Rockefeller Estate St Barts

You were remarkably close to the house — great pictures! I understand that the property (grounds and house) is”protected” by motion detectors which alert a guard service when movement is detected. Re:”grand times” . . . a little bit about life there was written by one of David’s daughters in a book that she did about growing up with such a famous father. According to her accounts, life at the house on SBH was very simple. She and siblings had many chores assigned by their mother, swam, played, sailed, read books, and went to bed early each evening. She also recalled that her parents didn’t entertain very much on St. Barths . . . making it a family time that she remembered very fondly.

Arch. Digest 10/83 Rockefeller Home Colombier
I came across an old, old copy of Architectural Digest that has an article of interest to any of us who have made the hike to Columbier.

Gentle Geometry, Mr. and Mrs. David Rockefeller’s Home on St. Barts
A few excerpts:
The hilltop was first glimpsed by Mr. and Mrs. Rockefeller over twenty year ago from the cockpit of a sailboat. Several years later, the property purchased, they returned, this time with Nelson Aldrich on board. Architect and clients rowed ashore and walked the land together. Later, while the rest of the party picnicked, Mr. Aldrich made some preliminary sketches that resembled to a remarkable degree the house as it appears today.”It’s curious the way one gets inspiration,” says Mr. Aldrich.”I had three thoughts in mind: the contours of the hills, the extraordinary stone cisterns I had noticed on the island, built to collect water, and oddly enough, the interior of Eastern Airlines, which had flown me down to the Caribbean”

Aerial Photo of Rockefeller Estate Colombier in 1960’s