Faithful to the gardenscapes and uninterrupted water sweeps of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains, Charles A. Platt’s design for the Stimson family in 1923 was heralded as the most distinguished residence to be constructed on the bluffs of the Highlands. Bearing similarities to Continental country houses and to English Georgian architecture, the centered stairhall and bull’s-eye window are what a Platt student would expect. His sense of elegant restraint becomes even more discernible at the rear of the residence. Here, French doors descend to a landscaped brick terrace that in turn leads to a double curved staircase with wrought-iron handrails, the nearby ground falling away and the surrounding patterns uncomplicated in an effort not to compete with the views. Since its inception in 1923, the manor, internationally acclaimed for its purity of design, has developed a rich patina of honor under its crown of slate. The generous seven-plus-acre site has extraordinary garden areas. The loggia is encased in glass, giving the protection of an orangery with its overscale potted plants and brick flooring. Responding to his training in landscape artistry, Mr. Platt incorporated a miniature forest sprinkled with rhododendrons as part of the grounds, also a play yard framed with chestnut trees, and enchanting formal gardens and terrace the breadth of the home. At the brink of the view, a beautiful wisteria frames a pond and fountain—home to two seahorses and a nymph as a rider. The residence is a story of statuesque proportions. Embracing over 16,000 square feet, it is adorned with family wings, service quarters, salons, herringbone oak floors, floral carved ceilings, ivory wood crown molding, and 13 fireplaces. As a final expression of Charles Platt’s exclusive gift of talent, the drawing salon features four museum-quality murals, each painted by him at an earlier date.
Estate Gallery
