8410 St. Martins Lane (also known as 515 W. Gravers Lane)

 

(photograph from Chestnut Hill Historical Society-John Naylor Collection: 1970.115)

 

MAP NUMBER: 65
DATE: 1903-1904
ORIGINAL OWNER: Frederick W. Taylor
ARCHITECT: Mantle Fielding
CONTRACTOR: William J. Gruhler

Mantle Fielding designed "Boxly" for his boyhood friend from Germantown,
Frederick W. Taylor (died 1915).  Taylor purchased this property in 1901
while he lived at "Red Gate" on School House Lane. Taylor was renowned
for his studies of industrial efficiency.  Taylor used the construction of this house
as a laboratory to test his theories of labor efficiency.  For example, he required
his hand-picked men and horses to work and rest in specified intervals. 
Fielding substanially regraded the site to provide optimum views of the
Wissahickon gorge.  "Boxly" was named for the immense 100 year old
boxwood shrubs in the gardens.  In the garden, there was an enormous
wisteria vine from "Cedron" in Germantown, the home of Mr. Taylor's
sister, Mrs. Clarence M. Clark.  Robert Bender was the head gardener.  
Mantle Fielding designed alterations in 1929.  Other work was performed
on the building in 1952 and 1954 (Paul Harbeson, architect), 1963 (D.
Hughes Cauffman, architect), 1975 (Frederick Peck, landscape architect),
and 1977 (William McDowell, architect). Only the left side of "Boxly"
survives today.  In the 1990s the address was changed to 515 West
Gravers Lane, when a new entrance was built. 

See Jarvis,  "Chestnut Hill Revisited," pps. 108 and 109.