![NBM Logo White 1200px 72dpi [RGB]](https://nbm.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/NBM_Logo_White_1200px_72dpi_RGB.png "NBM Logo White 1200px 72dpi [RGB]"){kind=logo}
Collections Highlight: The Round Hill Collection
May 9, 2025
In 1985, Olga Hirshhorn, widow of the famous art collector and benefactor Joseph Hirshhorn, saved a Miami Herald article about the grand opening of a new museum dedicated to architecture: the National Building Museum. Olga, an accomplished art collector and supporter of museums herself, decided to donate the original architectural drawings and plans for the Hirshhorn estate in Round Hill, Connecticut, to the Museum in 1986.
The Round Hill Collection consists of over 200 drawings and documents related to the planning and construction of the three-story Norman chateau and 22-acre estate from 1937-1939. The house was designed by architect Greville Rickard for real estate developer Dr. Charles Paterno and his wife. The 17,500 square foot residence boasts 23 rooms, including two master suites, a walk-in vault and wine cellar, and a third-floor billiard room with views of New York City. Joseph Hirshhorn purchased the property in 1961 and filled the estate with his art collection until he sold the house in 1976.
The Round Hill assemblage is an excellent example of collections at the Museum. It shows the planning and construction of the entire house down to the smallest detail, from early concept sketches to window and stair rail designs to the final plans and drawings of the completed estate.
It also includes photographs of structures that inspired the design, information on the 1930s heating and electrical systems, and even a letter from Rickard to one of his contractors suggesting practical changes to the house after the family had moved in. Olga also documented the process herself, creating a bird’s-eye view watercolor drawing of the estate. Altogether, the drawings, photographs, and documents present the complete story of one of the grandest homes in Connecticut, from the architect who designed it, to the craftsmen who built it, to the families who lived in it.
The story of the Round Hill estate continues to this day. After the Hirshhorns sold the house, it underwent a number of renovations and additions but eventually fell into disrepair. Fortunately, it was purchased by clothing designer Tommy Hilfiger, who worked with architect Andre Tchelistcheff to restore the chateau to its former glory.
The Museum surveys our architectural drawing collections to flag items that need preservation work, and the Round Hill collection is on that list. The drawings were folded for over 70 years, and many are too brittle to unfold without professional guidance. Others have large creases and tears that need to be mended. At the Museum, we work to stabilize and rehouse the drawings in new oversized folders and meet with paper conservators to assess this collection and others like it that need special preservation efforts.
Originally published on nbm.org in October 2017, this post has since been updated.
