Beyond NYC: Staatsburgh State Historic Site in Beautiful Dutchess County, NY

History and nature all within less than two hours from New York City

Mills Mansion, known now as Staatsburgh State Historic Site is a hidden treasure for history buffs and nature fans. Located just under 2-hour drive or train ride from the City, this peaceful and striking estate offers both a chance to travel back in time to see the Gilded Age splendor and to enjoy the serenity of nature by mighty Hudson River. The site which belonged to Mills family and known as Mills Mansion before it was donated to the State of New York in 1938 is open for tours and offers a program of special events.

Mills Mansion and the Ogden Mills & Ruth Livingston Mills State Park surrounding it offer a deep dive into the intricacies of American history and the life of American aristocracy at the turn of 20th century, and an unparalleled beauty of the hiking trails running along the river and in the sprawling hills of the estate.

A peaceful hamlet of Staatsburgh, NY is across the road. Now quiet and sleepy, it leads its origin from the land patent in the 1690s to Dutch settlers. The hamlet has a historic church and used to have Staatsburgh train station for easy connection to the city.

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The estate was purchased in 1792 by Mr. Morgan Lewis, the third governor of New York. He built the first mansion in Greek Revival style on the site in 1832 after the fire destroyed the original house. The estate was inherited by Morgan Lewis’s great-granddaughter Mrs. Ruth Mills Livingston, who was married to a financier Mr. Ogden Mills. By that time in the late 1890s, the Greek Revival style was getting out of fashion and was being replaced with the excesses of Beaux-Art architecture favored by the Gilded Age high society.

The Mills mansion was designed and built by McKim, Mead and White firm in 1895. The Beaux-Art mansion had 65 rooms, a central coal heating system, and electric lights. The house had about 25 servants on staff. A coal-powered power plant was built by the river to supply electricity and heat to the house. Mills Livingston family owned 5 houses, so the one in Staatsburgh, NY was used as a residence and for guest entertainment in the fall from late September until Christmas. The family also owned residencies in New York City by Central Park and 69th street, in Paris next to L’Hotel des Invalides and the Rodin Museum, in Newport, RI and in California.

The house decoration and furnishing were set to showcase the stately family pedigree from the Livingston side which went all the way back to one of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence. And the respectable wealth from new money made in finance by the Mills side. The main entrance gallery to the mansion is decorated with the portraits of American stately figures reminding the visitors and the guest about the deep roots and familial connections.

The family was friendly with Vanderbilts who owned the mansion about a mile down the road in Hyde Park, NY. The story goes that Frederick Vanderbilt was invited by Mills to spend a night at their house and to see the area before buying the land for his estate from Langdon’s heirs. .

From 1938 the mansion is operated by the New York Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. In 1988, The Friends of Mills Mansion was founded organizing the educational programs and helping with the preservation. Informative and entertaining themed tours such as “America’s Elite in the Downton Abbey Era” and “World War I and the End of the Gilded Age” are offered on weekends. Find out more and make your reservation here.

The tours are conducted by the costumed guides sharing some interesting details about the rules, tastes, and hierarchy of the high society bringing to mind the movies like Downton Abbey or Gosford Park.

Visit Dutchess County Tourism site to get a Great Estate Pass to see the mansions. And explore a vibrant culinary scene of the nearby city of Poughkeepsie, NY with its renown Culinary Institute of America (CIA). The city’s restaurants draw its chefs from CIA’s graduates winning high accolades from the foodies. Stop by Essie’s to sample from its exciting menu. For more food and dining options visit Dutchess County Tourism.

Venue: 75 Mills Mansion 1 Rd, Staatsburg, NY 12580

Planning to spend a night 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 for a room on Delamater side of the property for a quiet room on mini estate while being still in the center of the village. For more lodging options visit Dutchess County Tourism.