms are upstairs, three bedrooms with baths and a fourth chamber. Abundant light and ventilation are available, and maximum space. RESIDENCE OF ERNEST P. DAVIES, ESQ., ROSLYN, LONG ISLAND. N. Y. |
A small curved stairway in the entrance hall ascended to the second-floor owners' suites.
 |
| Nassau County 1939 Long Island Dolph & Stewart, 1939 |
Dean Alvord, one of the earliest large home, developers in the United States, began to sell houses and sites in Roslyn Estates in the village of Roslyn. The area's 263 acres, complex topography, winding roads, and rustic beauty make it unique among suburban communities developed during the early 20th century. Thirty-four houses were erected by Alvord by 1920 in a variety of revival styles. In 1915 one of these houses was built for Mr. Davies with designs by Architect William Lawrence Bottomley. Ernest Pinckney Davies was a member of the stock brokerage firm E. H. H. Simons and Co., died in 1934. Married Marguerite Helene Walbridge, who died in 1966. She was the daughter of Henry David and Lucy Sivey Walbridge of "Waldene" in Roslyn. The Davies house is one of a few that remains essentially as built.
wikimapia LOCATION.
BING.