| Hartwood
Acres – The Stable Complex
The
picturesque architecture of the stable fits its idyllic setting.
The asymmetrical layout, the vine covered handmade cinderblock,
the graduated Vermont slate roof, the cobblestone courtyard
and the Gothic arched windows of the arcade all suggest the
romance of a small Cotswold village. The silo, an ungainly
architectural puzzle at best, has been incorporated into the
whole, masked as a tower.
The
complex contains a cow barn, a stable and its attendant
rooms and paddock, a green house, a ten-car garage for
cars and farm equipment, an office, and three cottages
for the housing of the stable-master, the chauffeur and
the farm superintendent.
The handsome wood paneled stable, accented
by highly polished brass hardware, houses nine box stalls.
Natural light enters through windows placed high in the passage
walls. A Dutch door at the rear of each stall provides additional
light and ventilation, as well as a fire escape.
The straw mats outlining the apron of each
stall are decorative as well as functional and serve as a
bib for any loose straw or chaff that escapes the stall. The
mats are hand woven using the English stable-master art of
twisting and braiding a plait of rope and wheat and finished
using a series of intricate knots.
The stable also includes a feed room with
storage area located above it, a tile wash room for the
cleaning of equipment, a supply room, and a tack room.
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