Staatsburgh marries (both literally and figuratively) the prestige of one of
New York's oldest families with the new money of the Gilded Age. Its
grounds, with impressive views of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains,
are a superb place for a walk or hike.
In 1894, Ruth Livingston Mills
(a member of the prominent Livingston family, which owned a large chunk of
the Hudson Valley) inherited 334 acres, along with a 25-room Greek Revival
house. With her husband, investment capitalist Ogden Mills, she commissioned
architects McKim, Mead and White to enlarge and remodel the house in 1894.
The building was transformed into a 65-room Beaux-Arts mansion, which the
Millses used for entertaining during the fall months. (Despite its size, it
has an oddly ephemeral quality.) After their deaths, Staatsburgh was
inherited by their son, Ogden L. Mills, who served as Secretary of the
Treasury under Herbert Hoover. The estate was donated to the state in 1938.
The Mills' original furnishings, including portraits of Ruth
Livingston's ancestors, remain intact. Decorated primarily in the 17th- and
18th-century French style, the rooms contain carved and gilded furniture,
oriental rugs, and objets d'art from Europe and the Far East. The
50-foot-long dining room boasts a marble floor and pilasters; Baccarat
crystal accessories adorn one of the mansion's 14 bathrooms.
Staatsburgh, which sits upon a high bluff, is located within Mills Norrie
State Park (actually two contiguous parks), within whose 1,100-plus acres
there are a marina, golf course, campsites, and miles of hiking trails. The
mansion's sloping western lawn is a popular spot for sledding.
Staatsburgh State Historic Site, on Old Post Road in Staatsburg, is open
from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sun. from April -October and 11-5 p.m. Sundays
from January-March. (The house is also open in December for special holiday
programs, as well as year-round for group and school tours.) The grounds are
open dawn to dusk daily. Guided tours. Admission fee to house; grounds free.
845-889-8851.