The original home was designed by architect George F. Hammond and built on 1,000 acres of field, forest, and lakeshore. A guest cottage was added a few years later. To reach The Fells, the Hays and their guests traveled by train to Newbury and completed their journey to the rustic oasis by boat. Climbing the hill from the lake, guests were greeted by grazing sheep.

Stories suggest that John and Clara’s summer home was indeed rustic. After John’s death in 1905, his son Clarence inherited The Fells. Legend has it that when Clarence brought his new bride, Alice Appleton, to The Fells in 1914, she wept. Alice’s family was part of New York’s social elite during the Gilded Age and among Ward McAllister’s famous list of Four Hundred. The Fells and the surrounding countryside were rough and wild compared to Appleton Farms, Alice’s family’s elegant summer home in Ipswich, Massachusetts.

 

 

Sophistication and Beauty

Clarence and Alice brought refinement to The Fells. Under the direction of prominent New York architect and landscape designer Prentice Sanger, they remodeled and combined the cottages into a stately Colonial Revival country home. The original breezeway connecting the two cottages was transformed into a formal hallway.

The hallway is home to a magnificent example of Manufacture Papiers Peints Zuber & Cie wallpaper. The French company is world-renowned for its panoramic and decorative wallpaper design and manufacture. First established in 1790, Zuber manufactures wallpapers and fabrics. Along with the Hay home, Zuber panoramic wallpapers have hung in the White House, Brown University, and the Old Louisiana Governor’s Mansion.

Over many years, Zuber’s talented artists designed 25 different panoramas. Considered veritable works of wall art, the catalogue includes idyllic scenes of the Swiss countryside, the American Revolution, an exotic Indian landscape, and a lush Japanese garden. The intricate works are still handprinted at the Zuber factory in Alsace, France, using traditional techniques and the original woodblocks.

 

Clarence and Alice chose “Le Paysage à Chasses,” a fantastic handprinted hunting landscape. It was the perfect choice for the Lake Sunapee home. The landscape brings the outdoors in and reflects the natural beauty of the lake, forest, and hills. The work required more than 1,000 woodblocks and close to 150 different paint colors.

Our homes are a reflection of how we live and what we value. Today’s summer homes are designed for casual, easy living. Running shoes and wet bathing suits hang on hooks in the mud room. Paddleboards and bicycles are piled by the back door. Not so for Clarence and Alice Hay; they lived in a vastly different time.

The Hays wanted to create an elegant and refined aesthetic for their home. “The Zuber wallpaper is a wonderful example of the sophistication and beauty the Hays brought to The Fells,” says Paige Kingsley, executive director of the nonprofit estate. She adds, “More than a simple cosmetic or decorative enhancement to their summer home, the Zuber installation tells a story about their lives and times.” 

 

Restoring History

Unfortunately, over the years, this beautiful wallpaper fell into disrepair. It is a common issue in historic homes. For many years, The Fells was a well-loved, well-used summer respite. It was filled with the coming and going of the family and their guests. Even after her husband’s death in 1969, Alice continued to summer at Lake Sunapee.

Throughout their lives, the Hays donated large portions of their Newbury estate to the Protection of New Hampshire Forests and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Upon Alice’s death in 1987, the house and the remaining property were gifted to the John Hay National Wildlife Refuge for migratory bird conservation. The house, gardens, and grounds were opened to visitors and became a favorite local attraction. The additional traffic added to the wear and tear of the Zuber wallpaper.

The Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) came to the rescue early this past summer. NEDCC is a nonprofit conservation lab that focuses on paper-based restorations. Many projects are completed at the lab, including books, documents, and photographs. Others, like The Fells, require site visits. NEDCC clients include institutions as well as private families and individuals. 

Katie Boodle, senior conservator and part of the project team at The Fells, describes the organization’s mission: “We protect history for people to enjoy and appreciate in a safe manner.” As you might expect, all projects are different, but there are commonalities. Katie says, “In a historic home, we generally find two types of wear and damage—mechanical and environmental.” Simply put, mechanical damage occurs when someone brushes up against the wallpaper and tiny bits of paint flake off. In addition, old houses shift and move. Walls can crack and damage the wallpaper. The paper can also shift or become detached from the wall. Finally, water damage is both a difficult and common problem in old houses. The team from NEDCC faced all of these challenges and more at The Fells.

However challenging, the results are magnificent. Lost details have been retrieved, water damage repaired, and detached segments are back in place. The scope and scale plus the detail and renewed splendor of this amazing piece of art will serve to remind The Fells visitors of bygone days of hunting parties, elegant picnics, and garden strolls. Whether you attend an event or simply tour the house and grounds, be sure to include The Fells on your must-see places to visit this fall. y