Locust Grove - the country estate of telegraph pioneer Samuel F.B. Morse -
was the first Hudson River estate to be designated a National Historic
Landmark (in 1963). Its history spans nearly 200 years, illustrating the
times and tastes of two prominent families.
Built in 1830, the
Federal-style house and its 150 acres were purchased by painter and inventor
Morse in 1847. With the help of architect Andrew Jackson Davis, Morse
remodeled the house in the then-popular Tuscan style, adding a porte cochere,
two octagonal wings, and a four-story tower. William and Martha Young
purchased the estate in 1901; their daughter, Annette Innis Young, lived
there until 1975.
The house remains essentially as it was in 1915,
and is remarkable for the original collection of American furniture and
paintings assembled by the Young family. Eighteenth- and 19th-century
furniture complements the house's unusual architecture, including a
half-octagonal library with Gothic bookcases and a billiards room with a
domed ceiling. In addition to the grand reception rooms, the kitchen,
laundry, and bedrooms in the "below stairs" servants wing are open to
visitors.
Just as impressive are the grounds, which are set on a
sharp bluff overlooking the Hudson. Morse constructed large flower and
kitchen gardens, added shrubbery and trees, and used his painter's eye to
plan scenic views. In addition to the formal gardens, the site features more
than three miles of hiking trails. A visitor's center houses exhibits of
Morse's paintings and telegraph equipment.
Locust Grove, located
at 2683 South Road (Route 9) in Poughkeepsie, is open 10 a.m.-3 p.m. daily
May-November; call for December hours. Gardens and grounds open 8 a.m.-dusk
daily year-round. Guided tours. Admission fee; grounds are free.
845-454-4500.