History of the Perkins Mansion
History of the Perkins Mansion
The Perkins Mansion was a splendid wedding gift to Elizabeth Thompkins Ginna and Erickson Perkins from her parents, the Stephen Ginnas of Plainfield, New Jersey. The modified English Tudor-style house and its 23 rooms, designed and built by Master Builder George Hollister in 1907, is made of hollow concrete blocks with brick facing. That new technique made the16-inch thick walls both strong and well insulated. The curved gable facing East Avenue is in the Elizabethan style with a Dutch influence which is repeated in the detached Carriage House.
The interior of the Mansion, decorated by the Rochester firm of Hayden Company (which also decorated the Eastman Theatre lobby, Tiffany’s, the New York Public Library, Library of Congress and the National Gallery) features square and diamond shaped leaded panes in the many windows. Each one of the nine fireplaces has a distinctive facing, with one featuring charming nursery rhymes in Delft tiles. The richness and beauty of the craftsmanship is evident in the flooring, moldings, paneling, railings and doors.
Erickson Perkins, a passionate gardener, designed those that surround the House and planted the majestic purple beech tree that still shades the front lawn. It was a gift from George Eastman, who brought them for his neighbors from Holland to beautify East Avenue. Mr. Perkins died in 1941, and Mrs. Perkins, feeling the burden of maintaining the house, was thinking of selling it by 1946. Fortunately she learned that the Rochester Branch of the American Association of Collegiate Alumnae (predecessor of the AAUW) was looking for a permanent home. A happy agreement was reached that the House would be gifted to the Branch and Elizabeth Perkins would retain a lifetime residence on the second floor.
The official opening of the new home of the American Association of University Women was held on April 22, 1947, the 50th anniversary of the Branch. Elizabeth Perkins said on that occasion, “The world is so in need of sanity, tolerance, discretion, wisdom, faith and love. Women need to return to the art of giving tender and loving care in the home and to the community. Education should include more of God and love. I wish for the members of this house a wide future. I wish that this house may send out in the years to come, thoughts and actions that are going to count in making this world of ours a far better one than it is today.” Since that time, a small elevator has been installed and the House has been made handicapped accessible. In the 2004, the almost 100-year old Mansion became the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s Symphony Show House for 29 days. It was repainted and wallpapered. New lighting fixtures and custom window treatments, generously donated by the decorators, were installed. The Perkins Mansion was well prepared for the next 100 years.