Lyndhurst
Designed
in 1838 by Alexander Jackson Davis, Lyndhurst
remains one of America's most outstanding examples of
early Gothic Revival domestic architecture. Through
the tenancy of three prominent families, Lyndhurst evolved
its distinctive asymmetrical plan becoming a statement
of changing 19th century aesthetics.
Originally built and owned by General
William Paulding, former New York City mayor, the estate
consisted of 184 acres, purchased at about the same
time Washington Irving purchased Sunnyside, and was
known as "The Knoll." The house sits on a promontory
overlooking the Hudson River at the Tappan Zee, just
south of Tarrytown, and upon completion gathered favorable
comments from leading taste setters of the day. Of the
estate, Phillip Hone described the house as, "resembling
a baronial castle or rather a Gothic monastery, with
towers, turrets and trellises; archways, armories and
air holes; peaked windows and pinnacled roofs, and many
other fantastics too numerous to enumerate."
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In creating "The Knoll", Paulding
worked closely with Davis on every aspect of the home.
Davis not only designed and oversaw the creation of
the house, he also designed the interiors and furnishings.
Every aspect of the home was under Davis' direct aesthetic
control. He designed everything as if it belonged in
the room or the spot, as a necessary part of the whole
composition. The furniture was not considered as being
viewable outside of the context of its location, surroundings
and setting were critical to each piece. This concept
of a totally integrated design preceded Frank Lloyd
Wright by 50 years. Wright is considered the innovator
of this idea of architect as environment designer.
During Paulding's residence, there
was significant traffic between Lyndhurst and Sunnyside
as the Paulding and Irving households were close friends.
At one point, Paulding's son, Phillip Paulding Rhinelander,
was engaged to Irving's niece, Julia. The engagement
was broken and a rift formed between the two families
ending the carriage and foot traffic between the two
estates.
In 1864 George Merritt, holder of
a railroad car spring patent and successful merchant,
bought The Knoll and renamed it Lyndenhurst. He hired
Alexander Jackson Davis and set about nearly doubling
the size of Lyndhurst by adding a new dining room, two
bedrooms, expanded servants quarters and a four story
tower, turning the home into a grand country residence.
Merritt also purchased additional
land greatly expanding the holdings and had landscape
designer Ferdinand Mangold transform the grounds. Mangold
drained the swamps and created broad sweeping lawns.
He planted specimen trees and erected the 390 foot long
Moorish style greenhouse on the north side of the property.
The results of this labor was a landscape in the Hudson
River Romantic Style: planned vistas and a controlled
romanticized experience of the natural surroundings.
The Romantic Movement had its roots
in 18th century Europe and was adopted wholeheartedly
by 19th century America. It was a reaction against the
structured and restrictive Neoclassicism and emphasized
the appreciation of untamed nature, imagination and
emotion. It promoted the freedom of the individual in
their expression and encouraged the individual to explore
aesthetics through the lens of the natural environment.
The Hudson Valley became the center
of this movement in America and the most important proponents
and artists came to live within its confines. The two
factors of proximity to New York City and the unique
character of the Valley itself drew these visionaries
north where they created the purest expressions of this
new aesthetic in stone and landscape. Lyndhurst, because
of its nearness to New York City and the prominence
of its owners, became a primary example of the Romantic
ideal.
In adding to the house, Merritt
probably had two complimentary reasons. First, he and
his wife had four children so the original structure was
simply too small for their needs. Secondly, he wanted
to own a house that would emphatically express his position
as a wealthy man.
The North Wing addition caused a complete
transformation of the structure into a large imposing
stone edifice. The most important visual element was
the imposing tower, over four stories in height, built
next to the original staircase tower. A new porte-cochere
was added and the old one transformed into a glass walled
vestibule. The new dining room, bedrooms and servants
quarters occupied the remainder of the North Wing.
In designing the addition, Davis created
interiors on a grander and considerably more elaborate
scale. He made extensive use of molded plaster, wood
paneling and stone detailing. During this period of
construction two gate lodges, two cottages and impressive
stone walls on the Broadway (Route 9) frontage were
erected and the stables were enlarged.
Unfortunately, Merritt's enjoyment
of his new grand residence was very short lived. He
died in 1873 of a kidney ailment, only six years after
completion of the remodeling. Mrs. Merrit put the house
up for sale.
Enter Jay Gould, the well known railroad
magnate and Wall Street tycoon and inside trader. He
purchased Lyndenhurst for the amount of $255,000 in
1880 and shortened the name to Lyndhurst. By this time
the Hudson Valley had lost its allure and prominence
in New York City society to places like Newport, but
this suited Gould completely owing to his unpopularity
in society stemming from his financial dealings and
manipulations. He and his family happily resided at
Lyndhurst during the warmer months and on special occasions.
The Goulds changed little during
their ownership except for completely redecorating the
Parlor in the then fashionable Aesthetic Style and the
replacement of much of the simple wooden flooring to parquet.
After Jay Gould's death in 1892, the
house was purchased by his daughter Helen Miller Gould
from the heirs. Like her father, Helen Miller Gould
lived a quiet live at Lyndhurst. Possibly to compensate
for some of her father's perceived wrong doings, Helen
became a world-renowned philanthropist. She made few
changes to the house except for the addition of several
small structures on the grounds and another redecoration
of the Parlor prior to her wedding, at Lyndhurst, to
Finley Shepard, a railroad executive.
Helen Gould's sister, Anna, married
Paul Ernest Boniface, Comte de Castellane, in 1895 and
had gone to live in France. Despite their three sons,
the marriage ended unhappily in 1905 when it was annulled.
Anna remained in France and in 1908 married Boniface's
cousin Helie de Talleyrand-Perigord who had the two
titles of Prince and Duc, and they had two more children.
After the death of her husband in
1937 and her sister Helen in 1938 and with the outbreak
of war in 1939, Anna, Dutchess of Talleyrand-Perigord,
returned to America and took up residence at the Plaza
Hotel. She became the last private owner of Lyndhurst.
She kept the home staffed and periodically visited.
Anna was a prolific collector of French antiques and
furnishings, but did little to the interiors of Lyndhurst,
except for her complete redecoration of her private
suite and the guest room immediately adjacent. These
rooms, filled with European furniture and textiles,
are known today as the "Dutchess's Suite."
In 1961 Anna died and left Lyndhurst,
all its land, and an endowment fund for maintenance
to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Her
French heirs contested the will and after a number of
years an agreement was reached granting Lyndhurst and
67 acres of it's land to the National Trust and the
endowment to the heirs.
Today Lyndhurst is owned and operated
by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and
is open to visitors.
Lyndhurst may be visited from mid-April
through October except Mondays, from 10am to 5pm. The
last tour of the house begins at 4:15pm daily.
From November through mid-April the
house and grounds are open on weekends only from 10am
to 4pm. The last tour of the house begins at 3:30pm.
Lyndhurst is closed on Thanksgiving,
Christmas and New Years Days.
There is a small admission charge
to the grounds and another for a tour of the house.
There is a museum shop and cafe located in the Arnold
and Marie Schwartz Visitor Center in the Carriage House
Complex.
Special Tours for groups of 10 or
more can be arranged by contacting the main office at
(914)631-4481, press zero.
Lyndhurst is located approximately
one half mile south of the New York State Thruway (I-87)
interchange at the Tappan Zee Bridge and Route 9. Lyndhurst
is accessible from Manhattan via Metro-North Commuter
Railroad service to Tarrytown.
Parking: A limited number of Handicap
Parking spaces are available by the visitor center.
Please indicate to our Gate Person that you are in need
of a handicap parking space and you will be directed
to these spots.
Mansion: The first floor is accessible,
both via wheel chair and walking apparatus. The second
floor can only be reached by stairs. Ask your guide
for a book that contains pictures of the second floor.
Grounds: The Arnold and Marie Schwartz
Visitor Center in the Carriage House Complex offers
accessible restrooms, café, gift shop and an
introductory video and exhibit. You may follow the drives
around the property and use the audio tour to visit
the bowling alley, north-west cottage, rose garden and
greenhouse.
There are a variety of options for
touring the property. Reservations are not required
for any Lyndhurst tour for groups of less than 10.
Self-guided audio tours of the mansion
and grounds are available from 10:30 am to 3:45 pm.
After you arrive, stop in the Museum Shop to pick up
an audio player which will lead you through the mansion
and grounds. Audio tours last from 45 minutes to three
hours, depending on your pace.
Guided tours of the the mansion are
offered Tuesday - Friday, 10:30, 11:45, 1:00, 2:15.
3:30 and 4:15 pm and Saturday - Sunday, 10:30, 11:45,
12:30, 1:15, 2:00, 2:45, 3:30, and 4:15. After you arrive,
check in at the desk in the Museum Shop and sign up
for a tour time. Guided tours of the mansion take approximately
45 minutes and are included in admission. (Space is
limited.)
Self-guided brochure tours of the
mansion and grounds are offered in Lyndhurst's complimentary
Visitor's Guide which you will receive when you purchase
your ticket, one per family. The Lyndhurst Guide to
the House and Landscape, Lyndhurst's official guide
book, and the complimentary Lyndhurst Historic Landscape
Tour Brochure are also available in the Museum Shop
and offer expanded in-depth information about the estate.
Reservations are not required for
regular daytime visits to Lyndhurst. Admission is Adults:
$10.00, Seniors: $9.00, Students 12-17: $4.00, Children
under 12: Free, Grounds Fee: $4.00. Admission fees may
vary for special events.
Open May-October, Wednesday - Sunday,
11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Located in the Carriage House.
The Carriage House Cafe serves a variety of salads,
soups, sandwiches, desserts, wine and beverages. Reservations
are not required for groups of 10 or less. Relax indoors
or outdoors, or order a picnic lunch to take with you
onto the grounds!
Open during regular estate hours.
Located in the Carriage House. The Museum Shop offers
a variety of unique gifts and reproductions. Gift certificates
also available. |
