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The handsome building now called the Wellington house was originally
known as the Estabrook Estate. It held that name from 1923 until 1977
when it was purchased by its present owner, Thomas Thomas, from the heirs
of Charles S. Estabrook. The new owner renamed the house to honor its
distinguished architect, Ward Wellington Ward. The use of the house as a
facility for private social functions has preserved one of Ward's most
splendid creations.
Some measure of the commitment of Estabrook and his architect to make
the Estate a place of real distinction comes from a letter written by Ward
to Mercer on Dec. 9, 1922. In ordering Moravian tiles for the residence, he
wrote, "Price is no object to my clients; they ...understand your work and
want it."
Ward was proud of his English roots and perhaps this is why he seemed to
draw on traditional English sources for many of his designs. Houses such as
his own LeMoyne Manor neatly burst at the seams with richly crafted picturesque
details and textures.
Low hanging slate roofs gave them a cozy, old-fashioned county cottage look.
Wellington House is more formal and austere by contrast, evocative more of a
manor house than a cottage. Its massing and subtle balance of parts are those
of a stately English hall.
From the brick gateway, the gardener's cottage and the garage-stable complex
on the left to end at a circle at the front entry. The house faces north, secluded
from the traffic of Genesee Street by an apple orchard and a grandly spreading
African Nagunda tree.
The exterior of the house is built from natural materials of contrasting colors
and textures: red brick, grey stone, cream painted woodwork, dark stained timber,
and tawny roughcast. Dormers, bays, and recesses of varying sizes add variety
to the building's essentially rectangular shapes. The whole is unified by a
natural slate roof. Ward treated each architectural element individually: notice
the different window treatments, and embellishments such as carved decorations
and ball finials in stone, wood pendants with carved rosette ends, half timbering
with robustly spread roughcast, and leaded glass windows throughout.
Three motifs reoccurring both outside and inside the house unify and
intensify the design: overlaid cutouts applied to woodwork, Tudor arches, and
carved shields.
The Tudor-arched front porch and stone portal with a carved shield in the
front doorlight shifts this motif from stone to glass. A colorful geometric
pattern with a diamond border in the small entry vestibule introduces the visitor
to the wealth of Moravian tiles in this house. All the furniture and antiques
were acquired by Mr. Thomas from local antique auctions.
The setting is ideal for weddings, rehearsal dinners and private parties and events.
The Wellington House, enhanced with beautiful landscaping, is open all year-round
and is located at 7262 East Genesee Street in Fayetteville.
For a private tour or to make inquires, please contact us.
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