Sherwood - Newport

Once again, we travel to Newport, this time to "Sherwood."

Pembroke "Pem" Jones and Sadie Wharton Green Jones purchased what was to become "Sherwood" in January 1906, with plans to occupy the house for the 1907 season.

Jones was Vice President of the Carlonia Shipbuilding Corporation. He was a member of the Union Club, The Brook, City Midday Club, New York Yacht Club, and the Larchmont Yacht Club. His wife was a member of the Colony Club and daughter of Congressman Wharton Jackson Green. While born in North Carolina, she graduated from Notre Dame in Baltimore and was a part of the Washington social scene while her father was a Congressman. The Pembroke Jones maintained a house at 5 East 61st Street in New York, and previous to that at 550 Park Avenue.

Private Yacht Signal of Pembroke Jones

"Sherwood" was originally built in 1870 and opened in 1871. It was built as a stick style cottage by New York leather merchant Loring Andrews and was designed by George Champlin Mason. In 1880 Theodore Augustus Havemeyer, a sugar refining magnate, bought the estate and enlarged the house in the Queen-Anne style and added the stables. He also gave the house the name "Friedheim."

Once Jones purchased the house, he had it plans for its remodeling it in the Georgian Revival style by Hoppin & Koen, essentially enclosing the existing house within the new villa, but they would have to wait until the end of the 1906 season as it had already been rented to Colonel John J. Astor. The Pembroke Joneses would rent Baroness Seilliere's "Inchiquin" for the 1906 season, just as they had the previous summer. By September 1906 work on the remodeling of "Sherwood." Despite initial hopes to occupy the cottage for the 1907 season, work continued, and aside for a short visit to Newport on the steam yacht Narada borrowed from Henry Walters, the Pembroke Joneses travelled to Boston for the graduation of their son from preparatory school. Afterwards they returned to Newport, staying on Narada until early July before heading for Europe in mid-July while work continued on the cottage.

Steam Yacht Narada 1905

Finally, construction on "Sherwood" was completed in April 1908 and the work of decorating and furnishing the cottage could begin.

On June 7, 1908, the Pembroke Joneses took rooms at the Muenchner-King in Newport while they awaited the finalization of the decorating of the cottage.

Unfortunately, due to the death of the sister of Mrs. Jones, the elaborate opening party for the house was delayed, Mrs. Jones remaining at "Sherwood" Newport in mourning for the season.

Finally on June 1, 1909, the Joneses opened "Sherwood" for the 1909 season, at which time it would be unveiled to the eyes of all of Social Newport. It was noted for its 18th Century architecture with an Adamsesque feeling.

Also noted was the Southern landscaping of the grounds which were designed by Hoppin & Koen, which laid out the roads, and designed the landscape gardening including the terraces, balustrades and steps. E.L. Jones was awarded the contract to plant and otherwise improve the grounds. The garden furniture/pottery/ornaments were furnished by Francis Howard of New York.

The house had a vast dining room on the North side of the house, a billiard room filled with Pembroke Jones' racing trophies, Mrs. Jones' elegant Louis XVI style bedroom, with blanche-brèche marble mantles and crimson hangings.

Anticipating the needs of entertaining on a grand scale, in June 1909, Jones bought the large picnic omnibus, which belonged to Mrs. Oliver H.P. Belmont, formerly William K. Vanderbilt's, at an auction in Newport.

When the Pembroke Joneses arrived in Newport, they followed the advice of Harry Lehr who told them, "Feed New York well enough and it will eat out of your hand..." And so their table groaned under the weight of rare Souther delicacies, rice birds and Indian corn brought up from their own estates, chicken and corn fritters, Sally Lunns and muffins cooked to perfection by their black cook who had his special little kitchen while their famous Russian chef, lured from the Czar's own household by a fabulous salary, prepared his own menus in his own domain. The combined efforts of these two culinary artists were so successful that those who were inclined to raise a disdainful eyebrow at Jones' full-flavored jokes and noisy laugh dined with him and thereafter became his staunch champions.

Noone in Newport could produce mint juleps to equal those Mrs. Pembroke Jones dispensed every morning before luncheon to a select little coterie of the younger set at Sherwood. This was the era before cocktails, and some people did not approve of them, such as Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt.

Mrs. Pembroke Jones was said to set aside $300,000 every Newport season (approximately seven weeks long) just for entertaining.

At one event, an enormous papier mâché watermelon was dragged into a ball out of which sprang a tiny black child to distribute gold cigarette cases and enamel watches to the guests.

When large parties were thrown at the cottage each season, a large tent would be erected on the lawn to accommodate the guests. As the entertainments continued season after season, the need for more space became apparent. In August 1912 an addition was made to the lawn side of the house, the size of which was not noted. And after years of erecting a tent for balls, a permanent solution was decided upon. On October 1, 1915, the house was closed for the season and two days later work began on the new ballroom to be added to the south side of the cottage, adjoining the large drawing room, so that they could be thrown together into one large space. The ballroom, designed by Hoppin & Koen, was to be in the Louis XVI style and decorated in white and gold. Costing about $12,000,000, it was intended to be completed for the 1916 season, with Robert A. Smith working as the General Contractor.

The ballroom was formally opened at a dinner dance on August 16, 1916. The color scheme for the ball was green white and gold. Close to the veranda and on the lawn were supper tables in covers of large umbrellas, lighted with tiny electric pink bulbs. The tables were decorated with flowers the same color as the background lattice and training vines. Upon the lawn were "electrical effects" and a Hawaiian band.

Pembroke Jones died in 1919, and in 1922 his widow married longtime family friend Henry Walters of Baltimore. Walters died in 1931. Mrs. Walters continued t summer at the house until the late 1940s. Her son Pembroke Jones, Jr. there until his death in 1970. In 1971 the house and its contents were sold for $150,000 and converted into eleven luxury condominiums.