Beechwood (Vanderlip mansion) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Beechwood
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
West elevation
Location	1–3 Beechwood Way, Briarcliff Manor, New York 10510
Area	33.3 acres (13.5 ha)
Built	1780
Part of	Scarborough Historic District (ID84003433)
Added to NRHP	September 7, 1984

Beechwood is a large and historic estate located along the Hudson River in Briarcliff Manor, New York. It was famously the home of Frank A. Vanderlip and his family for many years. The Vanderlips owned the house and its land from 1906 to 1979. Today, Beechwood is a complex of 37 condominiums.

This famous estate has also been used as a filming location for movies. The 1970 film House of Dark Shadows was filmed there. Also, Savages, a 1972 film by Merchant Ivory, used Beechwood as its main setting. In 2016, a film about Frank Vanderlip's life, called Money Man: Frank Vanderlip and the Birth of the Federal Reserve, was shown for the first time at Beechwood.

History of Beechwood Estate

House exterior

The oldest part of the main house was built in 1780. It still has the original kitchen's fireplace. Early owners, Benjamin and Ann Folger, called their home "Heartt Place." In the 1830s, the Folgers sold the estate to a man named Robert Matthews. He called the house "Zion Hill." During this time, Sojourner Truth, who later became a famous speaker for freedom and women's rights, worked as a housekeeper at the estate.

For many years, the property belonged to the Remsen family. In the 1890s, Henry Walter Webb, whose wife was an inheritor of the estate, bought more land around it. He combined several properties, including the Remsen estate, and named the entire property "Beechwood." He hired architect R. H. Robertson to make the mansion twice as big. Robertson designed the new parts in the Colonial Revival style. This style matched the older, more classic Federal style of the original house.

In 1906, Frank A. Vanderlip and his wife Narcissa Cox Vanderlip bought the 23-acre (9.3 ha) property from Webb's widow. They later bought even more land, making the estate a huge 125 acres (51 ha). Vanderlip hired William Welles Bosworth to make the house even bigger. Bosworth also designed a special wing for Vanderlip's library and the beautiful lawns.

In 1907, Frank Vanderlip was a vice president at First National City Bank (which is now Citibank). When the bank's headquarters at 55 Wall Street were being remodeled, two large stone columns were left over. Vanderlip had these columns shipped to Beechwood. He placed them at the estate's entranceway. This entrance was later closed because of too much traffic on the road. Vanderlip also used a discarded wrought-iron elevator from the bank to make a cage for his children's pet rabbits!

The Vanderlips loved to host famous guests at Beechwood. Some of the well-known people who visited included presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Other famous guests were Henry Ford, Sarah Bernhardt, Annie Oakley, John D. Rockefeller, and Isadora Duncan. The Wright brothers even landed an airplane on the property!

In 1910, Vanderlip bought another large mansion nearby called Woodlea. However, his wife preferred Beechwood, so they never moved. Vanderlip then worked with other wealthy estate owners to create the Sleepy Hollow Country Club. He sold Woodlea to this club in 1912. In 1979, the Vanderlip family sold the Beechwood property. The mansion was later turned into condominiums.

What Beechwood Looks Like

Lawn

The main mansion is located near the center of the property. It has two large entryways with columns, an octagonal (eight-sided) library, and many porches. Inside, the house has over 100 rooms!

The 80-acre (32 ha) private parkland was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted for the Vanderlips. He also designed Central Park in New York City. The parkland at Beechwood has huge lawns, a group of large beech trees, and other trees brought from different places. There's also an Italianate garden with a fountain and a small pool. The lawns, formal gardens, and a stone gazebo built by the Vanderlips are still there. They are sometimes used for wedding ceremonies.

The Beechwood estate also had a carriage house (where carriages were kept), a gatehouse, and an artist's studio. This studio was called Beech Twig. The famous author John Cheever lived there with his family for a time. His children went to the Scarborough School, which the Vanderlips started on the property. Another well-known novelist, Richard Yates, also lived in the same house as a child. The estate's garage, a two-story concrete building, is located northeast of the mansion.

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  Beechtwig, one of two guest houses

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  Beechwood's two-story seven-bay Art Deco garage

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  The former entranceway, designed by William Welles Bosworth

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  An Ionic column from 55 Wall Street

See also

In Spanish: Beechwood (mansión) para niños