Wilderstein
Encyclopedia
Wilderstein is a 19th-century Queen-Anne-style
country house on the Hudson River
in Rhinebeck
, Dutchess County, New York
, USA.
as well as a member of the wealthy Beekman and Livingston family, purchased the river-front property, which
until then had served as a sheep meadow for the adjacent Wildercliff
estate.
Suckley and his wife Catherine Murray Bowne chose the property as a
building site for their mansion, because they considered the landscape
a good match for their picturesque
aesthetic ideal. The name
"Wilderstein" ("wild stone" in German) was chosen by Suckley to allude
to an American Indian petroglyph
found nearby and reflect the site's
historical significance.
The mansion commissioned for the site was a two-storey Italianate
villa designed by architect John Warren
Ritch. In 1888, Thomas Suckley's son Robert Bowne Suckley and his
wife, Elizabeth Philips Montgomery, undertook a remodelling and
enlargement of the house. This work was carried out by the local
architect Arnout Cannon from Poughkeepsie
. The style of the
mansion was changed to a Queen Anne style country house. A third
floor, a multi-gabled attic, a circular five-storey tower, a
porte-cochere
, and a verandah
were added in the process. The
new interior of the building was designed by Joseph Burr Tiffany
, a
cousin of Louis Comfort Tiffany
. The rooms of ground floor were
done in Historic Revival Style and in the aesthetic movement style
using materials such as use mahogany, leather, stained glass, and
linen.
In parallel to the redesign of the mansion proper, the grounds of the
estate were transformed by landscape architect Calvert Vaux
according to the American Romantic Landscape style. Vaux's design
comprised the creation of a network of drives and trails, the
positioning of specimen trees and ornamental shrubs as well as the
placement of an eclectic set of out buildings such as a carriage
house, a gate lodge, and a potting shed. Gazebo
s and garden seats
were positioned at carefully chosen vantage points.
In total, three generations of the Suckley family inhabited the
mansion. The last family member was Margaret (Daisy) Suckley
, a
cousin of Franklin D. Roosevelt
for whom she trained his famous
terrier Fala. Margaret (Daisy) Suckley
died in the Wilderstein mansion in 1991 in her 100th year.
Margaret (Daisy) Suckley
was instrumental in forming Wilderstein
Preservation, a private society; she opened the house to the public at
Christmas 1984. Although very little restoration work was carried out
during her lifetime, efforts have since been undertaken such as the
renovation of the tower in 1994, replacement of the main roof in 1997,
restoration of the siding on the second and third floor in 2001,
repairs on the porte-cochere and the north porch in 2002, and
restoration work on the verandah in 2006.
New York. It is a contributing property
to the Hudson River Historic District
, a National Historic Landmark
.
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
country house 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...
in Rhinebeck
Rhinebeck (town), New York
Rhinebeck is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 7,548 at the 2010 census.The Town of Rhinebeck in the northwest part of Dutchess County in the Hudson Valley. Rhinebeck is also the name of a village in the town. US Route 9 passes through the town...
, Dutchess County, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, USA.
History
In 1852, Thomas Holy Suckley, a businessman and real-estate investoras well as a member of the wealthy Beekman and Livingston family, purchased the river-front property, which
until then had served as a sheep meadow for the adjacent Wildercliff
Wildercliff
Wildercliff is an estate on Morton Road, near Rhinebeck in Dutchess County, New York. It may be included in the Hudson River Historic District.It is adjacent to Wilderstein, another estate having association with Franklin D. Roosevelt.-Sources:, , and...
estate.
Suckley and his wife Catherine Murray Bowne chose the property as a
building site for their mansion, because they considered the landscape
a good match for their picturesque
Picturesque
Picturesque is an aesthetic ideal introduced into English cultural debate in 1782 by William Gilpin in Observations on the River Wye, and Several Parts of South Wales, etc. Relative Chiefly to Picturesque Beauty; made in the Summer of the Year 1770, a practical book which instructed England's...
aesthetic ideal. The name
"Wilderstein" ("wild stone" in German) was chosen by Suckley to allude
to an American Indian petroglyph
Petroglyph
Petroglyphs are pictogram and logogram images created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, and abrading. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions of the technique to refer to such images...
found nearby and reflect the site's
historical significance.
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
villa designed by architect John Warren
Ritch. In 1888, Thomas Suckley's son Robert Bowne Suckley and his
wife, Elizabeth Philips Montgomery, undertook a remodelling and
enlargement of the house. This work was carried out by the local
architect Arnout Cannon from Poughkeepsie
Poughkeepsie (city), New York
Poughkeepsie is a city in the state of New York, United States, which serves as the county seat of Dutchess County. Poughkeepsie is located in the Hudson River Valley midway between New York City and Albany...
. The style of the
mansion was changed to a Queen Anne style country house. A third
floor, a multi-gabled attic, a circular five-storey tower, a
porte-cochere
Porte-cochere
A porte-cochère is the architectural term for a porch- or portico-like structure at a main or secondary entrance to a building through which a horse and carriage can pass in order for the occupants to alight under cover, protected from the weather.The porte-cochère was a feature of many late 18th...
, and a verandah
Verandah
A veranda or verandah is a roofed opened gallery or porch. It is also described as an open pillared gallery, generally roofed, built around a central structure...
were added in the process. The
new interior of the building was designed by Joseph Burr Tiffany
Joseph Burr Tiffany
Joseph Burr Tiffany was an American interior designer of the late 19th century, today best known for his 1889 decoration of the first floor of Wilderstein, the Rhinebeck, New York home of the Suckley family. His firm, J.B...
, a
cousin of Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is the American artist most associated with the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movements...
. The rooms of ground floor were
done in Historic Revival Style and in the aesthetic movement style
using materials such as use mahogany, leather, stained glass, and
linen.
In parallel to the redesign of the mansion proper, the grounds of the
estate were transformed by landscape architect Calvert Vaux
Calvert Vaux
Calvert Vaux , was an architect and landscape designer. He is best remembered as the co-designer , of New York's Central Park....
according to the American Romantic Landscape style. Vaux's design
comprised the creation of a network of drives and trails, the
positioning of specimen trees and ornamental shrubs as well as the
placement of an eclectic set of out buildings such as a carriage
house, a gate lodge, and a potting shed. Gazebo
Gazebo
A gazebo is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal, that may be built, in parks, gardens, and spacious public areas. Gazebos are freestanding or attached to a garden wall, roofed, and open on all sides; they provide shade, shelter, ornamental features in a landscape, and a place to rest...
s and garden seats
were positioned at carefully chosen vantage points.
In total, three generations of the Suckley family inhabited the
mansion. The last family member was Margaret (Daisy) Suckley
Margaret Suckley
Margaret Suckley was a close friend and confidant of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, as well as archivist at the first American presidential library . Generally called 'Daisy' by those who knew her, she was born December 20, 1891 at Wilderstein in the Hudson Valley, and died June 29, 1991 in...
, a
cousin of Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
for whom she trained his famous
terrier Fala. Margaret (Daisy) Suckley
Margaret Suckley
Margaret Suckley was a close friend and confidant of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, as well as archivist at the first American presidential library . Generally called 'Daisy' by those who knew her, she was born December 20, 1891 at Wilderstein in the Hudson Valley, and died June 29, 1991 in...
died in the Wilderstein mansion in 1991 in her 100th year.
Margaret (Daisy) Suckley
Margaret Suckley
Margaret Suckley was a close friend and confidant of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, as well as archivist at the first American presidential library . Generally called 'Daisy' by those who knew her, she was born December 20, 1891 at Wilderstein in the Hudson Valley, and died June 29, 1991 in...
was instrumental in forming Wilderstein
Preservation, a private society; she opened the house to the public at
Christmas 1984. Although very little restoration work was carried out
during her lifetime, efforts have since been undertaken such as the
renovation of the tower in 1994, replacement of the main roof in 1997,
restoration of the siding on the second and third floor in 2001,
repairs on the porte-cochere and the north porch in 2002, and
restoration work on the verandah in 2006.
Location
The address of the mansion is 330 Morton Road, Rhinebeck, NY 12572,New York. It is a contributing property
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 Hudson River Historic District
Hudson River Historic District
The Hudson River Historic District, also known as Hudson River Heritage Historic District, is the largest such district on the mainland of the contiguous United States...
, a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
.
Further Reading
- Great Houses of the Hudson River, Michael Middleton DwyerMichael Middleton DwyerMichael Middleton Dwyer is an architect practicing in New York City known for renovating historic structures and designing new ones in traditional vocabularies. He is also a writer of architectural history who was the editor of Great Houses of the Hudson River and author of Carolands...
, editor, with preface by Mark RockefellerMark RockefellerMark Fitler Rockefeller is a fourth-generation member of the Rockefeller family. He is the youngest son of Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller and Happy Rockefeller...
, Boston, MA: Little, Brown and CompanyLittle, Brown and CompanyLittle, Brown and Company is a publishing house established by Charles Coffin Little and his partner, James Brown. Since 2006 it has been a constituent unit of Hachette Book Group USA.-19th century:...
, published in association with Historic Hudson ValleyHistoric Hudson ValleyHistoric Hudson Valley is a not-for-profit educational and historic preservation organization headquartered in Tarrytown, New York, in Westchester County...
, 2001. ISBN 082122767X.