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The English are known for their grand country estates, but they hardly have a corner on the market. North of the city, along the east bank of the Hudson, are our very own versions of “Downton Abbey”: opulent mansions set on acres of manicured grounds with spectacular river and mountain views. They’re the legacies of old-money families like the Astors and Livingstons, the nouveaux riche Goulds and Vanderbilts, and celebrated painters like Frederic Edwin Church. Here are six properties worth checking out.
Lyndhurst, Tarrytown
Castle-like with its stone spires and turrets, and equally fantastical inside — vaulted painted ceilings, stained glass, Rococo-style furnishings — Lyndhurst wouldn’t look out of place in the new “Dark Shadows” film. (In fact, two movies based on the horror series were shot here in the early ’70s.) The 1838 Gothic Revival wonderland designed by A.J. Davis was home to several powerful New Yorkers: NYC mayor William Paulding, its first owner; inventor George Merritt, who bought and doubled its size in 1864; and lastly, railroad tycoon Jay Gould, who made it his summer retreat. Most impressive is the cavernous dining room, which calls to mind a church with its soaring ceilings, wooden arches, intricate stained glass accents and Gothic wood detailing. Coolest detail? The room’s very real-looking faux-leather wallpaper. Guided tours Fri. to Sun., 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; lyndhurst.org.
Boscobel, Garrison
This charming Federal-style house can’t compete with the grandeur of other Hudson River estates, but it makes up for it with a gorgeous, 68-acre setting that includes a Beaux Arts-style rose garden, apple orchard, orangerie and front lawn with open river views. Built as a farmhouse in 1808 by States Morris Dyckman, a British Loyalist who returned to the area after the Revolutionary War, the home was nearly bulldozed in the 1950s, but Lila Acheson Wallace (of Reader’s Digest fortune) swooped in to the rescue, relocating it up river to Garrison and creating the gardens. It’s been completely restored and period furniture has been added, but original details include carved wooden swags on its façade, and astonishingly, many of the windows. Guided tours Wed. to Mon., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., free admission to the grounds Saturdays; boscobel.org.
Vanderbilt Mansion, Hyde Park
Will you be a lowly kitchen girl like Daisy, or luck out as a privileged valet, a la Mr. Bates? “At Your Service: Behind the Scenes at Vanderbilt Mansion,” a tour of the “Downton Abbey” variety, is authentic from the get-go. You’ll enter via the servants’ door,and won’t get so much as a peek at the grand home’s public spaces there. An assigned card describes your responsibilities: At the bottom, laundresses — who endlessly scrubbed and ironed in a dark basement. What about the butler? You’re in the pantry, guarding the valuable china and silver. Head housekeeper? You get your own private apartment (the only member of the staff to have one). See all these rooms, as well as surprisingly state-of-the-art refrigeration and clothes drying systems, and be ready to climb a lot of stairs. At Your Service tour, Fri. to Sun., 2 p.m., May 19 through Oct. 28. Reservations: 845-229-7770; nps.gov/vama.
Mills Mansion, Staatsburgh
In 1882, wealthy banker Ogden Mills married Ruth Livingston, from one of New York’s oldest families. Eager to showcase his newfound social stature — it was the Gilded Age, after all — Mills hired McKim, Mead & White to renovate an inherited estate just north of Hyde Park, enlarging it from 25 rooms to 65 rooms (plus 14 bathrooms and 23 fireplaces). The staid Greek Revival exterior got the fashionable Beaux Arts treatment — balustrades, pilasters and swags were added — and Ruth tossed parties for the likes of the Vanderbilts and Roosevelts. The massive home required 25 servants to keep up — most were European. So, too, was the décor — the opulent interiors were modeled after styles of Louis XIV-XVI (dig the mirrored doorways!), with rugs, fabrics, furniture, artwork and even the dining room’s wood ceiling shipped from overseas. Top billing goes to the lady of the house’s lavishly appointed Barbie-like boudoir, done entirely in shades of pink. Tours, Thurs. to Sun., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; staatsburgh.org.
Montgomery Place, Annandale-on-Hudson
Amazingly, this Federal-style home has been continuously occupied by members of the Livingston family for 180 years, starting in 1805, when it was built for Janet Livingston Montgomery, widow of Revolutionary War hero General Richard Montgomery. The Federal-style mansion, which was added to over the years, looks much as it did in the mid-1800s, with original furniture, wallpaper and paintings. One wing of the home features a porticoed outdoor porch, a great place to relax and soak up a bit of the surrounding 380 acres. The landscape, designed by Englishman A.J. Downing, has elaborate gardens, a greenhouse, (still productive) orchards and trails that wind through the woodland and to the Saw Kill waterfalls. Guided tours, Thurs. to Sun., 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., May 19 to Oct. 28; hudsonvalley.org.
Olana, Hudson
This unusual house, perched high above the Hudson with the Catskills as backdrop, sprung from the mind of peripatetic painter Frederic Edwin Church. A reflection of the artist’s extensive travels throughout Europe and the Middle East, Olana is a mishmash of references — Italian, Moorish, East Indian, Gallic, Persian — and its interior is as ornamental and colorful as the façade. Each room is stuffed with eclectic artifacts, along with many of his paintings and those by his mentor, Thomas Cole. But it’s the grounds — all 250 acres — that were paramount to Church; every window of the house (especially the top floor) perfectly frames the artfully designed landscape, which includes an ornamental farm. Guided tours are offered year-round; olana.org.
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Open house
There’s no better time to get a glimpse of these (and many more) glorious addresses along the Hudson River (and state-wide) than during Heritage Weekend, happening this Saturday and Sunday. Many historic sites will be offering free or discounted admission, as well as special programming. Visit heritageweekend.org.