In the hamlet of Staatsburg, Dutchess County, New York, the Mills mansion protects a McKim, Mead, and White Beaux-Arts mansion and the area around it. Within Ogden Mills & Ruth Livingston Mills State Park is where the historical site is situated. The home is regarded as a good illustration of the grand estates constructed during the Gilded Age and is a New York State Historic Site.
The Vanderbilt Mansion, the Roosevelt Presidential Library and Home, the Culinary Institute, and Rhinebeck are all nearby this Gilded Age mansion and estate in the middle of the Hudson Valley. The mansion offers house tours and programs, as well as its original furnishings. The estate grounds, which are now a New York State park, have picnic areas, riverside strolling paths, and wooded hiking trails. A New York State historic property that is within one mile of a marina, a golf course, and a campsite.
History of Mills Mansion
The third governor of New York, Morgan Lewis, bought the 334-acre (135-ha) estate in 1792 and had a colonial-style home built there. This is where the current mansion is located today. The Marquis de Lafayette dined there during his 1824 visit to the United States in the summer on his way upriver to see Lewis’ brother-in-law, Chancellor Livingston.
This first home was destroyed by fire in 1832, which was allegedly started by irate tenant farmers. Following the fire, Morgan Lewis and his wife, Gertrude Livingston, Chancellor Robert R. Livingston’s sister, promptly built a 25-room Greek Revival home to replace the burned-out building. Margaret, a daughter of Morgan Lewis, and her husband, Maturin Livingston, inherited the home in 1844. Their son, Maturin Livingston Jr., followed suit in 1847. (1816–1888).
Mills Mansion Rebranded as Staatsburgh State Historic Site
For whatever reason, Mills Mansion has lately changed its name to Staatsburgh State Historic Site. However, I feel it is much simpler to refer to it as Mills Mansion so that people will understand what you are talking about. Like Prince gave up on people calling him that symbol, I predict they’ll eventually give up and start calling it Mills Mansion once more.
Greek Revival style to Mills Mansion
The Greek Revival-style house was inherited by Ruth Livingston Mills around 1890. With the assistance of the architectural company McKim, Mead and White, which also designed the Vanderbilt Mansion, the Mills made the decision to renovate and enlarge it. The house had 40 extra rooms by the time it was renovated into a Beaux-Arts palace in 1896. The two styles were combined in the new house.
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Events in Mills Mansion
Additionally, Programs on the Portico, a series of outdoor talks on a range of subjects like Staatsburgh’s Servants, Gilded Age Scandals, Staatsburgh and the Titanic, and more, are being held at Mills Mansion. Prior registration is required for these free programs.
Preservation of Mills Mansion
The Mills Mansion has a number of preservation difficulties: It is necessary to remove the gray sprayed concrete exterior finish that was later added as a preservation strategy and replace it with a more appropriate surface treatment. The ornamental cornice and numerous other decorative components also need to be rebuilt or restored at the same time. On the inside of the structure, the mansion’s collection of artifacts has to be maintained, the marble and hardwood surfaces need to be cleaned, and the wall paint and upholstery textiles need to be replaced.
The beautiful estate is now open for visitors and hosts special events all year long. It has been meticulously renovated to look as it did in the early 20th century.
The main tour floor and the basement level of the estate are both reachable through separate entrances. On request, the website will provide hearing aids. We suggest calling to talk about your visit so that we can try to set up the most convenient arrival procedure before your visit.
Q&A
Who lived in Mills mansion?
- Ogden Mills and his wife Ruth Livingston Mills converted their country home into a 65-room, 14-bathroom Beaux-Arts palace in the 1890s by renovating the property.
How old is the Mills Mansion?
- The famed New York City architectural firm McKim, Mead & White was hired by Mills to remodel and expand their house. The house was converted from a 25-room Greek Revival house to a 65-room Beaux-Arts mansion with 14 baths after work on it began in 1895.
When is Mills Mansion / Staatsburgh State Historic Site open?
- Mills Mansion at Staatsburgh State Historic Site is open:
- Thu. – Sunday. 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Source : Wikipedia
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