A
House With A Past
Built in 1790, the Kittle House was originally constructed as Reisig
and Hexamer's Barn on Ivy Hill Farm, a nursery and fruit farm. Some
time in the late 1800's the farm was taken over by the Kittle family
and was renamed The Kittle Barn and Carriage House. In 1890, Moses
Taylor V, one of the area's most prominent and wealthy businessmen
and entrepreneurs, bought the property and along with the surrounding
500 acres, established the expansive Annandale Farm where he bred
and raised his prize cattle. Taylor
later refurbished the barn into a seventeen-room home as a wedding
present for his daughter, Marion. Since Marion refused to live in
a "barn", the gift was used instead as a guesthouse for
Taylor's various business associates and friends. The entire estate
was parceled off after Taylor's death in 1928. During
the gray years of Prohibition, the Kittle House began to develop
its livelier, though more discreet, reputation by serving the public
as a roadhouse. In 1931 the roadhouse was once again converted--this
time into the Noble School for Girls. Unsuccessful, the school was
closed after five years and thus The Kittle House tradition as a
restaurant and inn began. The
Kittle House, under the proprietorship of the Lawrence family, thrived
during the following summers as The Lawrence Farms Inn. The Westchester
Playhouse, located on the adjacent property of what is now the Mt.
Kisco Country Club, was in its prime. The birthplace of many an
illustrious career, the inn often played host to several famous
and soon-to-be-famous actors and actresses including Henry Fonda,
Margaret Sullavan and Talullah Bankhead. In fact Fonda's performances
in the Playhouse helped to launch his legendary career. One
of the most memorable incidents that took place at the Kittle House
was on an "explosive" Fourth of July, when Sullavan quenched
an argument with Fonda by pouring a glass of ice water on his head.
In 1949 the inn was sold to William Carlson who shortened the name
to "The Kittle House". Since
then the Kittle House has changed hands several times and many additions
have been made. In the late 70's, a beautiful Mahogany bar with
quite a history of it's own was added. The bar, originally bought
by Fanny Brice as a birthday present for Dutch Shultz, spent some
time in Shultz' Bronx speakeasy before making it's way to the Kittle
House taproom about a half of a century later. Since
1981, the Kittle House has been owned and operated by The Crabtree
Family who have returned the House to its former glory through extensive
renovations and enhancements. The grounds have been transformed
with the planting of various intimate gardens where brides' memories
are recorded. The Beautiful Atrium Dining Room has been expanded
to hold elegant affairs of up to 225 guests. The main dining rooms
have been lovingly restored and decorated with original 19th century
artwork. the 12 guest rooms each offer a cozy retreat for weary
travelers. And the former stables have been transformed into a wine
cellar that holds one of the greatest collections of fine wines
on earth
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