More than 150 Irvingtonians and friends braved the sweltering heat and humidity of Saturday, September 10 to celebrate the completion of the reconstructed Lord & Burnham greenhouse at the Octagon House, the village’s architectural crown jewel. The event, catered by Suzanne’s Table, featured auctions, both live and silent, and house tours that, together with ticket sales, brought in more than $15,000 for the benefit of the Irvington Historical Society.
The Armour-Stiner Octagon House, built beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, is the only known fully domed octagonal residence, built in on the form of a classical temple. It was acquired in the late 1970s by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and re-sold to Joseph Pell Lombardi, an internationally renowned architect specializing in preservation and restoration.
Over the years, Lombardi has assiduously restored every aspect of the main house and grounds. The latest piece is the greenhouse, the skeleton of which was acquired from an estate near Philadelphia; it was set upon the exact site of the original greenhouse, along with a reconstructed potting shed and studio. Lombardi’s son Michael oversaw the two-year project.