I think 14 was a vast improvement because it strengthened the course. Yeah, the original green was neat (it's still there under some long grass, even though it has or had a 20-foot maple planted in the middle of it) and felt very old, but the punchbowl green was much easier and the shot was shorter (145 I think v. the current 170) than the new green.
I've played ECC many times (50+ maybe), and since many of my rounds have been in tournaments, I've seen the front right pin location pretty often. Playing partners have had lots of trouble with the slope on the right next to that location, and the putts from the other side of the green are treacherous. I wouldn't call it an anti-Ross green, but I might say its inspiration might be an advanced Ross style of push-up. Ross started with ground level greens at Pinehurst and slowly they morphed into the push-up style. Perhaps if Ross stayed as the pro/tinkering GCA at Essex like he did at Pinehurst, he would have tinkered several greens into something like Tom and Bruce's 14 at ECC today.
Martin (how's it going?)....Tom has the story pretty correct about the guy across the street. The way I heard it was that the whole thing started pretty close to the first few golf balls crossing the road (as opposed to all the time), which indicated that the new homeowner was out for cash. The subsequent entertaining rumor was that a few years after the suit was done and the new hole was built, the guy ended up in jail for tax evasion or embezzlement of some sort...
My favorite hole at Essex is 16, a 430 par 4. The tee shot is a bit non-descript, but the approach is something all lovers of architectural angles would die for. There is a diagonal sandy waste area with a high lip that might be an acre in size. One can only see the top of the flag, and the green is at exactly ground level, so you have to figure where the pin is, play the correct angle across the waste area, and hope your ball bounces and stops somewhere on the large green. There is a funny small bathtub feature just off the back left much like the one on #3 green, but smaller and more annoying if you end up in it. The green looks dead flat when there are three long parallel ridges (parallel to the line of play) maybe 1-2 inches high. I never figured this out until I played #16 in the low setting sun one night, and I felt like I had opened a treasure chest...