Castles of Westchester
Kykuit, the Rockefeller Estate
Kykuit is a preeminent Hudson Valley landmark. For architecture, remarkable gardens, art, history, and spectacular scenery, a trip to Kykuit is simply amazing.
This hilltop paradise was home to four generations of the Rockefeller family, beginning with the philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil. His business acumen made him, in his day, the richest man in America. Now a historic site of the National Trust, this extraordinary landmark has been continuously and meticulously maintained for almost 100 years.
Your tour will take you to the main rooms of the six-story stone house. Then you will move on through the expansive, terraced gardens containing Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller’s exceptional collection of 20th-century sculpture. Artists represented include Pablo Picasso, Henry Moore, Alexander Calder, Louise Nevelson, and David Smith, among many others. The private, underground art galleries with Governor Rockefeller’s collection of Picasso tapestries, and the cavernous Coach Barn, with its collections of classic automobiles and horse-drawn carriages, are also part of the experience.
On each tour, your guide will share many stories that highlight the lives of Rockefeller family members and their contributions to philanthropy, conservation, business, government, and the arts.
Your choice of several tour options allows you to tailor a visit that appeals to your interests and your available time. Each tour begins at the Visitor Center at Philipsburg Manor, where you’ll board a shuttle bus for a short ride to the estate.
For more information on these historic sites please visit: www.hudsonvalley.org
Lyndhurst
Lyndhurst, a historic site of the National Trust, is one of the great domestic landmarks of America. A visit to the house and its 67-acre park is a must for all who are interested in 19th-century architecture, decorative arts, and landscape design.
Lyndhurst is adjacent to Washington Irving’s Sunnyside. There are historic and aesthetic connections of interest between the sites, but it is the ability to walk from site to site that has the most special appeal. At present, visitors may walk the publicly maintained Croton Aqueduct Trail from Lyndhurst to West Sunnyside Lane. In the near future, a pathway connecting Lyndhurst and Sunnyside along the riverfront will open.
Lyndhurst was designed by Alexander Jackson Davis (1803-1892) in the gothic revival style. Davis completed this first phase in 1842, and designed much of the furniture. In 1864, Lyndhurst’s owner hired Davis to more than double its size.
In 1880 Jay Gould (1836-1892), the railroad magnate, Wall Street tycoon, and prototypical robber baron, purchased the estate and renamed it Lyndhurst. He added a colossal greenhouse in the gothic style by the firm of Lord and Burnham; its cast-iron structure still stands. Gould hired Herter Brothers to redecorate and added paintings by Corot, Courbet, Bouguereau, and others, many still extant.
The important “gardenesque” landscape is by Ferdinand Mangold (1828-1905). Many of the landscape features created by Mangold, his predecessors, and his successors, are preserved, including spectacular specimen trees.
For more information on these historic sites please visit: www.hudsonvalley.org
Castle on the Hudson
Just 25 miles north of New York City, lies a historic medieval castle, overlooking the majestic Hudson River. The Castle on the Hudson, situated on 11 hilltop acres, was originally called Carrollcliffe and later Axe Castle. It was built in two stages between 1897 and 1910 by General Carroll, the son of a Civil War General. The grounds are enclosed by a stone wall and support a veritable arboretum of evergreens and rare varieties of trees, grasslands and flowers. Designs by noted New York Architect Henry Killburn. The Castle was built in a style reminiscent of Norman fortification in Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The finished castle boasted 45 rooms. The main tower of the Castle rises 75 feet, making it the highest point in Westchester County.
The Castle has changed very little in its first century. Much of the original interior woodwork and furnishings, which were built by a team of carpenters brought from Germany, still remain intact. Designed for graceful living and entertaining, the Castle has been renovated into a luxury hotel. Its individually styled suites incorporate the unique amenities including fireplaces and turret alcoves. The Equus restaurant and General’s bar, open to the public, occupy elegantly appointed rooms and an enclosed veranda with splendid views of the Hudson River and the New York City skyline. One of the dining rooms, the impressive Oak Room, features paneling brought from General Carroll’s house in St. Germain, outside of Paris, France. It is said that this house had been given by Louis XIV to James II when he was deposed in England and fled to France.
In 1981, the town of Tarrytown designated the Castle a historic landmark, protecting the outside structure from ever being changed.
Today’s vision for the Castle is one that will recreate the former glory days of Carrollcliffe as the site for memorable stays and glorious meals in sumptuous surroundings. The restoration of the Castle’s original suites, which offer spectacular views inside and out, and the creation of the new 24- room addition named Carrollcliffe is a salute to its proud heritage. Bringing the Castle fully up to date are recent innovations including a state-of-the-art fitness center, a heated outdoor pool and tennis court. These and many other features enable the Castle to continue making history in the 21st century.
For more information on Castle on the Hudson please visit: www.castleonthehudson.com
Glenview Mansion at the Hudson River Museum
Begun in 1876 and completed in 1877 by its turn-of-the-century residents, the John Bond Trevor family, the Glenview overlooks the Hudson River and Palisades
Glenview is considered one of the finest examples of an American Eastlake interior open to the public
Trevor hired New York architect Charles Clinton to design Glenview The mansion was constructed of locally quarried gray stone with contrasting details in sandstone Clinton incorporated several styles then popular in American architecture, including Gothic revival and Renaissance revival In its 24-room plan, Glenview was the epitome of a truly fashionable residence
The family lived here in spring, summer and fall, though they avoided the worst summer heat by vacationing in Maine or in the Catskills In winter, they moved to their New York City town house for the social season After Mr Trevor died in 1890, Mrs Trevor continued to live at Glenview until her death in 1922 The city of Yonkers purchased the Trevor estate in order to preserve the house and keep the grounds intact as a park The Hudson River Museum, first known as the Yonkers Museum of Science and Arts, has occupied the Mansion since late 1924.
For more information on Glen View Mansion at the Hudson River please visit: www.hrm.org