Springwood

The lifelong home of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the estate, called Springwood, was the nucleus of his life and career. During his tenure first as Governor of New York and then as President, FDR traveled over 200 times to Springwood for escape and temporary respite. Springwood was haven and political headquarters and served as host to dignitaries, kings & queens and common folk alike.

First built around 1800, FDR's father purchased the estate in 1867. Originally a large farmhouse, the family transformed it over the years into an imposing yet warm family home. Wings were erected, towers built and roofs raised. The clapboard exterior was replaced by stucco, fieldstone terraces added and barns were erected.

On four occasions, FDR stood on the front terrace on election night to greet well-wishers. Formal entertaining took place in the Dresden Room and Dining Room while the family liked to gather in the more casual Living Room/Library. Before his death, FDR donated the home and 33 acres to the American People. After his death the property was transferred to the Department of the Interior and became the Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, location of the Presidential Museum & Library.

Guided tours of Springwood are available daily, except major holidays. Tickets are available at the kiosk adjacent to the parking lot. Only the first floor of the home is accessible to handicapped visitors. The 290 acres of grounds are open daily till dusk and provide hiking, scenic views and other outdoor activities.

Museum & Library

Started during his presidency, the FDR Museum & Library houses the Presidential Records and Papers and is available to scholars for research and study. The public is invited to visit the Museum which contains extensive displays on the lives and careers of both Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. Many important documents and memorabilia are on display in exciting interactive exhibits. There are several galleries filled with mementos, paintings and artifacts of these two important public people.

The Museum is open daily from 9am till 6pm, closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's. The research library is open Monday to Friday from 9am till 5pm.

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As you enter the gates, the modern era is left behind and you step back in time to an era of great wealth and privilege. The Vanderbilt Estate, known as Hyde Park, represents this era of opulence, conspicuous consumption and aesthetic privilege.

Between 1763 and 1835, three generations of owners made improvements on the grounds transforming them into one of the most important Romantic Landscapes in America. The most significant contribution was the landscape design work of Andre Parmentier, whose style enticed visitors from Europe to see the justly famous Hyde Park. It is exceedingly rare to have a major residential landscape of this period preserved and this, one of four known Parmentier designs, is the most impressive.

Grandson of Cornelius "Commodore" Vanderbilt, Frederick William Vanderbilt began his transformation of Hyde Park in 1895. He created all the structures that now occupy the grounds and finally rebuilt the house. Designed by the world famous firm of McKim, Mead & White, the classical Indiana limestone home contains 50 rooms with, at the time, the latest residential technology available. Central heating, plumbing and electrical power were all fitted through out the home. Beneath the stone facade, the building is actually a modern steel and concrete structure, virtually fireproof.

When it came to the interiors, nothing was spared as they were more than double the cost of the house itself. The rooms are lavished with plasterwork, cornices, fabrics and furniture. In the principal downstairs rooms Stanford White's design hand is clear and distinct in its flamboyance and attention to proportion and detail. In 1897 White traveled to London, Paris, Florence, Rome and Venice in search of articles for the mansion at Hyde Park.

Guided tours of the mansion are available daily except major holidays. The grounds and gardens are open daily till dusk.

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Staatsburg, formerly know as the Mills Mansion, is an elegant example of the great estates built by America's financial and industrial leaders during the Gilded Age. This period, also known as the American Renaissance, lasted approximately from 1876 to 1917, and was marked by America's rapid economic growth and emergence as a world power.

The 1,600 acre estate was originally purchased in 1792 by Morgan Lewis, Quartermaster General of the Northern Continental Army during the American Revolution, later becoming the 3rd Governor of New York. His great-granddaughter, Ruth Livingston, heir to the estate, married Ogden Mills, noted financier and philanthropist, heir to a family fortune based on investments in banks and railroads in California during the Gold Rush.

In 1895, Ruth and Ogden Mills commissioned the prestigious firm of McKim, Mead and White to remodel and enlarge the existing home in Staatsburg. In 1896 the home was transformed into a Beaux Arts mansion of 65 rooms. Its exterior was embellished with balustrades, pilasters, floral swags and a massive portico. The rooms were furnished with elaborately carved and gilded furniture, fine oriental rugs, silk fabrics and a collection of art objects from Europe, ancient Greece and the Far East. Pride in family heritage was demonstrated in the prominent display of portraits of Mrs. Mills's ancestors. It is this combination of a taste for European grandeur with a reverence for American heritage that makes Mills Mansion a quintessential American Renaissance residence.

Mills Mansion is a New York State Historic Site, now located within the boundaries of the Mills-Norris State Park. Guided tours of the mansion are available from mid-April through Labor Day on Wednesdays to Saturdays from 10am till 5pm and on Sundays from Noon till 5pm. The Mills-Norris State Park is open daily.

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The original Italinate villa, built in the 1850's and designed by John Warren Ritch, was remodeled and enlarged in 1888. Poughkeepsie architect Amout Cannon transformed the two story villa into an elaborate Queen Anne style country house. The home soared upward with the addition of a third floor, multi-gabled attic and a dramatic five story circular tower with a commanding view of the surrounding landscape.

During this transformation, the interiors were designed by the New York City decorator Joseph Burr Tiffany. With the ground floor rooms executed in contrasting historic revival and aesthetic movement styles, the interiors at Wilderstein offer a splendid microcosm of the decorative arts during this period of American Design.

The opulence of the residence was complimented by the Picturesque Landscape design of Calvert Vaux who laid out the grounds at Wilderstein according to the principles of the American Romantic Landscape style. The Vaux firm created an intricate network of drives, walks and trails adorned with specimen trees and ornamental shrubs. The landscape plan entailed well chosen prospect points marked by rustic gazebos and sheltered garden seats.

Now a work in progress, the restoration of Wilderstein is part of the fascination of this very special place. Held in the public trust by a private not-for-profit organization, the recovery and restoration of Wilderstein and its contents is a fascinating exercise in frustration and success, all on display as part of the experience. Tattered silk wall hangings and restored pressed leather coverings are part of the experience of a visit to Wilderstein. The care and dedication of those working on Wilderstein is evident.

Guided tours of Wilderstein are available May through October on Thursdays to Sundays from Noon to 4pm, small fee is charged. Access to the grounds and trails is free.

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Montgomery Place is one of the most significant and meticulously preserved country estates in America. Set amidst 434 acres of rolling lawns, woodlands and glorious gardens, the estate includes the mansion designed by AJ Davis, America's greatest mid-19th century architect.

The estate was originally created by Janet Livingston Montgomery, widow of Revolutionary War hero General Richard Montgomery in 1804 and built in the Federal style. During the next fifty years, her descendants were responsible for the estate's reputation as one of the most beautiful in the nation. They were assisted by two of the most important designers in the country, landscape designer Andrew Jackson Downing and architect Alexander Jackson Davis.

In 1859, Downing wrote that Montgomery Place "...is one of our oldest improved country seats ...nowhere surpassed in America in point of location, natural beauty, or landscape gardening charms."

Stroll through the gardens and walk the many trails and paths around the estate. Take a walk along a woodland trail to the falls of the Sawkill. Spread out a blanket on the lawn and enjoy a picnic, or pull up a chair on the North Porch and just relax. The 434 acre estate, 23 room mansion, gardens and grounds are open for a small grounds fee from April through October on Wednesdays through Mondays from 10am till 5pm and November & December on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am till 5pm. Guided tours of the house are available at these times for a small additional fee.

There is an excellent gift shop available filled with interesting objects and literature on the history and culture of the Hudson Valley.

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