In 1961 Chauncey Stillman hired consultant (and first editor of The Carriage Journal) Paul H. Downing to compile information on the carriages owned by William Rockefeller and James Stillman that were built by Brewster and Co. of New York. The book was completed in November of 1961 but unfortunately did not arrive from the binder in time for Christmas Day.
In the note dated 27 December 1961, Chauncey writes that the book is intended to be a souvenir of the vanished “Era of Elegance”! “I can dimly recall some of the J.S. carriages depicted which remained at Kenridge until Father died in 1926.” Kenridge Farm was James Stillman’s breeding ranch for Black Angus and Jersey cattle in Orange County, New York. The farm is now the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum.
Chauncey Stillman was a trustee of the New York Zoological Society as well as a director of the National Audubon Society and the New York Botanical Garden. He was a proponent of homesteading and very much enjoyed nature. His estate, Wethersfield, is in Dutchess County, New York and is know for its lovely gardens. Stillman’s four-in-hand of bay geldings were frequently seen in editions of The Carriage Journal, in fact they graced the cover of Volume 1. Wethersfield is still home to an assortment of carriages and sleighs including a gorgeous Portland Cutter, made by Brewster & Co, that you can learn more about here.
As the CAA celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2022 we are excited to visit Wethersfield, June 10-12th, for a Sporting Day of Traditional Driving as well as the 2022 CAA Carriage Showcase. Additional driving activities are being planned for the event, allowing everyone the opportunity to enjoy the miles of scenic trails.
