· ti andcrbilt mansion UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF War Between the States, and represents an Collector and Receiver General and also Hyde Park and built a house on his estate, THE INTERIOR: J. A. KRUG, Secretary important phase of the economic, socio­ owned extensive tracts of land, including just north of the present St. James Church. logical, and cultural history of America. a part of the patent of Hyde Park. This This was called Red House. He developed National Park Service, Newton B. Drury, Director It was the home of Frederick W. Vander­ patent was granted in the reign of Queen an orchard of seven or eight hundred apple bilt, a grandson of "the Commodore" Cor­ Anne, April 18, 1705. The town of Hyde trees an,d many trees of grafted fruit, nelius Vanderbilt, who founded the family Park, established in 182 l , took its name choice English cherries, pears, and plums. fortune in steamboating and railroading. from the estate. After the Revolution, having_ lost consider­ The mansion itself, figuratively a royal able money through investments in mining palace brought over from Europe, was de­ and ironworks, he ·returned to private prac­ ~andrrbilt signed by the famous architectural firm of :!)~jvnwnt o/ the rffdale J!I tice in New York, where he assisted his son, McKim, · Mead, and White, in 1898. Dr. Samuel Bard, as attending physician Much older than the house as a portion of the f18a?ld and ~acle ffwnultea to George Washington, then in his first an estate is the 2 l l -acre grounds, main­ term as President of the United States. tained as a country seat by prominent After the death of Fauconnier in 1745 or Dr. John Bard retired to Hyde Park a individuals since colonial days, with fine 1746 his share in the patent eventually second time in 1798, and there, a year mansion passed to his granddaughter, Suzanne Val­ old trees, spreading lawns, and interesting later, he died. gardens which have been carefully devel­ leau, and her husband, Dr. John Bard, Dr. Samuel Bard received the property oped for generations. who later came to own all of the original by transfer shortly before his father's grant. Also of French descent, Dr. Bard death. Educated at Columbia College was a noted physician and pioneer in and in Edinburgh, where he received his JVatWna/ ~de f!J>WJ<k in lt7o/onr:d :!)ay<i hygiene. He is said to have participated medical degree in 1762, he also was an in the first systematic anatomical dissection eminent physician. He became a found ~ r Hyde Park, as the estate was first called, for instructional purposes made in the of the Medical Society of the State of New is said .to have been named by Peter Fau­ Colonies. When yellow fever was raging York, helped to establish the New York :Yfidom!Ate connier, the private secretary of Edward in New York City, his efforts resulted in the Hospital, and was chiefly instrumental in Hyde, Viscounf Cornbury, later third Earl establishment of a quarantine station on Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic of Clarendon and Governor of New York Bedloe's Island (where the Statue of founding and directing the ins ti tu tion Site, at Hyde Park, New York, is a mag­ from l 702 to 1708. Fauconnier was a Liberty now stands) , and he became first which later became the College of Physi­ nificent example of the type of great estate Frenchman and is said to have left France health officer of the port of New York. cians and Surgeons in Columbia University. built by financial and industrial leaders in to avoid persecution for his Protestant Dr. Bard lived principally in New York Dr. Samuel Bard built a new mansion at the era of expansion which followed the beliefs. He held office in the Colony as City until about 1772, when he moved to Hyde Park. This was a large house on the Bed is copied from one of the period of Louis XV The drawing room combines Italian and French decoration Main entrance hall On the fl high elevation rising about 300 feet above plants, flowers, and trees, Dr. Hosack the Hudson River and commanding a founded the Elgin Botanical Garden superb view of this beautiful stream, of (1801), in New York City. This garden the Shawangunk Range to the west, and covered 20 acres, part of it being on the site of the Catskill Mountains to the north. of the present Rockefeller Center district. Improvements were made in the grounds, Dr. Hosack continued his interest in for, to his interest in trees, which he shared horticulture and gardening at Hyde Park, with his father, Dr. Bard added an interest where he ertgaged Andre Parmentier, ' a in horticulture and farming. He imported Belgian landscape gardener, to lay out small fruits from England, larger ones from roads, walks, and scenic vistas. This work France, melons from Italy, and vine_s from was done probably between 1827 and Madeira. The Society of Dutchess County 1830. The many rare and exotic speci­ for the Promotion of Agriculture made mens which grace the lawns and park him its first president ( 1806), and in appear to date principally from that time. this connection he encouraged the use of clover as a crop and gypsum as a fertilizer. Dr. Samuel Bard and his wife, Mary, lived 3/w ~dtvn Cl/Jui at Hyde Park until 1821, when they "f/cwutm~ f!l>mwcla both died, within about 24 hours of each other. In 1840, five years after the death of Their only surviving son, William Bard, Dr. Hosack, his son and daughter-in-law, inherited Hyde Park, then reduced by land Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Hosack, sold the sales to 540 acres, but lived there only mansion tract to John Jacob Astor. Mr. Astor almost immediately made a gift of until about l 82 7, when he sold the estate the estate to his daughter, Dorothea Lang­ to Dr. David Hosack, of New York City. don, and her children, Eliza, Louisa, Wal­ Dr. Hosack, who had been a professor of ter, Jr., Woodbury, and Eugene Langdon. Natural History at Columbia College, was Walter Langdon, Jr., eventually bought a former partner of Dr. Samuel Bard, and out the property interests of his mother, the legatee of the latter's medical practice sisters, and brothers, and by 1853 had be­ when he retired. Deeply interested in come sole owner. He continued to live at The gold room, a French salon of the On the floor of the dining room is an Ispahan rug over 300 years old Louis XV period Hyde Park until his death in 1894 Dur­ ing this long period the greenhouses and "Af~ !/~ <M'td .3:cdiUe6 flower gardens were enlarged, the farm­ Entrance to the grounds is by the south ! land east of the Albany Post Road was gate on U. S. Route 9. This gate is just ... .. reµnited with the property (by purchase in north of the village of Hyde Park. There 0 l 872), and Mrs. Langdon laid out the is no admission charge to the grounds > a:: paths through the woods on the farm side which are open daily. w of the estate. There is an admission charge to the en ~ ~ The Langdons had no children, and mansion of 30 cents for each person l 2 a:: 3: c 0 when Hyde Park was offered for sale in years of age or over. Guided tours of the CL ..J 1895, Frederick W. Vanderbilt purchased mansion are conducted every hour on the .J c "'l&J it. He had the old mansion torn down and hour from 9 to 5 daily except Monday. z > erected the present structure. This was Efforts are made to run these tours at more 0 « ' completed in l 898 and is one of the finest ~ 0 frequent intervals on busy days. Visitors z ·examples of Italian Renaissance architec­ may walk about the grounds at leisure. ture in the United States. Its elaborate Passing through the entrance gate, 3: "'0 fornishings, chiefly Continental, with the traffic follows the main drive to a parking a: emphasis on Italian and French, were area near the mansion. Exit from the a: chosen with care and good taste. Mr. Van­ < site is by the north drive and gate on > derbilt built new carriage houses, stables, U. S. Route 9. The exit drive affords z lJJ ID and farm 'buildings'; erected new entrance especially fine views of the Hudson and ot: z (/) gates and gatehouses; and greatly im­ - ~ 3: the mountains beyond. a: 0 proved the gardens and gr,ounds. Mrs. en o 0 :c Vanderbilt Inn, on the grounds, serves .Z.- > Margaret Louise Van Alen, Mrs. Vander­ luncheon in season. There are no accom­ <l'. a:: bilt's niece, inherited the estate on Mr. ·:i: "'z modations for picnicking, dinner, or over­ ~~ UJ 0 Vanderbilt's death in 1938. night stays on the site. (/) z j:: (,) !:J:c a:~ l&J <{ a: ro _, a.. 0 <( a:: UJ 3: The Vanderbilt Mansion National His­ Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Wz 0 0 oo >- ..J toric Site was established in July l 940, as Site is administered by the National Park :c ..J z- 0 a unit of the scenic and historical areas set Service of the United States Department .... LL. aside in perpetuity by the National Gov­ of the Interior. All inquiries relating to the area should be addressed to the Super­ ~~ ... ernment for the benefit of the people. "'=> This was made possible by the gift of the intendent, Vanderbilt Mansion National :E estate to the Government for that purpose Historic Site, Hyde Park, N.