17 Estate (1867–1944) The Wade Family On July 12, 1867, Margaretta Wade and her siblings Charles Hereford, Sarah Anna, and Mary Cooper Van Amburgh granted partial title of their land to her sister Louisa and her husband. Totaling 327 acres, the siblings arranged a deed of partition that granted them sole rights of two parcels, 185 acres and 63 acres, flanking a 78-acre parcel exclusively for the use of Louisa and James. 21 Likely on the same trip they made the transaction official, James approached the nearest architect, George E. Harney, at his Cold Spring office. From Harney, who specialized in the design of estates, the Wades commissioned a residence, barn, cottage, and gate piers. If Harney had charged for his professional services using his early 1870s rates, preliminary sketches, detail drawings, specifications, and studies would have cost $280, with the added cost to erect the house being approximately $8,000 ($168,562.71 adjusted inflation). For his services as superintendent, the architect would have charged $400 for the complete project and management of bids. 22 Using the rates provided by Harney in his publication of plans for small-scale buildings, the cost of construction for the cottage and barn would be in the vicinity of $1,400–$1,700 each, not including the 3 ½% fee for complete drawings and specifications. 23 James Wade’s total bill would therefore be upwards of $11,280 ($237,673.42 adjusted inflation), not necessarily inclusive of labor costs or reimbursement for superintendence. The daily wage for craftsmen in New York in January 1869 was recorded as the following: Carpenter $3.75, Mason $4.00, Bricklayer $5.00, Plasterer $5.50, Painter $3.50. 24 If Harney indeed acted as superintendent, which evidence supports, he would have likely solicited bids from builders in Fishkill Landing and Matteawan, where a greater selection existed outside of Cold Spring. At this time, there were over twenty
