September 11, 2021 Vanderbilt Mansion Hyde Park, NY
This is another National Historic Site located in Hyde Park. The Vanderbilt property is just down the road from the Roosevelt estate. You could walk between the two sites if you’re motivated. The grounds are open to all (you can bring your dog). To get in the house for a tour you must purchase tickets on Recreation.gov in advance. I did this but totally messed up on the day and actually showed up for the tour the day after my ticketed date. Lucky for us we were able to get in. The house is smaller than the house in Newport. This house was a weekend gentleman’s estate. Not the palatial estate like the ones in NYC or RI. This house was built by the richest man in the world at the time. Items inside were procured by a designer from all over the world.
The exterior grounds and gardens are beautiful. Today they are maintained by a group of local volunteers.
The most interesting fact about this property is that it was inherited by a niece who did not want it. She cut a deal to donate the house to the US Government for $5,000 (it’s assessed value) in the 1920’s. She actually received $1 for the house and had the rest applied to reduce her tax bill on her inheritance. She left everything in the house, including priceless Ming Dynasty huge pots.
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