The Hyde Park Estate

Vanderbilt's 1933 Cadillac Dining Room Main entrance

Publicity-shy Frederick Vanderbilt managed to escape such scrutiny. Still, he spent his inheritance in the manner of his siblings, surrounding himself with the best that money could buy. He bought Hyde Park, as the property was known, in 1895. Like their wealthy neighbors, Frederick and his wife, Louise, were probably attracted to the east bank of the Hudson by the beauty of the Hudson Valley and quick access to New York City on the Vanderbilts' own New York Central Railroad.

The Vanderbilt gardens.    A rare snapshot of Frederick and Louise Vanderbilt walking their dog on the Hyde Park estate, probably in the early 1920's.

Previous owners had made the estate famous for its landscape. The variety of trees and plants certainly appealed to Frederick's love of nature. Shortly after the Vanderbilts acquired the 600-acre estate, the New York Times described it as "the finest place on the Hudson between New York and Albany."

Like most of the prominent Hudson River families, the Vanderbilts used their retreat only for a few weeks in spring and fall, and for an occasional weekend in winter. They spent summers at Newport or cruising on their yacht, and the winter social season at their New York City townhouse. A staff of 60 or so, drawn mostly from local farm families, maintained the house and grounds year-round.

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Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites 4097 Albany Post Road Hyde Park, NY 12538 Last updated: February 9, 2001 http://www.nps.gov/vama/estate.html Author:ROVA Webmaster