and emotion, the Hudson River when his health was impaired by Valley became the center of tuberculosis; Lyndhurst served as a painting and architecture. Wealthy country retreat until his death in patrons commissioned the 1892. construction of mansions in a Jay Gould’s daughter, Helen, variety of styles along the bluffs of who later married Finley J. Shepard, the river from New York City to was given charge of the property Albany. upon her father’s death. She was Lyndhurst was first conceived in involved in numerous philanthropic the minds of architect A.J. Davis works during her lifetime. After her and William Paulding who death in 1938, her sister, Anna, Lyndhurst Mansion constructed the country villa in Duchess of Talleyrand-Perigord, 1838 and called it “Knoll”. The returned from France and ACNA Member tour, car show, romantic Gothic Revival design maintained Lyndhurst until her and box lunch immediately drew attention to the death in 1961 when the 67-acre Overlooking the Hudson River in building, critics called it estate passed to the National Trust Tarrytown, New York, is “Paulding’s Folly” because its for Historic Preservation. Lyndhurst, one of America’s finest fanciful turrets and asymmetrical The grounds at Lyndhurst Gothic Revival mansions. The outline were unlike most homes survive as an outstanding example architectural brilliance of the constructed in the post-colonial era. of 19th century landscape design. residence, designed in 1838 by Elements include sweeping lawns Alexander Jackson Davis, is George Merritt accented with shrubs and specimen complemented by the park-like But fascination with the property trees, the curving entrance drive landscape of the 67-acre estate and a continued for decades and, as ideas revealing “surprise” views, the comprehensive collection of of wealth and status changed with angular repetition of the Gothic original decorative arts. Its the growing nation, so did the roofline in the evergreens, and the noteworthy occupants included: estate, reflecting the tastes and nation’s first steel-framed former New York City mayor interests of wealthy New York. conservatory. The rose garden and William Paulding, merchant George In 1864-1865, Davis doubled the fernery are later additions. Merritt and railroad tycoon Jay size of the mansion for the second ACNA members will tour the Gould. owner New York merchant George Observatory of the Tower with

Merritt, who renamed it spectacular views of the lower William Paulding “Lyndenhurst” after the Linden Hudson Valley and Manhattan and The estate was shaped during more trees that were planted on the estate. the area where servants were than a century by these three housed, the Butler’s suite, Butler’s families. Their influence is evident Jay Gould Pantry, Root Cellar, Scullery, in the expansion of the main house Railroad magnate Jay Gould Kitchen, Ice Closet and Servants’ from a country villa “in the pointed purchased the estate as a summer Dining Room. style” to a Gothic mansion; in the home in 1880, seven years after http://www.lyndhurst.org/wp- rich furnishings; and in the park-like Merritt died. By 1884 Jay Gould content/uploads/2016/04/lyndhurst- design of the grounds. was at the zenith of his power, HD-2.mp4 The 19th century was a period of having gained control of Western political and technological change Union Telegraph, the New York in America. Romanticism Elevated Railway and the Union dominated the arts, and as the Pacific Railroad. Mr. Gould used movement emphasized the Lyndhurst as an escape from the appreciation of nature, imagination pressures of his business life and