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Castle Rock (Garrison, New York)
Encyclopedia
Castle Rock is the estate of former Illinois Central Railroad
president William H. Osborn in Garrison
, New York, United States. It sits on the hill of the same name, looking down on the Hudson River
620 feet (189 m) below. Visible from West Point
across the river and traffic on NY 9D
passing through Garrison, it has become one of the most recognizable man-made landmarks of the Hudson Highlands
.
The Osborn family, including paleontologist
Henry Fairfield Osborn
and his son, conservationist
Henry Fairfield Osborn, Jr
, has owned and lived in it since it was built by J. Morgan Slade in 1881 as a summer residence, although the original acreage has been subdivided
considerably since then. In 1977 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. Most of the remaining land is now open to the public for hiking.
castle-like main house is built around a main block with a conical
-roofed round tower. Porches and verandas project from many sides of the home to take advantage of the views of the river and mountains in the area. The roof is consistent red slate
, with dormers of differing shapes and sizes scattered throughout. One gable
to the east uses dressed stone, in contrast with the rest of the building. A north wing with library and extra bedrooms was added later. Four interior chimney
s are within the mansion.
There are several outbuildings and other structures on the original property that are included as contributing resources
. To the northeast, on the mountain's summit, is Woodsome Lodge, a rustic log cabin with its own views of the Highlands. The estate's spring-fed wooden water tank is also nearby. A stone arch bridge
was added at the same time as the library wing. Stone was also used for a -story gatehouse
along the winding driveway leading up to the house from Cat Rock Road (NY 403
).
Buildings that predate the estate are also included. A -story farmhouse known locally as Wing & Wing, built some years before it was expanded into a contemporary cottage in 1858, is near Route 9D on the open meadow
s between the road and the hill. Also there is a barn-and-farmhouse complex, with nearby shingled
home, built by other landowners at the end of the 19th century. A small guest cottage was later built on a separate 2.4 acres (9,712.5 m²) property.
Another Osborn-estate–related property, The Birches
, is at the very corner of Routes 9D and 403. It was used by Osborn's sons after their weddings, and is listed separately on the National Register, but was not formally part of the estate.
activities in New York.
It was inherited by his son Henry Fairfield Osborn
. Since it was intended as a retirement house, it needed to expanded to accommodate the younger Osborn's wife and family. The library wing was added in 1906; most of Osborn's paleontological
papers were written at Castle Rock.
Osborn also made other improvements to the property, including Woodsome Lodge, and other wings that doubled the size of the original castle. Most of these were architecturally sympathetic to Slade's original design, and there has been little change to it since then. In 1974, William Henry Osborn II, one of Henry Fairfield's younger sons, donated the southern portion of the property, which includes Sugarloaf Hill
, to the State Parks Council
for eventual inclusion in Hudson Highlands State Park
. In the late 1970s, after the property was listed on the Register, New York's Department of Environmental Conservation
bought 129 acres (52.2 ha) of the former estate, including the meadows along Route 9D, and opened it to the public as the Castle Rock Unique Area
. Hiking trail
s now lead through it and up the mountain; however the house property remains private as the Osborn family home.
Illinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
president William H. Osborn in Garrison
Garrison, New York
Garrison is a hamlet in Putnam County, New York, United States. It is part of the town of Philipstown and is on the east side of the Hudson River, across from the United States Military Academy at West Point...
, New York, United States. It sits on the hill of the same name, looking down on the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
620 feet (189 m) below. Visible from West Point
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
across the river and traffic on NY 9D
New York State Route 9D
New York State Route 9D , also known as the Bear Mountain – Beacon Highway, is a north–south state highway that runs along the eastern shore of the Hudson River in New York in the United States. It starts at the eastern end of the Bear Mountain Bridge at U.S...
passing through Garrison, it has become one of the most recognizable man-made landmarks of the Hudson Highlands
Hudson Highlands
The Hudson Highlands are mountains on both sides of the Hudson River in the U.S. state of New York, between Newburgh Bay and Haverstraw Bay, which form the northern region of the New York - New Jersey Highlands....
.
The Osborn family, including paleontologist
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
Henry Fairfield Osborn
Henry Fairfield Osborn
Henry Fairfield Osborn, Sr. ForMemRS was an American geologist, paleontologist, and eugenicist.-Early life and career:...
and his son, conservationist
Conservationist
Conservationists are proponents or advocates of conservation. They advocate for the protection of all the species in an ecosystem with a strong focus on the natural environment...
Henry Fairfield Osborn, Jr
Henry Fairfield Osborn, Jr
Henry Fairfield Osborn, Jr. , son of the American geologist Henry Fairfield Osborn and cousin of Frederick Osborn, was a conservationist. He was long time president of the New York Zoological Society.-Biography:...
, has owned and lived in it since it was built by J. Morgan Slade in 1881 as a summer residence, although the original acreage has been subdivided
Subdivision (land)
Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States as a subdivision...
considerably since then. In 1977 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Most of the remaining land is now open to the public for hiking.
Property
The rough-cut stoneStonemasonry
The craft of stonemasonry has existed since the dawn of civilization - creating buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone from the earth. These materials have been used to construct many of the long-lasting, ancient monuments, artifacts, cathedrals, and cities in a wide variety of cultures...
castle-like main house is built around a main block with a conical
Cone (geometry)
A cone is an n-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a base to a point called the apex or vertex. Formally, it is the solid figure formed by the locus of all straight line segments that join the apex to the base...
-roofed round tower. Porches and verandas project from many sides of the home to take advantage of the views of the river and mountains in the area. The roof is consistent red slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
, with dormers of differing shapes and sizes scattered throughout. One gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
to the east uses dressed stone, in contrast with the rest of the building. A north wing with library and extra bedrooms was added later. Four interior chimney
Chimney
A chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...
s are within the mansion.
There are several outbuildings and other structures on the original property that are included as contributing resources
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
. To the northeast, on the mountain's summit, is Woodsome Lodge, a rustic log cabin with its own views of the Highlands. The estate's spring-fed wooden water tank is also nearby. A stone arch bridge
Arch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...
was added at the same time as the library wing. Stone was also used for a -story gatehouse
Gatehouse
A gatehouse, in architectural terminology, is a building enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a castle, manor house, fort, town or similar buildings of importance.-History:...
along the winding driveway leading up to the house from Cat Rock Road (NY 403
New York State Route 403
New York State Route 403 is a short state highway located entirely within Putnam County. It connects NY 9D in Philipstown at its northern/western end to US 9 in Graymoor, where the Appalachian Trail crosses both highways...
).
Buildings that predate the estate are also included. A -story farmhouse known locally as Wing & Wing, built some years before it was expanded into a contemporary cottage in 1858, is near Route 9D on the open meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
s between the road and the hill. Also there is a barn-and-farmhouse complex, with nearby shingled
Roof shingle
Roof shingles are a roof covering consisting of individual overlapping elements. These elements are typically flat rectangular shapes laid in rows from the bottom edge of the roof up, with each successive higher row overlapping the joints in the row below...
home, built by other landowners at the end of the 19th century. A small guest cottage was later built on a separate 2.4 acres (9,712.5 m²) property.
Another Osborn-estate–related property, The Birches
The Birches (Garrison, New York)
The Birches is a house at the southeast corner of the junction of NY 9D and 403 in the hamlet of Garrison, New York, United States. It was built for William Osborn, as part of his nearby Wing & Wing estate, by architect Ralph Adams Cram in the Gothic Revival architectural style.In 1982 it was added...
, is at the very corner of Routes 9D and 403. It was used by Osborn's sons after their weddings, and is listed separately on the National Register, but was not formally part of the estate.
History
In 1855 Osborn, who had been one of the charter officers of the Illinois Central two years earlier, visited the Highlands to take in the fresh air and scenic beauty of the area. He enjoyed his visit so much that he decided to buy the property where Castle Rock and its associated properties now stands. He and his family spent summers in Wing and Wing until the castle was completed the year before he retired from the railroad industry as president of the Chicago, St. Louis and New Orleans Railroad. He lived there until his death in 1894, devoting his time and money to philanthropicPhilanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
activities in New York.
It was inherited by his son Henry Fairfield Osborn
Henry Fairfield Osborn
Henry Fairfield Osborn, Sr. ForMemRS was an American geologist, paleontologist, and eugenicist.-Early life and career:...
. Since it was intended as a retirement house, it needed to expanded to accommodate the younger Osborn's wife and family. The library wing was added in 1906; most of Osborn's paleontological
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
papers were written at Castle Rock.
Osborn also made other improvements to the property, including Woodsome Lodge, and other wings that doubled the size of the original castle. Most of these were architecturally sympathetic to Slade's original design, and there has been little change to it since then. In 1974, William Henry Osborn II, one of Henry Fairfield's younger sons, donated the southern portion of the property, which includes Sugarloaf Hill
Sugarloaf Hill (Hudson Highlands)
Sugarloaf Hill is a peak along the Hudson River in Putnam County, New York, part of the Hudson Highlands. It was named by the Dutch for its resemblance in outline to a sugarloaf when sailing up the river towards it.-Topography:...
, to the State Parks Council
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation operates :*168 state parks*35 state historic sites*76 developed beaches*53 water recreational facilities*27 golf courses*39 full service cottages*818 cabins...
for eventual inclusion in Hudson Highlands State Park
Hudson Highlands State Park
Hudson Highlands State Park is a non-contiguous state park in the U.S. state of New York, located on the east side of the Hudson River. The park runs from Peekskill in Westchester County, through Putnam County, to Beacon in Dutchess County, in the eastern section of the Hudson Highlands.The park's...
. In the late 1970s, after the property was listed on the Register, New York's Department of Environmental Conservation
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is responsible for the conservation, improvement, and protection of natural resources within the U.S. state of New York. It was founded in 1970, replacing the previous Conservation Department...
bought 129 acres (52.2 ha) of the former estate, including the meadows along Route 9D, and opened it to the public as the Castle Rock Unique Area
New York State Forests
New York State Forests are administered by the Division of Lands and Forests of the Department of Environmental Conservation . There are four classifications:#Reforestation Areas#Multiple Use Areas#Unique Areas#State Nature and Historic Preserves...
. Hiking trail
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
s now lead through it and up the mountain; however the house property remains private as the Osborn family home.
External links
- Castle Rock at dupontcastle.com. Rumors and legends concerning the building.