The Vanderbilts of Hyde Park
"An unassuming philanthropist," wrote Time magazine about Frederick Vanderbilt in his obituary, one of the few press accounts of the millionaire, "he possessed the twin talents of most Vanderbilts for railroading and yachting." A biographer described him as "a thoroughly good fellow, entirely devoid of any snobbishness or nonsense." Frederick William Vanderbilt was born at the family's Staten Island farm in 1856. Upon graduation from Yale with a degree from the Sheffield Scientific School, he joined the family business, acquainting himself with every department of the railroads.	The estate has magnificent views to the Hudson River and distant Catskill Mountains
In 1878 Frederick married Louise Anthony Torrance, 12 years his senior and recently divorced from one of his cousins. Though they married against the wishes of his parents, Louise Vanderbilt in time became one of William Henry's favorites. Louise Vanderbilt was at home in New York society. Frederick's name was usually absent from the columns that chronicled his relatives, but his tastes were similar to others who lived in this rarified world. Besides a Fifth Avenue townhouse, the Vanderbilts owned a private railroad car, yachts, automobiles, and homes in Bar Harbor, Newport, and the Adirondacks, as well as in Hyde Park. The Hyde Park property was, by all accounts, their favorite.	Louise Vanderbilt
Louise delighted in entertaining at their Hudson River estate. Visitors arrived by boat or rail - the estate had its own dock and station- or by private car. There were several guest chambers in the mansion and additional guest rooms in the Pavilion. Thirteen rooms on the third floor housed visiting ladies' maids. For entertainment, the Vanderbilts would drive friends around the grounds and countryside, or arrange golf and tennis at neighboring estates. Meals were prepared in the basement kitchen and sent up to the dining room on the dumbwaiter. No matter the season, the dining room table was always adorned with flowers which Louise selected from her greenhouses or gardens.	Guests could store their carriages here at the Coach House. It was later used for automobiles.
Formal dinners might be followed by an evening of bridge or a dance held in the drawing room. On Saturday night, dancing was brought to a halt precisely at midnight in observance of the Sabbath. Frederick avoided social occasions when he could, preferring to slip away to his trees and gardens. A former butler remembers how his employer would meet the estate superintendent for an inspection of the rooms grounds "and they would go off probably for hours, traveling around, way over into the woods. Oh yes, that was his pride ... And the trees, of course."
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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/hydepark.html Author:ROVA Webmaster