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.

This small historic Victorian-style town, nestled in the Lehigh Mountains, is definitely worth exploring. The town’s main commercial streets are Broadway and Race Street with charming old buildings, some maintained, some restored. The coal mining and railroad town was founded in 1818, and named Mauch Chunk (derived from the Indian words meaning “bear mountain”).

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.

Located in the heart of the Old Town, Maison Tavel is the oldest private residence still standing in Geneva — a rare surviving example of medieval civil architecture in Switzerland.

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.

Alexander Hamilton’s summer home, Hamilton Grange, is located in the Hamilton Heights and Sugar Hill sections of Harlem. It has occupied three different sites within the neighborhood, all within the original bounds of Hamilton’s estate.

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.

Kentuck Knob, located in the scenic Laurel Highlands of western Pennsylvania, is a striking example of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian architecture. Designed in 1954 for Isaac and Bernardine Hagan, founders of the Hagan Ice Cream Company.

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.

American architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed Fallingwater in 1935 as a vacation home for the Edgar J. Kaufmann family, owners of Pittsburgh’s largest department store.

The History Fort Lauderdale museums connect visitors to the past while celebrating the present story of the Fort Lauderdale area.

The creation of Hotel Riad Ksar Ighnda started back in 2005, and it promises you a unique stay on the edge of the desert.

In 1826, Joseph LeCarpentier hired architect François Correjolles to design his dream home, complete with rear dependency buildings, in the French Quarter

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 1920, Edith Rosenwald of Chicago had met Edgar Stern of New Orleans in New York and fell in love. Edith was the daughter of Julius Rosenwald and an heiress to the Sears-Roebuck fortune.

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.

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.