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Historic Photos of Huntington State Park in Redding, Connecticut- Ross VanDervoort Walker Collection  
   

A special thank you to Ross VanDervoort Walker for scanning and sending these photos to me.

Villa Linta, Walther Luttgen's Sunset Hill Estate in the 1920's

All Photos:
Ross VanDervoort Walker, Used with permission.

Sponsor Link: www.hisandhersphoto.com


PHOTO DETAILS- from Ross VanDervoort Walker

All photos have been scanned in color to preserve the original tone, which is a somewhat yellowish sepia, except #21 which is black and white.

* Photos # 1 through 14 are all 8 x 10 and were taken with a good quality lens. The photos are mounted in a very fragile black paper album which became quite a challenge when scanning because of loose fragments of paper getting into the scans. I assume that all of these photos are of Villa Linta, although there is no written description whatsoever. To avoid damage, I opted to scan them attached to the album pages as the corners were often stuck to the photos. * All other photos were much smaller, ranging from about 3 x 4 to 5 x 7. Most were unmounted and taken with inferior lenses. * Several photos had handwritten descriptions in my mother's handwriting (Tannis Marjorie VanDervoort Walker). #15 - Uncle Walter - electric car that Tannis M. learned to drive
#16 - Electric Car - Tannis Marjorie drive at 11 - 12 yrs
#17 - Tannis M. with friend - Uncle's Secretary. Learned to drive electric car at age 11
#18 - Barn at Villa Linta - Redding Ridge, Connecticut
#21 - Tannis Marjorie VanDervoort, Redding Ridge, Conn 1920

All Photos:
Ross VanDervoort Walker, Used with permission.

About Walther Luttgen

Walther Luttgen was born on 9 January 1839 in Solingen, Germany, and emigrated to the United States as a child. He married Amelia Victoria Bremeyer of Brooklyn, NY on 23 May 1866. Luttgen's long and distinguished career with the international banking firm of August Belmont & Company began in November, 1859. Although initially hired as an office boy, Luttgen quickly climbed the ranks and became head of the firm's clerical force at the age of thirty. He was named a partner in 1880, a title he held until his death. In addition to his accomplishmed banking career, Luttgen was also appointed Director of the Illinois Central Railroad Company, the Transatlantic Trust Company and the Rapid Transit Construction Company.

He served as a Commodore of the Columbia Yacht Club, and was a member of the New York Yacht Club, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Downtown Association, the American Museum of Natural History and the Legal Aid Society.

For most of his adult life, Walther lived in Linden, New Jersey; Luttgen Place is named for him as he built an estate there. In the 1870's he built the Academy of Arts and Sciences on his estate, which was a non-denominational private school for a short time, but later became the Linden Country Club and is now the Moose Hall. He also provided to the community the Amelia Victoria Kindergarten, which was named after his wife.. Part of the Arts and Sciences building had been known as the Casino, and it became a stable for the estate, while another section was servants quarters. In 1927 the Linden Library moved there.

He was first President of the commission governing the borough of Linden, elected April 15, 1882. The first meeting of the commission was held at the Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was a member of Grace Episcopal Church, was had been lost in a Sheriff's sale until he led the group which purchased it in 1877. He donated land and had the building moved there in 1887.

A rather neat and impressive factoid is that he build a paved road to his dock at Tremley where he kept a steam yacht (the linta) which he used for his commute to New York City. He loaned the steam yacht to the United States Navy during World War I. Assigned to the 3d Naval District, New York, Linta served during World War I as a patrol and escort boat out of New York. She accompanied merchant ships joining or departing convoys out of New York, and she patrolled off southern Long Island near Fire Island Lightship. On several occasions she escorted submarines from New York to the submarine base at New London, Conn. After the Armistice, Linta decommissioned 19 February 1919 and was returned to Luttgen the same day

Later in his life, Luttgen lived in New York City at 49 West 75th St., and had a country estate in Redding, Connecticut called "Villa Linta". It was at his 75th St. home that he died of pneumonia on 27 February 1922 at the age of 84.

This amazing information comes from Ross VanDervoort Walker:

His mother was Tannis VanDervoort Walker.
Her father was Claude Bremeyer VanDervoort.
His sister was Amelia Victoria VanDervoort Luttgen - Walther's wife and my mother's uncle by marriage.

View Historic Putnam Memorial State Park Photos and Postcards.

 

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History of Redding is a not a business or an organization..It's one person working to promote the history of his hometown
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