Westbook Farms started when William Bayard Cutting purchased the George C. Lorillard estate on the Connetiquot River in the Long Island town of Great River. Cutting was a New York City lawyer and sugar beet refiner, who made his fortune in railroads and in the development of the Red Hook, Brooklyn waterfront.

Beauport, also known as the Sleeper-McCann House, was the shingle-style summer home of one of America’s first professional interior designers, Henry Davis Sleeper.

The 50-acre Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion State Historic Park is located in Canandaigua, New York. The historic park contains the former summer mansion, a collection of period garden architecture, nine formal and informal gardens, statuary, and a greenhouse complex. The property is a gift to New York State from philanthropists Frederick Ferris and Mary Clark Thompson.

George C. Boldt, a millionaire associated with the Waldorf Astoria and the Bellevue-Stratford Hotels in New York City, built this 120-room castle to display his love for his wife, Louise, on picturesque Hart Island, which he re-named Heart Island.

Le Train Bleu is a historic and iconic restaurant located inside the Gare de Lyon railway station in Paris. Originally built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition…

In 1836, prominent New York attorney, William Lewis Morris purchased 15 acres in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. He and his wife, Mary built Wave Hill which was completed in 1843.

The Frick Collection is widely celebrated for its intimate, domestic setting within the original mansion, which creates a personal, almost home-like atmosphere for viewing the art.

Clayton remained the family’s primary residence until they moved to New York in 1905. When they left Pittsburgh, the Fricks left behind much of their life there, including 93% of Clayton’s original contents—an impressive array of fine and decorative art objects.

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, located in Schenley Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was founded in 1893 as a gift from American entrepreneur Henry Phipps Jr.

The mansion was built for philanthropist Mary Flinn Lawrence her inheritance from her father, Pennsylvania Senator and construction mogul William Flinn.

The 40-room, 80,000-square-foot mansion was completed in 1912 after six years of construction on 135 acres close to Lloyd Harbor.

Founded in 1960, the museum opens many of these buildings to the public at various times throughout the year, offering events and opportunities to explore the rich history of the area.

In this blog post I highlight five of the Vanderbilt family homes that I have covered in the past. As I’m sure you know, members of the Vanderbilt family were master builders of massive homes - some were only used a few weeks or months of the year.

The history of the Bronx Botanical Gardens does not begin in the Bronx; it actually dates back to 1801 when Columbia University Professor David Hosack established one of America’s first botanical gardens, the Elgin Botanic Garden, on land that today is occupied by Rockefeller Center.

Located on Long Island’s North Fork, Cutchogue is known for its scenic rural landscapes, vineyards, and historic charm. The Village Green itself is a peaceful, picturesque park surrounded by beautiful old buildings and homes.

Rosemary’s Farm or sometimes called the Conklin Estate was a Long Island Gold Coast estate on the hills overlooking Cold Spring Harbor. The estate was owned by Ronald Conklin, who operated realty firms, and his wife who was an opera singer and had her own private outdoor amphitheater.

Charles Green, born 1807 in Shropshire, England, migrated to Savannah in 1833 at the age of 26 and secured a job as a clerk on Factor’s Walk in the cotton trade.

The Morgan Library & Museum is a treasure trove of cultural and literary history, celebrating the extensive collection amassed by millionaire financier J. Pierpont Morgan.

Naumkeag is the former Berkshire estate of New York City lawyer and U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain, Joseph Hodges Choate, and his wife Caroline, located in Stockbridge, Massachusettes. The Choate’s, who were part of the newly-rich, traveled in well-to-do social circles. They decided to build a 44-room shingle-style “cottage” with brick and stone details, designed by the architect of the day, Stanford White.

Robert Lincoln, the only child of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, retained the architecture firm of Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge to built his summer home on 392 acres in Manchester, Vermont. Lincoln had served as Secretary of War and Minister to the Court of St. James, and made his fortune as a lawyer before becoming President of the Pullman Company. Robert Lincoln and his wife, Mary Harlan Lincoln, lived at Hildene in high style.