Page 15 - Westchester - 2024 Travel & Meeting Guide

HISTORIC HOMES
& GARDENS
Architecture aficionados and nature lovers have so many wonderful options to visit across Westchester. From guided tours of the hilltop Rockefeller estate featuring panoramic views of the Hudson River at Kykuit to the majestic home of the Gould family at Lyndhurst in Tarrytown, there is plenty to swoon over. Glenview Mansion, a Gilded Age home, and the abode of Hudson River School landscape artist Jasper Cropsey in Hastings are two other stunning favorites.
Glorious gardens are on view
for the public to delight in at these Westchester-based treasure troves: Untermyer Park and Gardens,
the Kendall Sculpture Garden
at Pepsico’s world headquarters, Caramoor Center for Music & the Arts, the butterfly garden at Lenoir Preserve, the serene Hammond Museum & Japanese Stroll Garden, and the 234-acre Lasdon Park & Arboretum, among others.
Left: Enslaved Africans’ Rain Garden
HISTORIC SITES & MUSEUMS
The Armour-Stiner Octagon House
45 West Clinton Ave., Irvington 212-349-0700
The Armour-Stiner Octagon House is one of the most visually unique homes in the world. It is the only known residence constructed in the eight-sided, domed colonnaded shape of a classic Roman Temple. One-hour guided tours are available by appt. April through December.
armourstiner.com
Bedford 1787 Court House
615 Old Post Rd., Bedford; 914-234-9328
Westchester’s oldest government building and northern county seat (1787-1870). The original court room is restored and the Bedford Museum, on the second floor, features the oldest jail cell in Westchester County. bedfordhistoricalsociety.org
Bush-Lyon Homestead
479 King St., Port Chester 914-939-2354
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Bush-Lyon Homestead was home to Abraham Bush and Ruth Lyon, descendants of one of the first settlers in the area. The home is believed to have been General Israel Putnam’s headquarters at various times during the Revolutionary War. Open by appt. only; contact Portchesterhistoricalsociety@gmail.com.
Croton Historical Society
1 Van Wyck St., Croton-on-Hudson 914-271-4574
Archival material relating to the village of
Croton-on-Hudson and the construction of the New Croton Dam. Open 10am-3pm or by appt.
crotonhistoricalsociety.org
Hastings Historical Society
407 Broadway, Hastings-on-Hudson 914-476-2249
Historic observatory with archives, artifacts and photos of this riverside village, which was incorporated in 1879. Free map of “Museum in the Streets” historic walking tour. Open year-round (except holidays) Mon. and Thurs. 11am-2pm, the first Sat. of every month from 2pm - 4pm Sept. through June, and by appt..
hastingshistorical.org
The Historical Society Inc. of Sleepy Hollow & Tarrytown
1 Grove St., Tarrytown; 914-631-8374 Located at the house of Jacob Odell, first president of the Village of Tarrytown, in the North Grove Street Historic District. The Historical Society has rotating exhibits and houses a large collection of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow history with a museum and a research archive. Guided tours and exhibits. Open year-round Thurs. and Sat., 2pm-4pm. thehistoricalsociety.net
Horace Greeley House/New Castle Historical Society
100 King St., Chappaqua 914-238-4666
Country home of Horace Greeley, 1864-1872, editor of The New York Tribune, presidential candidate, foe of slavery and advocate of women’s rights. Guided tour and exhibits. Open year-round, Tues. to Thurs. 11am-3pm and by special request.
newcastlehs.org
Irvington Historical Society at the McVickar House
131 Main St., Irvington; 914-591-1020 Restored house built in 1853 for John McVickar, in the Greek Revival style. Rotating exhibits highlight the history of Irvington. Open Thurs. and Sat. 1pm-4pm, and Tuesdays 10pm-4pm by appt. only. irvingtonhistoricalsociety.org
Jacob Purdy House
60 Park Ave., White Plains; 914-328-1776
Circa-1720 farmhouse was Washington’s base during the Battle of White Plains. Open by appt. Facebook: White Plains History. whiteplainshistory.org
Jay Heritage Center
210 Boston Post Rd., Rye 914-698-9275
Award-winning 23-acre park. National Historic Landmark home of jurist, peacemaker and anti- slavery advocate John Jay. Hosting programs on American History, Architecture, Social Justice and Environmental Stewardship at the 1838 Greek Revival Jay Mansion and Wachenheim Exhibit and Performance Center. Jay Mansion open Sun. 2-5pm from April-Nov. and by appt. New Jay Estate Gardens open Thurs. 10am-2pm and Sun. 10am-5pm from April-Nov and by appt. Docent-guided and self-guided tours. jayheritagecenter.org
John Jay Homestead
400 Jay St., Katonah; 914-232-5651
Federal-style home of America’s first U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice and descendants. Furnished rooms, formal gardens and herb garden. New carriage barns, visitor center and Discovery Center. Grounds are open sunrise- sunset year-round. Please call or visit website for current tours and hours. johnjayhomestead.org
Kykuit, The
Rockefeller Estate
381 N. Broadway, Sleepy Hollow 914-366-6900
See the main rooms of this landmark six-
story stone house that was home to four generations of Rockefellers. Expansive, terraced gardens contain a famed collection of 20th-century sculpture. Timed tours May-early Nov. depart from nearby Philipsburg Manor. hudsonvalley.org
Lincoln Depot Museum
10 S. Water St., Peekskill; 914-402-4318
A 3,000-square-foot freight and passenger rail depot where President-elect Abraham Lincoln stopped to greet New Yorkers on Feb. 19, 1861, during his pre-inaugural train ride to Washington, D.C. lincolndepotmuseum.org
Lyndhurst
635 S. Broadway, Tarrytown 914-631-4481
Named USA Today’s “Ten Best Historic Home Tours,” Lyndhurst offers one-hour guided tours of the mansion and landscape and access to several outbuildings. The French Gothic Revival mansion sits on 67 acres overlooking the widest part of the Hudson. Special programs and events include: exhibitions, concerts, theater, and more. Visit website for ticket and current exhibit information. Open April-Oct. and December. lyndhurst.org
Maryknoll Mission Center and Museum
55 Ryder Rd., Ossining; 914-941-7836 Interactive exhibits about the mission work performed by Maryknoll fathers and brothers. Open Mon.-Sat. 10am-3pm. Free admission. maryknollsociety.org
African American Heritage Gardens
Revolutionary War Trail
VisitWestchesterNY.com 13
Westchester Trailblazers
Pay homage to these inspiring Westchester women who paved the way for future generations of artists, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists:
Vinnie Bagwell, a Yonkers-based African- American sculptor created the Enslaved Africans’ Rain Garden in her hometown along the Hudson River esplanade. Visit the exhibition to see five life-size bronze sculptures depicting freed slaves. Also
in Yonkers by the Metro-North station
is Bagwell’s sculpture of Ella Fitzgerald who grew up in Yonkers and became known as “The First Lady of Song.”
In Irvington, Villa Lewaro is a resplendent home and National Historic Site once owned by America’s first female self-made millionaire, Madam CJ Walker. Walker, an African American, developed and marketed a line of beauty and hair care products for Black women. She was known for her philanthropy and political activism.
Helen Gould, the eldest daughter of railroad magnate Jay Gould became owner of her family’s Lyndhurst Mansion after her father’s death in 1892. As steward of the estate, Helen utilized it to offer free sewing, cooking, and carpentry schools for disadvantaged children.
PHOTO: ©2022 VINNIE BAGWELL, SCULPTOR, PHOTOGRAPH BY DONNA DAVIS/MS. DAVIS PHOTOGRAPHY