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Vanderbilt Mansion NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE · NEW YORK
Vanderbilt Mansion NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE · NEW YORK
by Charles W. Snell NATIONAL PARK SERVICE HISTORICAL HANDBOOK SERIES NO. 32 Washington, D.C., 1960 (Reprint 1961) The National Park System, of which Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site is a unit, is dedicated to conserving the scenic, scientific, and historic heritage of the United States for the benefit and inspiration of its people. Vanderbilt Mansion. Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site, at Hyde Park, N. Y., is a monument to an era. It is a magnificent example of the palatial esta
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The Vanderbilt Name and Fortune
The Vanderbilt Name and Fortune
The name Vanderbilt (originally van der Bilt) was prominent throughout most of the 19th and early 20th centuries. This was largely due to the wealth of the family and the importance of its members in the transportation industry. Cornelius Vanderbilt was a descendant of Dutch settlers who had migrated to America in the latter half of the 17th century. He first became interested in shipping while helping his father in odd jobs of boating and lightering around New York Harbor. When still a young ma
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“Another Millionaire in Dutchess”
“Another Millionaire in Dutchess”
When this headline of May 12, 1895, announced that another millionaire was coming to Dutchess County, residents of Hyde Park were not particularly impressed. For years the merchants of the village had been servicing the estates of wealthy men. Many of the townspeople were employed as gardeners, drivers, and domestics by the families of John Jacob Astor, Ogden Mills, Jacob Ruppert, Governor Levi P. Morton, James and John Roosevelt, and others prominent in the business and political worlds. It was
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A Mansion in the Making
A Mansion in the Making
Work had scarcely started on the mansion when serious structural defects were discovered in the walls of the center section. Complete demolition was deemed necessary. Vanderbilt balked at first, maintaining that he would have built along different lines had he felt there was nothing of the old house to be saved. Mrs. Vanderbilt was unhappy, too. In a letter to architect McKim, then in Egypt, his partner William R. Mead stated: “... when it was found the old house had to come down, Mrs. Vanderbil
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Estate Development
Estate Development
During the period when work on the mansion was at a standstill, and while work on the smaller houses was progressing, a large force of men was engaged in improvement of the grounds. In the larger portion of the estate lying east of the Albany Post Road, the order was to leave nature undisturbed to the greatest extent possible. Following the natural windings of a forest path, a carriage drive was laid out. A few obstructing rocks and trees were removed, and brooks were spanned, but generally the
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Final Changes to the Mansion and Grounds
Final Changes to the Mansion and Grounds
Beginning in 1901, and continuing through the next 5 years, minor but important changes in and additions to the estate were made. The splendid barns, still standing on the farm section east of the Post Road, were erected. An Italian garden, starting from a point near the river entrance and laid out in terraces to the highest point of the hill, was planned by James L. Greenleaf and executed under his direction. South porch. The grounds were enlarged in October 1905 when Vanderbilt purchased the e
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A Way of Life
A Way of Life
In the 1890’s approximately nine-tenths of the wealth of the country was controlled by one-tenth of the population. It was an era of triumphant business enterprise when men of ambition and talent concentrated their energies on gathering the abundant fruits of America’s burgeoning industrial might. It was a time when the income tax had been ruled unconstitutional; a time when the captains of industry and commerce could use their millions for pursuits and pastimes that made even the wonders of Ala
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Society in the Hudson Valley
Society in the Hudson Valley
There were several reasons why so many men of wealth chose the Hudson River Valley as the locale for their country estates. Scenic charm at a convenient distance from New York City attracted some. Others, like Vanderbilt, found the rolling countryside ideal for the pursuit of interests in purebred livestock and in horticulture. Two events of great interest to these gentleman farmers were held each autumn. There was keen competition among them at the annual flower show of the Dutchess Horticultur
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Operation of the Estate
Operation of the Estate
The immensity of the Vanderbilt estate at Hyde Park can best be gaged by realizing that at one time there were more than 60 full-time employees, directed by the estate superintendent. Of this number, 17 were employed in the house, 2 in the pavilion, and 44 on the grounds and farm—13 men cared for the gardens and lawns alone. When there were guests in the pavilion, additional cooks and maids were engaged from Hyde Park. The fine herd of 24 Jersey cattle and the 15 Belgian draft horses maintained
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The Vanderbilts and the People of Hyde Park
The Vanderbilts and the People of Hyde Park
The great estates along the Hudson played an important role in the economy of the small communities nearby. Employment was provided for many residents, and the wealthy owners took a benevolent interest and provided a guiding hand in the affairs and welfare of the villages. The Vanderbilts may be cited as typical examples, and in the finest tradition. Mrs. Vanderbilt knew personally almost every person living in Hyde Park. Her employees, as well as the doctors and ministers of the community, kept
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Early History of the Estate
Early History of the Estate
The history of the 211-acre grounds surrounding the Vanderbilt Mansion goes back much further than that of the house. Pierre (Peter) Fauconnier. Dr. John Bard. On April 18, 1705, Peter Fauconnier and three other men were granted a patent for 3,600 acres of scenic land on the east side of the Hudson River. Fauconnier had fled his native France as a religious exile, arriving in America by way of England. Here he became secretary to Edward Hyde, Viscount Cornbury, Governor of the Province of New Yo
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FIRST FLOOR
FIRST FLOOR
This is a small, high-ceilinged room that leads from the imposing front portico of the mansion to the reception hall. It is without distinctive furnishings except for a pair of large Mediterranean green-glazed pottery jars. Library and family living room. Green and white marble imported from Italy is used with arresting effect for cornices and pilasters in this elliptically shaped room. Above the massive fireplace, which came from an Italian palace, is a Flemish tapestry bearing the insignia of
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GRAND STAIRWAY
GRAND STAIRWAY
On the wall opposite the foot of the stairway is an 18th-century Flemish tapestry. The floor in the lower-stair hall is old Italian marble. A chair and marble fernery are Italian, and a large Chinese bowl of the Ming Dynasty is about 500 years old. Italian busts and statues occupy niches along the way. At one of the landings is a painting by the French artist, Adrien Moreau. An early 18th-century Beauvais tapestry hangs on the second-floor wall....
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SECOND FLOOR
SECOND FLOOR
On a Louis XVI table stands an incense burner fashioned of marble and cloisonne. Overhead is a chandelier of beaded crystal; one of similar design is in the south foyer. Hanging here are original paintings by the 19th-century artists, Schreyer, Bougereau, and Villegas. Frederick Vanderbilt was more noted for the fine tapestries he collected than for outstanding paintings. This is the largest of the guest rooms. Mrs. James Van Alen, the niece of Mrs. Vanderbilt who donated the mansion to the Fede
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THIRD FLOOR
THIRD FLOOR
The third floor, which is closed to visitors, is divided into two sections; one contains five more guestrooms, and the other the servants’ quarters. The third floor guestrooms are as elaborate as any on the second floor and consist of the Pink Room, with white painted furniture—often used by Frederick Vanderbilt in the winter; the Little Mauve Room, furnished with oak furniture; the Empire Room, with French Empire period furniture and satin-covered walls to match the covering on the furniture an
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BASEMENT OF THE MANSION
BASEMENT OF THE MANSION
The basement contains the rooms that were used by male employees of the mansion. There were single rooms for the three butlers, a room for visiting valets, and a room for the day and night men. In addition there were four storage rooms, two laundry rooms, a pressing room, a wine cellar, and an ice room. The kitchen was located under the dining room. Food prepared here was lifted via a large dumbwaiter to the butler’s pantry on the first floor, then carried from there into the dining room, where
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Trees.
Trees.
For almost two centuries these grounds have been part of country estates owned by influential and wealthy men. The magnificent specimen trees which they planted here may be ranked as a feature of interest second only to the mansion itself. Approximately two score species and varieties are represented, many of them from Europe and Asia. Trees of foreign origin include European ash, European beech, English elm, Norway spruce, Norway maple, the red-leaved Japanese maple, and a ginkgo, or Chinese ma
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Pavilion.
Pavilion.
Designed by McKim, Mead, and White, this building was erected by Norcross Brothers in 66 working days, September 8 to November 24, 1895, on the site of the old Langdon carriage house. Cost of the structure probably exceeded $50,000. The pavilion was used by the Vanderbilts during the construction and furnishing of the mansion, and, later, on weekends in the winter season when they came to Hyde Park for winter sports. The pavilion was also used to house the overflow of guests from the mansion. Th
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Gardener’s Cottage and Tool House.
Gardener’s Cottage and Tool House.
These two buildings, located south of the mansion, are the only structures on the estate that antedate the Vanderbilt era. Walter Langdon had them built in 1875 according to the design of John H. Sturgis and Charles Brigham, architects of Boston, Mass. Neither building is open to the public....
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The Italian Gardens.
The Italian Gardens.
These gardens, which lay south of the mansion, may possibly date back as far as Dr. Samuel Bard’s era in 1795. They certainly existed in 1830 as a part of Dr. David Hosack’s estate, and the later owner, Walter Langdon, continued to maintain them. Landscape architect James L. Greenleaf radically revised and enlarged the gardens in 1902-3 for Frederick Vanderbilt. The gardens thus represent several periods of development. They were divided into three units: The greenhouse gardens, the cherry walk
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North Drive and North (Exit) Gate.
North Drive and North (Exit) Gate.
The land north of the pavilion was added to the estate in 1905. From the north drive are unsurpassed views of the Hudson, the Shawangunk Range to the west, and the Catskill Mountains to the north. The north gate was erected in 1906. Directly opposite, on the east side of the Albany Post Road, are the Vanderbilt barns, built in 1901. This part of the estate is now in private ownership....
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Main (Entrance) Gate and Gatehouse.
Main (Entrance) Gate and Gatehouse.
These structures date from 1898 and again represent the combination of McKim, Mead, and White-Norcross Brothers. The gatehouse is still used as a residence and is closed to the public. Main gatehouse....
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White Bridge.
White Bridge.
This bridge over Crum Elbow Creek was designed and constructed in 1897 by the New York City engineering firm of W. T. Hiscox and Company. A Melan arch bridge, it was one of the first steel and concrete bridges in the United States. River gatehouse....
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River Gate and Gatehouse.
River Gate and Gatehouse.
The carriage road and Crum Elbow Creek proceed southward, ending near the Hyde Park railroad station at the Hudson River. Near this point is the river gate and gate lodge. These were designed by McKim, Mead, and White, and constructed by Norcross Brothers in 1898. The gatehouse is still used as a residence and is closed to the public....
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The Coach Home.
The Coach Home.
Located on the river hill, a short distance east (or above) the river gate, is the coach house. It was designed by the New York City architect, R. H. Robertson, and erected by Norcross Brothers in 1897. In 1910, R. H. Robertson altered the coach house so it could also be used as a garage. THE VANDERBILT FAMILY TREE (Based on Andrews, Vanderbilt Legend , p. 79)...
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Travel Routes to the Site
Travel Routes to the Site
Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site is on the New York-Albany Post Road, U.S. 9, at the northern edge of Hyde Park, N.Y., about 6 miles north of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. From New York City, 82 miles away, you can reach it most conveniently by automobile over the Hendrick Hudson Parkway, the Saw Mill River Parkway, the Taconic State Parkway, U.S. 55, and U.S. 9. Approaches from the New York State Throughway and U.S. 9W on the west side of the Hudson River are by the Mid-Hudson Bridge at Poughkeep
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About Your Visit
About Your Visit
You enter the grounds by the main gate on U.S. 9, just north of the village of Hyde Park. You leave the site by the north drive and gate on U.S. 9, near St. James Church. The exit drive affords fine views of the Hudson River and the mountains to the west. The grounds are open every day from 9 a.m. until dark. You are welcome to spend as much time as you wish viewing them. The mansion is open every day during the summer, June 15 through Labor Day. It is closed Mondays at other seasons, and on Chr
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The National Historic Site
The National Historic Site
View from west lawn across the Hudson. When Frederick W. Vanderbilt died in 1938, the Hyde Park estate was bequeathed to Mrs. James Van Alen, a niece of Mrs. Vanderbilt. Two years later, Mrs. Van Alen gave the estate to the Federal Government, and on December 18, 1940, it was designated a National Historic Site. Since that time it has been administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. A superintendent, whose address is Hyde Park, N.Y., is in immediate charge. His of
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Suggested Readings
Suggested Readings
Andrews, Wayne , The Vanderbilt Legend: The Story of the Vanderbilt Family, 1794-1940 . Harcourt, Brace and Co., New York, 1941. Croffut, W. A. , The Vanderbilts and the Story of Their Fortune . Belford Clarke and Co., Chicago, 1886. Lane, Wheaton J. , Commodore Vanderbilt: An Epic of the Steam Age . Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1942. Langstaff, John Brett , Doctor Bard of Hyde Park: The Famous Physician of Revolutionary Times, The Man Who Saved Washington’s Life . E. P. Dutton and Co., Inc., New
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