THE U.S. AMBASSADOR'S COUNTRY ESTATE
THE FORMER COUNTRY ESTATE OF AMBASSADOR JOHN HAY WHITNEY & BETSEY CUSHING ROOSEVELT WHITNEY
“I was an ambassador. In a part of the world I love, where my education was shaped and many of my closest friendships made, I was charged with interpreting to Britain what was best in America”
A GREAT BRITISH REVIVAL
The most exceptional country house to be seen for decades with an impeccable pedigree.
Cherry Hill was the former UK country estate of one of the most successful American Ambassadors to Great Britain, John Hay Whitney, the scion of one of Boston’s oldest and wealthiest families. Ambassador Whitney was not only an heir to a large fortune but a pioneer in the concept of venture capital as well as an influential philanthropist. Forbes ranked him among the seven richest men in the world in the 1970s. With their wealth, exquisite taste, and refined aesthetic, the Whitneys created a style that was the envy of post-war British society. This home was perfect for their fabulous art collection, with its Old Masters and Impressionists and for their extensive entertaining.
The property, a stone’s throw from London is located on the Wentworth Estate, which is home to the Wentworth Club, regarded as one of the world’s most prestigious golf clubs that hosts the PGA championship. Whilst most of the properties on the Wentworth Estate consist of either the Arts and Crafts inspired Tarrant houses or newly built mock neo-classical buildings it is surprising to find this rare form of British modern architecture.
Built in the 1930’s by the architect Oliver Hill - a flamboyant eccentric and a self-made man who had Sir Edwin Lutyens as his mentor. At first sight, Cherry Hill appears to be a resolutely ‘modern’ house, directly inspired by the architectural theories of the Bauhaus, founded by Walter Gropius. This architect was, however, far too much of a non-conformist and a charmer to become what a ‘convert’ to the precepts of the Bauhaus. Oliver Hill learnt the importance of integrating any new building he created within its natural surroundings.
The property sits at the heart of the Wentworth estate, in a secluded position within its 4 plus acres of land, completely hidden away from view. The house was designed to wrap around two Scots pines trees and envelop the inhabitants with natural light throughout the day. Upon arrival you are met by a grand sculptural staircase wrapped by a curved double height glass structure. It is not until you are inside the house that you fully appreciate the masterpiece that has been created.
The house is grand in its simplicity, harmonious in its proportions, and ideal for living. Brought up to the latest standards, the restored building has recently been bracketed by two elegant pavilions to provide all the expected amenities of modern life, such as a discreet indoor swimming pool, a cinema, a wine cellar and a separate utility wing. To give further unity to the whole and in keeping with Oliver Hill’s passion for interior design, rare types of marble, granite and onyx as well as lavish panels of exotic woods have been carefully selected to enhance the play of light on all surfaces of its interior and exterior.
“Jock Whitney bought the very best and bought for the best reasons. Not for speculation - he did not need more money. Nor for self-promotion - his reputation was secure. Sportsman, soldier, diplomat, movie man and publisher, man of business, connoisseur, financier, philanthropist - Whitney did too many things, and he did them far too well, to wish to be remembered as a scholarly collector. He bought these lovely pictures, his houses and his horses, his wines and his cigars, to add to his delight.”
Shortly after the Ambassador arrived in the UK, he bought his country estate. The life he and his wife led gave them access to everything they enjoyed: the Establishment, The Celebrity, The Style, The Sophistication, The Art, The Horse Racing ,The Golf ,The Jewels.
THE ESTABLISHMENT
Ambassador Whitney, an American aristocrat, became deeply ingrained within English society, forming close friendships with figures including the Queen and Prince Philip, Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon, and Prime Minister Harold MacMillan.
Whitney entertained extensively while in Great Britain, both in an official and personal capacity. After rapidly exhausting the embassy budget, he went on to use his own funds for the next four years.
THE CELEBRITY
While a student at Yale, Whitney met Broadway sensation Fred Astaire, who became a lifelong friend. His involvement in Broadway and Hollywood, and funding of films such as Gone with the Wind, saw Whitney socialise with luminaries including Rita Hayworth, Bing Crosby, Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Vivien Leigh, Tallulah Bankhead, Paulette Goddard, Joan Crawford, Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall.
The Kilimanjaro Onyx feature wall
“I found everything here that Mies van der Rohe might envisioned in of his signature houses - even an onyx wall! - but there is also much, much more. Cherry Hill is a vision of how nineteen-thirties modernism can evolve into twenty-first century opulence, a classic of the recent past becoming part of the future”
THE STYLE
With their wealth, exquisite taste, and refined aesthetic, the Whitneys created a style that was the envy of post-war British society. Their fabulous art collection, with its Old Masters and Impressionists, set the stage for interiors that featured antique treasures of porcelain and furniture, as well as intimate touches such as family portraits and vases overflowing with flowers.
THE SOPHISTICATION
After serving in Army intelligence in World War II, Whitney established the first-ever true venture capital firm, J.H. Whitney & Co, through which he made a lasting contribution to investment in America. Whitney was not only a business tycoon. As well as being an exceptional ambassador to the Court of St. James, he published the legendary Herald Tribune and created a world-class art collection. He was a passionate patron of art, films and architecture. In 1930 he became involved with the Museum of Modern Art, first as trustee and later as its president, succeeding Nelson Rockefeller. Whitney was also a trustee of the National Gallery of Art, a trustee of the Yale University Library and a fellow of the Yale Corporation.
Dance at Le Moulin de la Galete
by Auguste Renoir
from the former collection of John Hay Whitney
THE ART
The Whitneys featured their treasured art throughout their many homes. Together, they possessed just what it takes to form a great collection: immense amounts of money, exceptional advice, unflappable self-confidence and discriminating eyes.
THE COUNTRY ESTATE
Through his travels across Britain and beyond, Ambassador Whitney saw the best of the best. After visiting the Prime Minister’s official country estate, he thought something similar would be a very desirable supplement to his vast official London residence. Whitney made his choice carefully. Money was not an issue but style, location and quality were paramount. He had noticed Cherry Hill some years earlier in a MoMA exhibition and saw it as a great architectural statement and a complementary backdrop to his sculptures and treasured art collection.
Whitney retained the estate for nearly 30 years and, as Ambassador, used it for relaxing and lavish entertaining in a more intimate setting. On weekends, he would invite friends over for golf and during the Royal Ascot races he would entertain there afterwards. While away, Whitney would often loan the property to friends including Winston Spencer- Churchill. He took great personal interest in the property and commissioned landscaping, extensions and a newly built horse stable. Many of the paintings displayed at Cherry Hill were exhibited at the Tate gallery in 1960 as part of the John Hay Whitney Collection.
THANK YOU
At the conclusion of his term as Ambassador, Whitney and his wife returned to New York. They left many close friends behind but continued to return over the years to maintain friendships, follow the racing, and enjoy their country estate for the next 30 years.
For Betsey, the London years would always evoke fond memories. As she and her husband landed in New York, she turned to him and said with deep feeling, "Thanks for the best four years of my life"
“My dear Betsey,
Thanks for all you and Jock have done during the last four years to bring our two dear countries even closer together.
Goodness how we shall miss you!
Elizabeth R.”