Architect Page.xml
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Part of Marist College History: The Architect
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Architect Page
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The Architect
Detlef Lienau was born in Utersen, Denmark, and had early visions of
becoming an architect. At the age of 19 he began a three year
apprenticeship with master carpenters in Berlin. He headed for Paris in
1842 where he studied under Henri Labrouste. Lienau made his way to
America in the fall of 1848 on a boat chartered by his brother Micheal,
who had already established a New York firm called Lienau & Co.
In 1849 Lienau designed his first building in America, a house for his
brother in Jersey City, NJ. The following year he designed a New York City
townhouse which would change the skyline of the city.
He went on to build many more homes throughout his years in America
and the most distinctive feature of all his homes was the "mansard roof"
which had first been used in 17th-century France. Lienau had become
familiar with it while he was a student in Paris. This new style of a roof
caught on immediately in a city that was looking to France for its food,
dress and taste.
Lienau was a friend and fellow countryman to the Poughkeepsie
industrialist, Edward Bech. Bech hired Lienau to design a main house of
stone as well as several dependencies or out buildings for the Rosenlund
estate. The Greystone building, St. Peter's and the Gatehouse all survive
today as the few remaining examples of Gothic Revival estate
architecture.
Sadly, Lienau passed away in New York City in 1887. His contributions to
the architectural profession were later recognized in a tribute written by
the American Institute of Architect's board of trustees.
The architectural sketch below shows on the left the stables and on the
right the carriage house that Detlef Lienau designed for the Bech family.
The carriage house is known today as Greystone and houses the college
president's office, the admissions office and the Ecommerce lab. This
architectural image was featured in the 1992 issue of Marist Magazine.
9/8/21, 12:21 PM
Architect Page
https://dev.lb.marist.edu/archives/MHP/bechfamily/architect.html
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Acknowledgment Page
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Project Directors
Dr. Brian Henry Desilets
Dr. Linus Richard Foy
John Patrick Noone
From the beginning, Marist Heritage has been a collaborative effort.
We appreciate the contributions of the Marist Brothers and the Marists All
community, who by supplying information and personal memories, have given vitality,
scope and depth to this project
Under the guidance and direction of Dr. Brian Henry Desilets, the initial web pages
were designed and created by the following Marist College students: Michele van
Brero (Hermitage, St. Peter's, Kieran Gate House, Greystone, Marist Brothers
Builders, Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Chapel).....Tage Haun (Bech Homestead, Marian,
Donnelly).....Fang Fang Xu (Boat House, Byrne House, Kirk House).....Courtney Gutt
(Bech Family History).....Vij lyer (Cemetery).....Rahkee Chopra (Fontaine Hall).
All the final Marist Heritage web pages were either created, revised, rewritten
and/or reshaped by John Patrick Noone, who is solely responsible for any errors
contained therein.
We thank Richard Branigan for proofreading the Marist Heritage web pages.
We recognize the contributions of our consultants: John Ansley for his input on the
format and contents of the various web pages. Also Victor VanCarpels for his
frequent consultations and guidance in the graphics included in this CD. His
patience and dedication while working with us made the overall results more
professional.
We are grateful to Barbara McMullen for the use of the Ecommerce facility at Marist
College.
We are indebted to the McCann Foundation which provided the funds necessary to make
this project a reality.
John Patrick Noone, editor
November 15, 2002
*this page is printer ready
Home
|
Marist College
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Architect Page
Acknowledgment Page.pdf
Acknowledgment Page
Architect Page
https://dev.lb.marist.edu/archives/MHP/bechfamily/architect.html
1/2
The Architect
Detlef Lienau was born in Utersen, Denmark, and had early visions of
becoming an architect. At the age of 19 he began a three year
apprenticeship with master carpenters in Berlin. He headed for Paris in
1842 where he studied under Henri Labrouste. Lienau made his way to
America in the fall of 1848 on a boat chartered by his brother Micheal,
who had already established a New York firm called Lienau & Co.
In 1849 Lienau designed his first building in America, a house for his
brother in Jersey City, NJ. The following year he designed a New York City
townhouse which would change the skyline of the city.
He went on to build many more homes throughout his years in America
and the most distinctive feature of all his homes was the "mansard roof"
which had first been used in 17th-century France. Lienau had become
familiar with it while he was a student in Paris. This new style of a roof
caught on immediately in a city that was looking to France for its food,
dress and taste.
Lienau was a friend and fellow countryman to the Poughkeepsie
industrialist, Edward Bech. Bech hired Lienau to design a main house of
stone as well as several dependencies or out buildings for the Rosenlund
estate. The Greystone building, St. Peter's and the Gatehouse all survive
today as the few remaining examples of Gothic Revival estate
architecture.
Sadly, Lienau passed away in New York City in 1887. His contributions to
the architectural profession were later recognized in a tribute written by
the American Institute of Architect's board of trustees.
The architectural sketch below shows on the left the stables and on the
right the carriage house that Detlef Lienau designed for the Bech family.
The carriage house is known today as Greystone and houses the college
president's office, the admissions office and the Ecommerce lab. This
architectural image was featured in the 1992 issue of Marist Magazine.
9/8/21, 12:21 PM
Architect Page
https://dev.lb.marist.edu/archives/MHP/bechfamily/architect.html
2/2
*this page is printer ready*
Home
|
Marist College
|
Library Home Page
last updated on June 10, 2004
9/8/21, 12:53 PM
Acknowledgment Page
https://dev.lb.marist.edu/archives/MHP/acknowledgment.html
1/2
Project Directors
Dr. Brian Henry Desilets
Dr. Linus Richard Foy
John Patrick Noone
From the beginning, Marist Heritage has been a collaborative effort.
We appreciate the contributions of the Marist Brothers and the Marists All
community, who by supplying information and personal memories, have given vitality,
scope and depth to this project
Under the guidance and direction of Dr. Brian Henry Desilets, the initial web pages
were designed and created by the following Marist College students: Michele van
Brero (Hermitage, St. Peter's, Kieran Gate House, Greystone, Marist Brothers
Builders, Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Chapel).....Tage Haun (Bech Homestead, Marian,
Donnelly).....Fang Fang Xu (Boat House, Byrne House, Kirk House).....Courtney Gutt
(Bech Family History).....Vij lyer (Cemetery).....Rahkee Chopra (Fontaine Hall).
All the final Marist Heritage web pages were either created, revised, rewritten
and/or reshaped by John Patrick Noone, who is solely responsible for any errors
contained therein.
We thank Richard Branigan for proofreading the Marist Heritage web pages.
We recognize the contributions of our consultants: John Ansley for his input on the
format and contents of the various web pages. Also Victor VanCarpels for his
frequent consultations and guidance in the graphics included in this CD. His
patience and dedication while working with us made the overall results more
professional.
We are grateful to Barbara McMullen for the use of the Ecommerce facility at Marist
College.
We are indebted to the McCann Foundation which provided the funds necessary to make
this project a reality.
John Patrick Noone, editor
November 15, 2002
*this page is printer ready
Home
|
Marist College
|
Library Home Page
Architect Page
Acknowledgment Page.pdf
Acknowledgment Page
