Rock Ledge is a historic estate on Highland Avenue in the
Rowayton
Rowayton is an affluent coastal village in the city of Norwalk, Connecticut, roughly from New York City. The community is governed by the Sixth Taxing District of Norwalk and has a number of active local associations, including the Civic Assoc ...
section of
Norwalk, Connecticut. It was built in 1911–13 featuring Tudor Revival and
Jacobethan Revival architecture. Edward Moeller designed the 1911 lodge, and Tracy Walker the 1913 main house, after the 1911 house burned down. The mansion belonged to a U.S. Steel executive. The property was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 1977.
History
In 1910,
James A. Farrell
James Augustine Farrell Sr. (February 15, 1863 – March 28, 1943) was president of US Steel from 1911 to 1932. A major business figure of his era, Farrell expanded US Steel by a factor of five during his presidency, turning it into America's f ...
, later president of the
United States Steel Corporation
United States Steel Corporation, more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an American integrated steel producer headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with production operations primarily in the United States of America and in several countries ...
, built a
Tudor revival
Tudor Revival architecture (also known as mock Tudor in the UK) first manifested itself in domestic architecture in the United Kingdom in the latter half of the 19th century. Based on revival of aspects that were perceived as Tudor architecture ...
mansion, which burned down in 1913 and was rebuilt in
granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies under ...
.
The estate was later bought by the Sperry Rand Corporation, and it was on these grounds that the corporation developed the first business computer, known as the UNIVAC. Since 1966, the Farrell family stables have been converted to the Rowayton Community Center and the Rowayton Library. In 1964, part of the estate was purchased by the Thomas School for girls, a day and boarding school founded by Mabel Thomas in 1922. The school later merged with other private schools in the area, eventually becoming King Low Heywood Thomas in 1988. The school is now
co-educational
Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...
and located in
Stamford, Connecticut. The mansion and attached office building was previously owned by Hewitt Associates. Currently, the main house of the estate is home to
Graham Capital Management. Graham Capital Management purchased the historic Rock Ledge property at 40 Highland Avenue in the Rowayton area of
Norwalk, Connecticut, which underwent renovations to become a financial center. The refurbishments were completed in December 2003, and the building was occupied in early 2004.
See also
*
References
External links
Sale of 40 Highland Avenue a.k.a. "Rock Ledge Estate"
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
Houses completed in 1911
Houses in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Buildings and structures in Norwalk, Connecticut
National Register of Historic Places in Fairfield County, Connecticut
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