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What was the going rate for architects of Colt's stature in 1913?”
That’s a good question, and one I was hoping the two Colt experts on here (Tom MacWood and Paul Turner) could help with about Colt himself in and around 1913. But it was an RT (Russell Talley?) who reported on here that Colt’s fee was 72 quid 9 shillings in 1912 for Camberley Heath so I guess that gives us some idea. But I don’t know what Colt did for Camberley Heath, do you? Did he route and design the course and oversee the course’s construction for the duration or did he help someone route it and leave a hole by hole booklet behind after being there for one week never to return, as he did at PVGC?
”Merion cost $45,000? How much do you estimate PV cost?”
I should clarify that. Hugh or Alan Wilson reported to Piper and Oakley that Merion East cost approximately $45,000 to actually construct the golf course but of course that pertained only to the so-called “initial construction phase" from app April 1911 until Sept 1911 when the course was seeded and left for one year to grow in before opening for play in Sept 1912. Merion East was changed architecturally a good deal in the next 20 years before it was considered to be what they were looking for---after which time it has been little changed architecturally.
How much do I estimate PVGC cost to construct? That’s pretty hard to say since no one has really compiled that estimate that I know of. I might estimate it cost something like $300,000 over its app ten year construction phase as there’re a few reports that estimate Crump may’ve put more than $250,000 of his own money into the course but that probably included the cost of land in two purchases--and it may also include the buildings such as the clubhouse and dorm house. And frankly, that fact alone, the ten-year construction phase, is a great example of what I’ve been trying to explain to you and Paul Turner for about two years now that neither of you seem to get or appreciate or are willing to acknowledge! That indicates to me what Crump’s personal efforts on that golf course, particularly architecturally, were all about. This is one of the clearest indications he was doing what HE wanted to do there architecturally, altering things constantly and taking his sweet time finishing the golf course by constant change, and when he died suddenly in 1918 he still hadn't finished the golf course architecturally! If Crump had wanted to simply construct that golf course architecturally to Harry Colt’s routing or hole by hole design plan he probably could’ve done that in about six months and then opened the TOTAL course for play as Merion East had done two years previous. But he didn’t do that, he opened it in stages and the course didn't open all 18 holes until 1922.
And following its initial opening Merion East basically took 20 years to complete. This is obviously something you fail to understand correctly about the two centerpieces of the Philadelphia School of Architecture---PVGC and Merion East. This is one of the reasons I don’t think you analyze some architecture very well!!
”Regarding Crump's payment and Colt's lone visit, do you think Crump foresaw Arch Duke Ferdinand getting knocked off?”
Wow!! I’m getting a bit concerned about you Tom! I wouldn’t even want to hazard a guess where you think you’re going now with a question like that!