19th Anniversary

2019 Antiques & Fine Art 103 Freer Gallery and the Lyman Allen Art Museum in New London, Connecticut. When Viscogliosi purchased the property in 2004, the mansion was in severe disrepair, with such extensive termite damage that the grand salon fireplace had fallen into the cellar. The preservationist did not stop with the Philip Cheney mansion, purchasing the Charles Cheney mansion soon thereafter. This residence, built in 1851 for Ward Cheney (1813–1876), one of the founding members of Cheney Brothers, was originally a Gothic-style house. In 1913, Charles Cheney (1866–1942), president and chairman of the board of Cheney Brothers, hired Hartford architect A. Raymond Ellis to remodel the residence into the present Tudor–style mansion. Among its guests during Charles’ lifetime was Mark Twain (1835–1910), another Connecticut resident. Both were members of the Monday Evening Salon, a literary group that met at designated homes in the area. While Viscogliosi appreciated the mansion, his main reason for purchasing the Charles Cheney residence was to preserve the Great Lawn, which was part of the estate; the expanse was under threat of being developed into condominiums by its owner. After acquiring the property, an agreement was made that no new The couple formally entertains in this grand dining room. German chairs upholstered in silk velvet from Scalamandré seat guests around a rare American four- pedestal table the couple purchased in South Hampton, New York. The walls are hung with a circa-1882–1893 set of paintings, The Allegory of Games, by Eugene Brinclair. A bit of whimsy is added by the balloon chandeliers. In addition to the main course, guests enjoy beverages, cheeses, meats, and fruits brought about on an extensive collection of nineteenth- and twentieth-century serving carts that Anthony has collected.

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