Projects by Name

In early 1947, Marion Thompson, the widow of the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad, commissioned a large house from Breuer. The commission came through her son, Rolland Thompson, who was Breuer's employee and former student. Mrs. Thompson had more traditional taste than many of Breuer's clients. She collected 18th-century English furniture and intended to use that furniture, rather than the built-in cabinets and modern designs Breuer favored. The sprawling stone-clad, one-story house had three bedrooms, a living room, indoor and outdoor dining rooms (in addition to a small dining room for the servants), a library, a wine cellar and a separate guest wing. One of Breuer's distinctive outdoor staircases - with a metal railing supporting concrete treads - led up to a roof terrace. The design incorporated extensive landscaping, including three heated ponds and low stone walls that defined the terraces and outdoor enclosures.