Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site facts for kids
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Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site
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Hyde Park, with classicism, balance, and ornamentation, is an example of Beaux-Arts architecture.
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Hyde Park, New York |
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| Area | 211 acres (85 ha) |
| Built | 1896–99 |
| Architect | McKim, Mead & White |
| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts |
| Visitation | 372,517 (2005) |
| Website | Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000059 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated HD | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHS | December 18, 1940 |
The Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site is a beautiful old house in Hyde Park, New York. It's now a historic house museum where you can learn about the past. This special place became a National Historic Landmark in 1940. The National Park Service takes care of it today.
This property, once called Hyde Park, was one of many homes owned by Frederick William Vanderbilt and his wife, Louise Holmes Anthony. The huge 54-room mansion was designed by a famous architecture company called McKim, Mead & White. It was built between 1896 and 1899. The house shows off the Beaux-Arts architecture style, which was popular back then. Inside, the rooms are filled with amazing old furniture, art, and decorations. The site covers 211 acres, which used to be part of a much larger property. It sits on a hill overlooking the Hudson River and has pretty lawns, fancy gardens, and many other buildings.
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History of the Vanderbilt Estate
The Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site, also known as Hyde Park, is one of the oldest estates along the Hudson River. Its story began in 1764 when Dr. John Bard bought the land. He built a house called Red House and started farming the eastern part of the property. The Bard family owned the land until 1821.
Later, in 1828, Dr. David Hosack bought the property. He was the president of the New York Horticultural Society. He even had a landscape architect, André Parmentier, help design the grounds. In 1840, John Jacob Astor, a very rich businessman, bought the property for his daughter Dorothea and her husband. Their son, Walter, lived there until he passed away in 1894.
The Vanderbilts Arrive
Frederick and Louise Vanderbilt bought Hyde Park in May 1895. They loved the Hudson Valley and the land next to the Hudson River. Their estate was about 600 acres. It was easy for them to travel to New York City using the Vanderbilt's own New York Central Railroad.
The mansion was designed and built from 1896 to 1899. It was mainly used as a vacation home for the Vanderbilt family. The previous owners had made the estate famous for its beautiful landscape and many different plants and trees. The New York Times newspaper even called the Vanderbilt estate "the finest place on the Hudson between New York and Albany."
When Frederick Vanderbilt died in 1938, his niece, Margaret "Daisy" Van Alen, inherited the property. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had his own estate nearby, encouraged her. In 1940, Van Alen gave part of the estate, including the mansion and most of its original furniture, to the National Park Service. From 1941 to 1943, President Roosevelt's Secret Service agents stayed in the mansion's basement and third floor. Sometimes, the President's staff and friends even stayed in the main bedrooms.
The Mansion's Design
The Vanderbilt mansion has 54 rooms and was designed by the famous architecture company McKim, Mead & White. Charles Follen McKim created the main plan in the Beaux-Arts style. Stanford White helped by finding old and beautiful antiques for the house.
Inside the Mansion
The house has a classic Beaux-Arts layout. The main public rooms are on the ground floor. These include the central Elliptical Hall, the Dining Room, and the Living Room. They are all lined up, facing the Hudson River. There are also North and South Foyers that connect the Hall to the Dining Room and Living Room. Five other rooms branch off the Elliptical Hall: the Lobby, Den, Gold Room, Grand Stair Hall, and Lavatory.
The second floor has Mrs. Vanderbilt's private rooms, including her Bedroom, Boudoir (a sitting room), and Bathroom. Mr. Vanderbilt also had his own Bedroom and Bathroom. There are also guest bedrooms and bathrooms, and a Linen Room. The third floor has five more guest bedrooms. It also has a Servants' Hall, separated from the guest rooms by a door.
The Vanderbilt mansion was very modern for its time. It was built with concrete and steel, making it strong. It also had plumbing, central heating with forced hot air, and electric lights. The electricity came from a special power plant built on the estate. The Vanderbilt estate had electric lighting even before the surrounding area did!
Companies like Herter Brothers and A. H. Davenport and Company helped McKim create the interior designs. The Vanderbilts also hired Georges Glaenzer and Ogden Codman to decorate some rooms. Most of the lighting fixtures were made by E.F. Caldwell & Co.
Beautiful Gardens
The Italian gardens are separate from the house. They have a very formal look, typical of Italian garden styles. This means the flower beds are arranged in a way that if you drew a line down the middle, one side would be a perfect mirror image of the other. These formal gardens also have different levels, or tiers, depending on the types of plants. Each level looks unique. Frederick Vanderbilt himself added a rose garden with almost 2,000 old-fashioned rose bushes, along with many other kinds of roses.
Images for kids
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Hyde Park, with classicism, balance, and ornamentation, is an example of Beaux-Arts architecture.
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West portico, where guests would arrive.
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The East facade and main entrance of the mansion.
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A view of the formal gardens.
See also
In Spanish: Mansión Vanderbilt para niños
