Beyond NYC: Historic Montgomery Place at Bard College, NY
Splendid country mansion surrounded by the formal gardens and a nature park in Red Hook, NY
Montgomery Place is the early 19th century estate built by Janet Montgomery Livingston, the widow of the American Revolutionary War hero General Richard Montgomery and named in his honor. The estate was purchased more than 25 years after General Montgomery was killed in the battle of Quebec in 1775, and was originally called the Chateau de Montgomery. It was passed on to Livingston’s descendants who subsequently rebuilt and modernized the mansion, added the nursery and developed the grounds. The estate was put on the National Register of Historic Landmarks in 1975.
In 1986, the family transferred the property to the Historic Hudson Valley, a regional historic preservation organization. And recently in 2016, the estate was purchased by Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY.
What makes this site to stand out among other equally distinguished places scattered around the Hudson Valley, is its elegance and graceful confidence of its owners’ good tastes. The understated chic of the house decoration and furnishing is meticulously preserved and kept alive so much so that one almost feels the hosts’ presence. At times it seems that they just stepped out and will be back any minute. Explore the place for yourself and get in touch with history and nature here.
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Janet Montgomery Livingston purchased the land north of Rhinebeck, NY, where she lived at the time, in 1802. The construction of a Federalist-style mansion was completed in 1805 and Ms. Livingston Montgomery had moved to live there. The main entrance hall and the formal library have family portraits of Livingston lineage and of General Richard Montgomery, American Revolutionary Hero. Interestingly, there is also a portrait of President Andrew Jackson which he presented to the family himself.
In the mid-19th century, the mansion had undergone reconstruction and was transformed into a French-style villa by the renowned architect A. J. Davis. Among the additions were the front entrance colonnade and the north-side open porch luxuriously shaded by the trees. The sound of a waterfall on the Sawkill trail can be heard from the distance. A spectacular view of Hudson River and the Catskills open up from a magnificent west-facing terrace. The mansion exteriors are currently restored to its 1860s appearance.
Throughout its existence, the Montgomery Place design and landscape was dominated by the tastes and lovely care of the prominent ladies of Livingston family. Janet Montgomery Livingston had passed the baton to her sister-in-law Mrs. Louise Livingston who hired a landscape architect Mr. Downing to design the garden, walking trails, nursery and the outbuildings on the property. After Louise, her daughter Cora Barton continued working with Davis and Downing on extending the landscaping and finishing the construction of the cottages and the gardens. In the 1920s, Violetta Delafield, a Livingston descendant, used her knowledge as botanist to further expand the nursery and the flowerbeds on the property. The interior of the house particularly its dining room and the intimate smaller library are also decorated with the floral parents for its wallpapers and fine china making an unambiguous tribute to the horticulture.
The estate serenity elevates the philosophy of living in peace with nature while preserving history. With Bard College acquiring the property and adding it to its campus, the new page in the Montgomery Place story takes the turn. Bard students’ interest in the arts and their youthful influence will make harmonic additions to the architectural and natural beauty of the place.
Mansion tours are scheduled hourly on weekends. Click here for more information.
A picturesque campus of Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY is right down the road from the Montgomery Place. Bard College is well known for its rigorous and diverse art education program and the best-in-class roster of summer performances in upstate NY. Only two hours away from hustle and bustle of New York City, the campus is sufficiently insulated for full concentration and study, yet affords convenience of being accessible via train connection to the city.
Red Hook, NY in Dutchess County is bordering another small-town gem Rhinebeck, NY and the history-rich Hyde Park, NY with its renowned Vanderbilt Mansion and Staatsburgh State Historic Site (former Mills Mansion). Visit Dutchess County Tourism site to get a Great Estate Pass and more.
Planning to spend a night in Dutchess county, NY? Consider the quaint walking village of Rhinebeck, NY. Get intimate with the charms of small-town life by staying at historic Beekman Arms & Delamater Inn. Ask about Delamater side of the property for a quiet room on the mini estate while being still in the center of the village. For more lodging options visit Dutchess County Tourism.
For an exploration of the vibrant culinary scene of Rhinebeck, NY consider Amsterdam which is right across the street from Beekman Arms & Delamater Inn. Opened just 18 months ago, it strives to match the welcoming hospitality of the old world highly appreciated by the restaurant owners while traveling around Europe, with the tasty farm-to-table fares. For more food and dining options visit Dutchess County Tourism.
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