As we prepare for our Harvest Moon Festival on Sept 24, and look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones, it’s fun to look at our history and to take in the charm of our beautiful Mitchell Mansion. I was recently going through some historical archives and found an early TNSM newsletter that shared the following:
The rehabilitation of the New School building is presently underway, a project that combines the careful restoration of the stone exterior with internal changes to some of the rooms to better accommodate the students and teachers. Originally, the Richard Mitchell Residence was built in 1892 from the designs of regionally prominent architect, Samuel Hannaford. Richard Mitchell was the son of Robert Mitchell, who founded the Mitchell Furniture Company in Cincinnati. Producers of residential and office furniture, as well as interior woodwork and mantels, it was the largest establishment of its kind in the country at the turn of the 19th century. Robert Mitchell served as the company’s Vice-President. Fifty-five examples of Samuel Hannaford’s work in Cincinnati were listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The New School’s French Chateau style, which was popular in the last decade of the nineteenth century, can be seen it its massive and irregular shape, stone sheathing, tower, wall dormers and such decorative elements as the gargoyles which flank the front porch entrance and the elaborate hinges on the front door. The interior features include the decorative wood trim throughout the building which is different in each room. The built-in shelves, pantry and seating areas are elements that are certainly in use today by the school….
We look forward to celebrating our community, history, and present moment together! Click HERE to read more about our Harvest Moon plans.