white fireproof construction company 1912 ec converse vintage ad

Original vintage architectural trade magazine ad for WHITE FIREPROOF CONSTRUCTION COMPANY. The E. C. Converse Residence in Stanwich, CT uses the White System of Fireproofing. Donn Barber, architect, C.T. Willis, Incorporated, General Contractors. Concrete Fireproofing, Integral Furring Supports, Metal Furring and Lathing. Old 912 building construction industry advertisement.From the GreenwhichLibary.org: Mr. E.C. Converse was one of the founders of US Steel as well as Bankers Trust in New York. (No, he was no a relation to the Converse who manufactured the sneakers) He liked Greenwich so much that he commissioned a realtor to find a 1000-acre plot of land that he could build an English-type manor on. In 1904, he purchased 500-acres near Lower Cross Road in northern Greenwich off North Street. By 1913, this grew to 1330-acres. The realtor had purchased several adjacent farms. The Manor was called "Conyer's Farm". (Conyers was the Olde English spelling for Converse.)E.C. Converse wanted the manor to be as self-sufficient as possible. The manor contained a farm meadow, pasture, woodland, lake and stone quarry. New York City architect Donn Barber designed and constructed the Gatehouse, Manor House and Dairy Barn from 1903 to 1904. There were three general parcels of land: The Manor Lands, The Farm Lands, and The Orchards and Produce Stands.The Manor Lands consisted of all the property surrounding the Manor House and included The Manor House, greenhouses, Manor stable, and home of Converse's daughter and sister-in-law. The Manor House was built on the highest elevation, and had a beautiful view of Long Island Sound. It was built from fieldstone with a slate roof. The interior was covered with dark paneling and tapestry walls. Floors were parquet, and the bathrooms contained expensive tile, marble sinks and ornate fixtures. The structure was 4-stories high, with 52 rooms, 12 bedrooms, 9 baths and a lift (elevator). The Manor also contained a salon, dining area, billard room, steamroom and bowling area. A 40-foot clock tower outside was used to summon the workers and served as a fire alarm.www.greenwichlibrary.org/mt/mt-search.cgi