Weird and Wonderful Woodstock, New York

Woodstock unplugged: The site of the 1969 music festival is an artsy, laidback town in the Hudson Valley, where cool shops, great eats and local treasures abound.

A glimpse of the adorable backyard of Tinker Taco along Tannery Brook in Woodstock, New York

When you hear the name Woodstock, do you picture Snoopy’s little yellow sidekick from the Peanuts comic strip, or do peace-loving hippies, patchouli and that legendary rock and folk music festival held in the summer of 1969 come to mind?

Well, here’s the twist, man: Technically, the historic lovefest didn’t even happen in Woodstock! It actually took place on a 600-acre dairy farm, in the neighboring town of Bethel, about 60 miles southwest. Although it was a success in terms of cultural significance, it was a logistical failure — there wasn’t enough food or enough toilets. But according to Wally, they were high, they were hippies, and they couldn’t have cared less.

Despite this misconception, I imagine Woodstock had a better ring to it than Bethel, and the name stuck. 

Papa, Wally and Duke on Tannery Brook Bridge, enjoying their time in Woodstock, New York

Woodstock’s laidback, artistic spirit continues to evolve and thrive, and this small town, nestled in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains along the Hudson River, turned out to be exactly the vibe we were looking for during our four-day Hudson Valley weekend.

Read on for our list of our favorite spots along Mill Hill Road and Tinker Street in the charming burg of Woodstock, including a couple of recommendations on where to stop and refuel along the way. 

Tinker Street and Mill Hill Road

The main thoroughfares of Woodstock are Tinker Street and Mill Road, a walkable stretch lined with locally owned shops, restaurants, galleries and other businesses catering to residents and visitors alike. 

The Mud Club 

We started our day at the Mud Club (a nod to the famously muddy aforementioned festival in Bethel). We headed straight to the hulking brown barn to order four of their Montreal-style bagels from the service window. 

Established in 2017 by brothers Nicolas and Gray Ballinger, along with their father Doug, their irregularly shaped hand-rolled bagels are briefly poached in honey-sweetened water and baked in a wood-fired oven, resulting in a bagel with a crisp exterior and a denser chew than a New York-style bagel. 

The Mud Club vibe? Think rustic yet quirky mountain lodge with a side of artisanal coffee. Their rotating selection of single-origin beans, sourced from regions like Ethiopia, Kenya, Peru and Honduras, expertly roasted by Brooklyn-based Mud Club, are sure to satisfy even the most discerning caffeine connoisseur.

The Mud Club
43 Mill Hill Road

Bread Alone Bakery

You know what they say: Man cannot live on bread alone. But if we did — we’d be happy getting our sustenance at Bread Alone. Even though we had already eaten bagels at Mud Club, we couldn’t resist stopping at this local bakery. What started as an entrepreneurial endeavor by artisan baker and educator Daniel Leader in the early ’80s, with loaves being sold out of the trunk of the family station wagon, has grown into a trailblazing bakery with a big following, with additional locations in Boiceville and Rhinebeck. 

This is the place to find an assortment of breads made with certified organic grains milled in Halifax, Pennsylvania, along with a pastry counter filled with sweet and savory treats. I purchased a chocolate caramel cake to enjoy later for Wally’s birthday, and trust me — it was a winner!

Bread Alone Bakery
22 Mill Hill Road

Candlestock

Beyond the white picket fence with yellow flame-topped posts at 16 Mill Hill Road is Candlestock, a one-of-a-kind family-owned business offering a wide selection of beeswax, drip and handmade candles in every shape, size and color imaginable. 

Wally and I purchased a few hand-dipped tapers and were in awe of the impressive, rainbow-colored “Drip Mountain,” a towering 8-foot-high by 3-foot-wide wax creation dramatically lit by blacklight that has been steadily growing since 1969. 

Candlestock
16 Mill Hill Road

The Golden Notebook 

This small but impressive independently owned bookshop, named after the original owner’s favorite Doris Lessing novel, has been a local staple for nearly five decades. Among the shelves and tables, you’ll find a mix of popular and rare titles spanning both fiction and nonfiction, as well as a selection of signed books and graphic novels by acclaimed author Neil Gaiman. His writing often features darkly whimsical themes, complex characters and richly imagined worlds.

A section at the front of the shop is dedicated to local history and the surrounding Hudson Valley, with a selection that highlights the region’s storied past. 

Whether you’re looking for books for adults or children, you’ll easily find your next read among the thoughtfully curated selections on display.

The Golden Notebook
29 Tinker Street

Timbuktu 

You’ve probably heard or even uttered the phrase, “from here to Timbuktu” to describe a faraway place. Well, just a few doors down from the Golden Notebook is a shop with that name, filled with global and one-of-a-kind goods. You’ll find a diverse array of handmade home goods, pillows, quilts and jewelry by the shop’s owner, Jaime Surgil. Wally and I especially loved the whimsical aquatint etchings by New York-based artist Stephen Francis Duffy. Whether you’re browsing or buying, you’re likely to leave this boutique feeling inspired.

Timbuktu
2 Tannery Brook Road

Woodstock Leisure Syndicate 

When Wally and I spotted a sign across the street with two bears hugging beneath a radiant moon, we had to check it out. It turned out to be tied to the concept shop Woodstock Leisure Syndicate, a collaborative project by the design duo Grant Krajecki and Ryan Kelly.

The shop is housed in the historic Old Forge House, a building that formerly served as the village blacksmith’s workshop and home. Stop by to browse quilted seating upholstered in nylon, as well as apparel, books, artwork and chunky, oversized Grey Ant eyewear — designed in New York by Krajecki and produced in Italy. I especially loved their playful take on the classic smiley logo, with “NY” for the eyes and “Woodstock” forming the smile. It’s available as a patch, tie-dyed T-shirt and super soft hoodie.

Woodstock Leisure Syndicate 
54C Tinker Street

Tinker Taco

By this time, we had worked up an appetite and decided to try the cute spot we had seen earlier. Plus, you can never go wrong with Mexican. 

To reach Tinker Taco, you have to walk behind the Old Forge. It’s a relaxed, order-at-the-bar-and-find-a-seat kind of place. We chose a picnic table on the banks of Tannery Brook, a stream that runs through town. 

The tortillas are handmade from local non-GMO corn, and the taco options range from chicken to barbacoa to vegetarian. Plus, the frozen margaritas are muy ricas!

Tinker Taco
54 Tinker Street

Village Green Bed & Breakfast 

In the center of Woodstock, you’ll find a small square and a charming storybook Victorian B&B. Known as the Village Green, it features the fantastical assemblages Merlin and Fantasy Boy, whose faces are embellished with hundreds of lustrous glass beads and whose bodies are covered in ceramic figurines, which instantly caught our attention. 

Village Green Bed & Breakfast
12 Tinker Street 

Tinker Toys Too

Tinker Toys Too, named after the street, not the toy, has been delighting kids of all ages for over three decades, thanks to its owner, Suki Beeh. Whether you’re looking for stuffed animals, storybooks, or educational wooden puzzles and games, you’ll find imaginative items throughout the store. Every shelf is filled with a delightful selection of classic and new toys, from Colorforms to Kewpie-like Sonny Angel figurines. These are toys made to last for years of play and discovery.

Tinker Toys Too
5 Mill Hill Road

WAAM (Woodstock Artists Association & Museum) 

WAAM, bam, thank you ma’am! This gallery is a great spot if you’re looking for a break from shopping. Since 1919, WAAM has been showcasing an eclectic mix of local talent and celebrating Woodstock’s long history as an arts haven. Whether you’re into paintings, sculptures or photography, there’s always something fresh to catch your eye. The museum also houses an impressive permanent collection, featuring works by notable artists like Milton Avery and Yasuo Kuniyoshi, giving you a peek into the creative roots that helped shape this quirky town. There’s a $10 suggested donation. 

WAAM (Woodstock Artists Association & Museum)
28 Tinker Street

Casa Ziki

The eye-catching entrance of Casa Ziki drew us in like a brightly colored flower attracting a pair of hummingbirds. There was no turning back once we saw the Georgian-style pediment, awash in a combination of tangerine and lavender — a custom design by the local duo Headspace. It definitely sets the tone for what awaits within. 

This modern homewares boutique, with locations in Brooklyn and Woodstock, is co-owned by wife and husband Sylvanna Kiss and Sasha Zinshtein. Inside, you’ll find a colorful selection of well-designed décor, playful accessories, lighting, art and pieces by local makers. Whether you’re shopping for yourself or someone else, you won’t regret stopping by.

Casa Ziki
35 Mill Hill Road

Early Terrible

We ended our delightful day in Woodstock at Early Terrible, the wine and cocktail bar and sister property next door to the Mud Club. A twisted column topped with a silver tankard and a peculiar-looking ogre (or perhaps a golem or troll?) peeking out from behind it marked the start of the gravel path that led us there.

The interior is dark and moody, while the patio fits in with the whimsical aesthetic that’s simultaneously rustic and glam. It’s filled with delightful details, from glittering disco balls and weathered wood planks to tufted leather couches and ornate cut-glass chandeliers. 

A sprawling root structure climbs above the bar and stretches outward, leaving you feeling as if you’ve followed Alice down the rabbit hole and tumbled into a magical place.

The cocktail menu offers an imaginative selection of signature drinks. I ordered the Smoke Signals, a blend of Banhez mezcal, a dash of amaro, tamarind purée and pineapple in a glass rimmed with a smoky house-made chili salt, while Wally opted for the Bramble, a refreshing concoction made with gin, crème de cassis and lemon juice. My parents each ordered beer, and the four of us shared a wood-fired sourdough pizza. Note: If you’re visiting on a weekday, don’t get your hopes up — pizza is only served on the weekends.

Early Terrible
45 Mill Hill Road

Feeling Groovy

Woodstock turned out to be our favorite spot in the Hudson Valley. The town’s blend of artistic spirit, quirky shops and laidback atmosphere make it the perfect place to explore and chill. Whether you’re browsing the boutiques or taking in some local art, it’s hard not to fall under Woodstock’s groovy spell. –Duke

Vanderbilt Mansion: Gilded Age Opulence in the Hudson Valley

Explore the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site in Hyde Park, New York, with its original furnishings and garden. 

Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

We call it the Hamptons for Brooklynites. The Hudson Valley is known for its charming small towns, cultural attractions, natural beauty — and close proximity to New York City. And since Wally and I were spending a long weekend with my parents in this part of New York state, I was eager to find something we’d all enjoy doing together. 

Wally, Duke and Poppa hang out before their tour.

No trip with my parents is complete without touring at least one historic landmark, and the region has plenty to choose from. Unfortunately, Olana, the Persian-inspired house museum of Frederic Edwin Church — a major figure of the Hudson River School of American landscape painters — was temporarily closed in preparation for an upcoming exhibit, so we opted for the Gilded Age “country house” of another Frederick.

This particular Frederick was the third son of William Henry Vanderbilt and grandson of the self-made multimillionaire, Cornelius “Commodore” Vanderbilt — the man who inspired the term “robber baron” and amassed the family fortune in shipping and railroads. To me, the Vanderbilt family is synonymous with extraordinary wealth, designer jeans and one silver fox, aka Anderson Cooper. So as a “Duke” myself, it seemed only fitting to visit one of Dutchess County’s most notable estates. 

Mema and Poppa are always up for a good time.

The turn-of-the-century mansion turned national historic site is perched on a natural bluff high above the Hudson River on the outskirts of Hyde Park, New York, about six miles north of Poughkeepsie on Route 9, and is a short distance from Springwood, the birthplace and lifelong home of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States.

The Pavilion, now used as the Visitor’s Center, was constructed in just 60 days. 

The Pavilion

Our first stop after arriving was the Visitor’s Center, a Georgian Colonial structure with a captain’s walk and porticos supported by Doric columns. These columns are actually brick pillars concealed by a material called staff, a mixture of plaster, jute fibers and horsehair. Often described as “counterfeit marble,” staff is cast into molds to resemble carved marble. The same material used to cover the buildings of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois. 

Originally referred to as the Pavilion, it was built in just 66 working days after the Vanderbilts acquired the property in May 1895. It replaced the Langdon Carriage House and served as the living quarters for Frederick and Louise while they oversaw the construction of the main house.

To prevent scandals, single men visiting the property would stay in the Pavilion, while unattached women slept in the nearby mansion.

Inside, Wally and I purchased tickets for the guided tour which were $15 per person, though my dad used his U.S. National Parks annual pass for military veterans to get my mom and him in for free.

The interior is styled like a gentlemen’s sporting lodge, complete with a large central fireplace and walls displaying a collection of mounted trophy heads of animals. It should be noted that Frederick himself didn’t hunt and strictly prohibited hunting on the property. 

The building later served as the guesthouse for male visitors — you couldn’t have single men and single women sleeping under the same roof, after all. 

Before our tour of the historic home, we followed a path leading to the formal gardens. As we crossed the expansive, meticulously manicured lawn in front of the mansion, I noticed my father admiring its orderly nature and could imagine him daydreaming of riding his latest John Deere lawn mower over it.

The marble fountain, depicting a young boy stepping on the head of an unusual-looking dolphin, has been restored.

The Formal Gardens

The gardens and grounds reflect the passion for horticulture shared by the estate’s previous owners. In the early 1800s, Samuel Bard established gardens and a greenhouse filled with native and exotic plants. He imported trees, flowers, herbs and shrubs from across Europe and Asia. The lone ginkgo tree standing in the middle of the south lawn is believed to have been planted by him in 1799. 

Dramatic pergolas form a grand entrance to the gardens.

Bard’s approach was influenced by the principles of picturesque landscape design, which he studied during his time in Edinburgh, Scotland. Incidentally, as a doctor, he also performed a life-saving operation on the newly inaugurated President George Washington in 1789, removing a large and painful tumor from his left thigh.

Each year, volunteers plant around 6,000 annuals in the formal gardens.

After Bard’s death, his son sold the estate to his father’s former business partner, David Hosack, also an accomplished physician and avid horticulturist. Hosack was a professor at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University and in 1804 tended to Alexander Hamilton’s fatal injuries after his duel with Aaron Burr. 

This statue of an odalisque, or harem member, was sculpted by Antonio Galli in the mid-19th century. The pool was being repaired when we visited.

Driven by his passion for botany, Hosack established the first formal gardens on the estate and built greenhouses to shelter his exotic plants. He enlisted the expertise of Belgian-born landscape architect André Parmentier who gave the grounds a park-like atmosphere. 

Roads, bridges and lawns were carefully designed to enhance the natural landscape, while large areas were deliberately left in their wild state. Today, much of Parmentier’s original design remains unchanged. 

This saucy statue was known as “Barefoot Kate.”

The four of us entered the formal Italian-style gardens at the northwest corner, where Wally and I left my mom and dad to linger at a table outside the tool house with miscellaneous items available for anyone to take, using an honor system. 

“Barefoot Kate” isn’t really barefoot!

We continued up the gravel path and through the upper terrace gardens, where volunteers from the Frederick William Vanderbilt Garden Association were tending to the annual plants. This nonprofit works closely with the National Park Service to restore the gardens to their 1930s appearance. 

Ahead of us stretched a walkway lined with cherry trees, leading to a brick loggia and reflecting pool. A white marble statue of an odalisque known as “Barefoot Kate,” stood in the central niche, appearing to delicately test the waters with her toe. On closer inspection, you can see she’s actually wearing sandals and isn’t even barefoot. The reflecting pool was closed for maintenance during our visit, but the vignette was still striking. The path continued down a flight of steps to the rose garden with a pavilion overlooking Crum Elbow Creek.

For those who might be curious, crimson roses were Frederick’s favorite and were delivered to his bedroom each morning. Louise preferred yellow roses, which she insisted be placed on the Louis XVI-style table in the drawing room.

Louise particularly loved roses and had part of the garden devoted to them.

Wally is always willing to visit a garden.

Duke sittin’ pretty

Flowering trees with gorgeous shades of pink can be seen in the hills beyond the gardens.

After meandering through the sprawling gardens, we met up with my parents and returned to the Pavilion, where we joined the group of visitors who were waiting in anticipation of meeting our guide. 

The Vanderbilt Mansion is a prime example of Beaux Arts architecture, a style characterized by its grandeur and classical elements, popular in the Gilded Age.

The Country House 

Mark Twain first coined the term “The Gilded Age” when he published his satirical novel The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today in 1873. The term refers to the economic boom between the end of the Civil War in 1865 and the turn of the 20th century. 

The Vanderbilts were certainly emblematic of the era’s excess and grandeur. Frederick and Louise had an impressive real estate portfolio, with residences in Manhattan; Bar Harbor, Maine; Newport, Rhode Island; and a Japanese-inspired retreat on Upper St. Regis Lake in the Adirondacks. Yet, they sought a country retreat in the bucolic Hudson Valley. 

Frederick was a director of 22 railroads, including the New York Central Railroad, the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad, and the Chicago and North Western Railroad. Despite their substantial wealth, the old-money families of the area, such as the Livingstons and the Beekmans, whose wealth went back at least three generations, labeled Vanderbilts “nouveau riche” and found them to be distasteful and crass.

Most recently, the property they desired belonged to Dorothea Langdon, whose father, John Jacob Astor, purchased it for her and her husband, Walter, in 1840.

A gilt bronze Louis XVI-style revolving dial clock, featuring the Three Graces holding a globe, by Henry Dasson, sits atop a table with a rare deep purple porphyry stone top.

Frederick and Louise bought the property for under $25,000 and hired the prestigious architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White to replace the existing home with a new, larger version. 

Frederick and Louise Vanderbilt. Are you surprised she was the outgoing one?

Charles McKim studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and the home’s design reflects many elements of classic Beaux Arts style. Completed in 1898, its exterior is sheathed in Indiana limestone over a steel and concrete structure. Unlike its predecessor, the new house rose a full three stories. 

Meanwhile, New York decorator Ogden Codman and architect Stanford White were tasked with furnishing the 54-room home with $2.25 million worth of museum-quality paintings and tapestries, and incorporating a range of European antiques and finely crafted period reproductions. 

Despite its grandeur, the impressive 45,000-square-foot structure was considered “modest” in comparison to the opulent homes of Frederick’s siblings, such as George Washington Vanderbilt who erected the ostentatious Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina. 

Completed in 1899, the Hyde Park house featured all the latest innovations: electricity powered by a hydroelectric generator in Crum Elbow Creek — which according to our guide was a full decade before other homes in the town would experience this marvel themselves — central heating from coal-fired furnaces, and indoor plumbing. In 1936 the Otis Elevator Company electrified the existing hand-powered elevator. 

The cost to complete the Vanderbilt Mansion was $660,000, which, adjusted for inflation, is roughly equivalent to $48.65 million today, excluding the furnishings.

A tapestry hanging in the Vanderbilt Mansion, Hector Bids Farewell, from the 17th century, shows the Greek hero of the Trojan War in Renaissance style dress.

While Frederick was described as quiet and introverted, Louise (who went by Lulu) was social and philanthropic and loved to entertain. She frequently hosted lavish parties, galas and balls at the Hyde Park estate, including an annual strawberry and ice cream festival for the community. She would also ride through town on a horse-drawn carriage during Christmastime and deliver presents to the children of Hyde Park. 

And while they entertained friends now and then, for the most part, it was just the two of them — along with loads of servants — about 60 to be exact. Of these, 17 were employed in the house, two in the Pavilion, and 44 on the grounds and farm. Thirteen men cared for the gardens and lawns alone. When guests stayed in the Pavilion, additional cooks and maids were hired from the town of Hyde Park.

The front doors open to the reception hall, where you could sit on the sofa and admire the topless busts that support the mantel over the fireplace.

The Reception Hall

The main floor of the Vanderbilt Mansion was primarily used for entertaining. The first room we entered was the spacious reception hall, designed in an elliptical shape, lending it a sophisticated feel, similar to the Federal-style Oval Office in the White House. The octagonal opening in the ceiling enhances this geometric design, allowing natural light to flood the hall from the skylight above.

The great hall is furnished with a pair of matching tufted sofas, Italian throne chairs, and a mantelpiece bought from Raoul Heilbronner, a German-born art and antiques dealer in Paris. A 16th century tapestry bearing the Medici family crest hangs above it, suggesting that the family’s lineage dated back to the Italian Renaissance. 

When Wally expressed surprise that there were a pair of topless caryatids supporting the mantle, our guide replied that the Victorians didn’t mind nudity — as long as it was done in a classical style.

Guests would meet in the home’s foyer before sitting down for a seven-course dinner in the dining room, a different wine being served with each course. The men and women would then split off to two separate parlors — women to talk about fashion and the like; men to discuss business. They would then convene in the drawing room before heading off to bed at midnight.

A collection of beer steins and a mounted elk's head adorn Frederick Vanderbilt’s cozy den. 

The Study and Den

The first room to the left of the reception hall is Frederick’s study,  mahogany-paneled with vaulted ceilings, a built-in desk and intricately carved wood panels. These architectural elements feature whimsical scenes of animals and cherubs, and were salvaged from a European château before being shipped to Hyde Park. 

Unusual for the time, the study has its own bathroom — so Frederick could go about his business without the staff knowing. 

The attached den has a bookcase holding about 400 volumes, mostly fiction and travel, along with Frederick’s textbooks from Yale. 

Louise disliked the ceiling mural in her sitting room of Aurora and Tithonus by American painter Edward Emerson Simmons, so much she had it painted over. It was restored in 1962.

The Gold Room

Louise’s reception room was a feminine counterpoint to Frederick’s masculine study and was used for serving tea, sherry before dinner and gossip conversation. The coved and gilded plaster ceiling includes a mural by American impressionist painter Edward Simmons titled Aurora and Tithonus and was inspired by the mythological paintings of René-Antoine Houasse at Versailles. Apparently Louise hated it and had it painted over in 1906. Thankfully it was uncovered and restored by the National Park Service in 1962. 

You can imagine the games of whist that were once played at these small tables in the drawing room.

The Drawing Room

To the left is the south foyer, which leads to the drawing room. This room features a pair of marble fireplaces and walnut paneling, and is furnished with a blend of antique Renaissance pieces and Louis XV-style seating. 

The drawing room, designed in the French Renaissance style, was often the center of social activity, where guests would gather for conversation, music and games.

After dinner, the ladies would retreat to the drawing room, where a demitasse of coffee and liqueurs were served. Meanwhile, the men lingered in the dining room for another 30 minutes before joining the women for an evening of cards — often bridge — charades or dancing.

The dining room could seat 18 elite guests.

The Dining Room

The dining room mirrors the scale and size of the drawing room. It includes a table that can be extended to seat 18 guests. Beneath it lies an Isfahan Persian rug, one of the largest in the world, measuring 20 by 40 feet and believed to be over 300 years old. 

Like other rooms in the home, the furniture is a reproduction of the Louis XV period. 

The central mural in the dining room, painted by Edward Emerson Simmons

The coffered and gilded ceiling was salvaged from an Italian palazzo, and installed to fit the space. The central mural was painted by Edward Emerson Simmons, a prominent member of Stanford White’s circle of artist friends. 

The blue and white Ming Dynasty vessel at the base of the grand staircase is estimated to be over 500 years old. When the Vanderbilts lived here, it was used as a planter for a towering 20-foot palm tree.

The Grand Staircase

Roll out the red carpet: The grand staircase, with its sweeping wrought iron balustrade, has 10 steps leading up to a landing along the west wall, followed by another 10 steps to an east-facing landing, then 10 more steps heading west to a third landing, and finally nine steps east to reach the second floor.

The second floor is equally as impressive as the first. The elliptical central gallery is surrounded by a cast-stone balustrade and bedrooms, ranging from modest guest quarters to opulent his-and-hers rooms modeled after the Petit Trianon at Versailles.

This marble sculpture depicts the infant Hercules strangling one of the snakes sent by the goddess Hera to kill him in his cradle.

Niches hold marble sculptures of Eros and Psyche, along with Persephone, Greek goddess of spring and queen of the underworld.

Seven years later, the Vanderbilts enlisted New York architect Whitney Warren to redesign certain elements of the house. Warren removed the coved skylight (technically a laylight) atop the second story and replaced it with a flat frosted glass laylight. The wood balustrade around the opening on the second floor was removed to make way for a cast-stone balustrade and a deep plaster cove, embellished with lattice-work panels and oval medallions with female figures, was added to the ceiling of the second floor, beneath the new laylight.

Louise Vanderbilt’s bedroom and boudoir were designed after Marie Antoinette’s private rooms at Versailles.

One of the guest rooms at the Vanderbilt Mansion

Up on the third floor, of the 19 rooms, 11 belonged to female servants. Each morning floors were cleaned, silverware polished, porches swept, and 50 to 60 bouquets of fresh flowers were arranged throughout the home. The generosity of the Vanderbilts extended in many directions and was often expressed in donations of flowers to local churches and hospitals. 

Compare this simple setup for the servants with the lavish decadence upstairs.

The Servants’ Hall

In an affluent household like this, servants were expected to be as invisible as possible, working behind the scenes to keep everything running smoothly. The staff usually arrived a day before Frederick and Louise to prepare the house. They had their own set of stairs and living spaces and were the first to rise and the last to retire for the night.

For the final part of the tour, our guide led us to the less grand service staircase, where we followed him down to the servants’ quarters. This was a simple and functional space with long corridors running north and south. 

Directly beneath the dining room was the kitchen, where meals were prepared. Food was then sent up to the butler’s pantry on the first floor via a large dumbwaiter before being served in the dining room. 

The kitchen downstairs

The basement also housed the unfussy servants’ lounge, which served as both a dining and sitting room where the staff could spend their leisure time.

Accommodations on this floor were for the male servants and included single rooms for the three butlers, a room for visiting valets, and quarters for the day and night men. 

Additionally, the basement contained four storage rooms, two laundry rooms, an ironing room, a wine cellar and an ice room.

The laylight acts as a focal point of the Vanderbilt Mansion.

From Private Estate to Public Heritage: The Journey of the Vanderbilt Mansion

Everything in the house remained as it was when Frederick passed away on June 29, 1938, at the age of 82. Following his death, the first detailed archival records of the interiors were created. The P.J. Curry Company conducted a thorough inventory of the mansion’s contents, while Rodney McKay Morgan photographed many of the rooms for real estate purposes. The New York Times published photographs of the public rooms in 1940, and an album of snapshots, assembled by Fred and James Traudt that same year, is preserved in the home’s archives.

Since the couple had no children, the mansion was bequeathed to Frederick’s niece, Margaret Louise Van Alen. There was just one catch: She had no intention of living there and tried to sell the estate for $350,000, even reducing the price to $250,000. However, with World War II looming, and a country still recovering from the Great Depression, no one was really in the market for a mansion in Upstate New York.

Fortunately, President Roosevelt persuaded Van Alen to donate 211 acres, along with the mansion and its contents, to the National Park Service. The estate was preserved for the nation, renamed the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site, and in 1940 opened to the public. According to the local Eagle News, 1,338 visitors toured the home within the first 10 days of its opening. 

Fireplaces were a sign of wealth during the Gilded Age — so they were included, even when there was a central heating system installed as well.

The Lowdown 

The Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site grounds are open to the public every day of the year, from sunrise to sunset. Tickets and visitor information are available in the Visitor Center, located in the building near the parking lot. 

Admission is $15 per person and children 15 and under are free. The tour is free if you have the National Parks annual pass. 

The hour-long tour was an enjoyable experience and gave us a glimpse into the lives of Frederick and Louise and their mansion. The visit takes you through the first and second floors, as well as the service basement. –Duke

At 45,000 square feet, the Vanderbilts’ holiday home featured 21 fireplaces, 14 bathrooms and 25 bedrooms.

Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

119 Vanderbilt Park Road
Hyde Park, New York 12538

Literary Destinations: Books to Accompany Your Travels

What to read on vacation? From Paris to Tokyo, here are some recommendations to immerse yourself in foreign cultures. 

There’s nothing quite like diving into a book that takes you to the very place you're about to visit — or are currently exploring. Literature has a magical way of bringing locations to life, adding rich historical context, cultural nuances and captivating narratives that enhance your travel experience.

Whether you’re an avid reader or simply just looking to deepen your connection with your destination, creating a literary itinerary can be a delightful way to enrich your journey.

Let’s explore some of the most enchanting destinations and the books that would be your trusty companions along the way. 

Paris, France
Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

Ah, Paris — the City of Light, and an epicenter of art, culture and romance. Set in 1950s Paris, Baldwin’s novel Giovanni’s Room explores themes of identity, love and societal expectations. The story follows David, an American expat who struggles with his sexual identity. While his fiancée, Hella, is away in Spain, David begins an intense romantic relationship with Giovanni, an Italian bartender. This deeply moving story is a poignant and powerful exploration of the complexities of human emotions and the struggle for self-acceptance in a world that often demands conformity.

Italy
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert 

Gilbert’s bestselling memoir, Eat Pray Love, is a captivating tale of self-discovery that takes you on a transformative journey through Italy, India and Indonesia. While in Italy, Gilbert immerses herself in the country’s gastronomy, savoring the flavors and traditions of cities like Rome and Naples. This book is sure to whet your appetite for the amazing food and cultural richness that Italy has to offer.

Florida
To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway 

If you’re planning a trip that includes, perhaps, a three-day cruise to Key West, consider packing a copy of To Have and Have Not by Hemingway. Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression in the Florida Keys and Cuba, this gripping novel, written in the author’s simple and direct style, explores the economic struggles and moral dilemmas of its characters. And while you’re in Key West, be sure to visit the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum, where the legendary writer lived in the 1930s, or imbibe at Sloppy Joe’s, Papa’s favorite watering hole during his time on the island.

New York City
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger 

Often included in American high school curricula, Salinger’s provocative novel The Catcher in the Rye explores universal themes such as alienation, identity, loss and the transition from adolescence to adulthood — all seen through the eyes of its angsty teenage protagonist, Holden Caulfield. Nearly all the landmarks Holden mentions as he wanders around Manhattan — Central Park, the American Museum of Natural History and the Met — still attracting visitors more than half a century later, and they play significant roles in the story.

Tokyo, Japan
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

Step into the world of 1960s Japan with Murakami’s coming-of-age novel, Norwegian Wood. This poignant tale of love, loss and self-discovery is narrated by 37-year-old Toru Watanabe, who finds himself transported back to his college days after hearing the Beatles’ song “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)” while on a business trip. For an author whose stories typically exist between the real and the surreal, Norwegian Wood takes a decidedly more subtle approach, yet still showcases Murakami’s characteristically delicate touch.

Cape Town, South Africa
Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee

Set in post-apartheid South Africa, J.M. Coetzee’s Booker Prize-winning novel Disgrace focuses on the life of David Lurie, a disgraced university professor. After an affair with a student leads to his dismissal, Lurie retreats to his daughter Lucy's rural farm in the province of Eastern Cape. There, they experience a brutal attack that forces both of them to confront their vulnerabilities and the harsh realities of a changing society. The novel explores themes of power, redemption, racial tensions and the search for a new identity in a country grappling with its past.

Literary Wanderlust

These are just a few examples of the countless literary treasures that can enhance your travel experiences. By immersing yourself in the pages of a book set in your destination, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation for the local culture, history and stories that have unfolded within those very streets and landscapes.

But the allure of literary travel goes beyond mere reading. Many destinations offer opportunities to follow in the footsteps of your favorite authors, explore the places that inspired their works, or attend literary festivals and events.

So, as you plan your next adventure, be sure to pack a few literary companions — they’ll not only entertain you during your travels but also provide a perspective through which to explore the world around you. –Boris Dzhingarov

Iconic Stadiums and Sporting Landmarks Around the World

From the Colosseum to Dodger Stadium, from Wembley to Yankee Stadium, we’ve got a winning itinerary of the planet’s most iconic sporting landmarks. Game on, sports fans!

Sports stadiums have been gathering spots for ages, where people have come to witness athletic feats, whether that’s a fight between gladiators in Ancient Rome or today’s games. From the deafening cheers to the hushed silences, these places have seen raw emotions on full display.

Now, get ready for a global journey for sports fans: We’ll be making stops at some of the world’s most iconic stadiums and sporting landmarks. From an ancient arena to modern architectural marvels, we’ll dig into their history and the architects who brought them to life, throw in some interesting facts, and even point out a few nearby attractions.

All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club

This London site has hosted Wimbledon since 1877. The world famous tournament is one of the big four in professional tennis, commonly known as the Grand Slams. And when  tennis folk mention a “Grand Slam,” they mean winning all four major championships, held in Australia, France, the U.K. and the United States, in the same calendar season.

Architect: Stanley Peach

Fun fact: The retractable roof installed in 2009 ensures that play can continue even during the all-too-common English summer rain. 

Nearby attractions: Visit the Victoria & Albert, an amazing museum of art and design, or grab your baking buddies and live your Great British Bake Off fantasy at the Big London Bake.

Cleveland Browns Stadium

For die-hard American football fans, this place is like sacred turf. When the players hit the field and the game intensifies, you’re in for all the highs and lows of a typical game. And if you’re looking to crank up the experience and try to win some money, hedge your bets with this deal.

Architect: Populous (formerly HOK Sport) 

Fun fact: The stadium was designed to give spectators unobstructed views of the city skyline and Lake Erie. 

Nearby attractions: Why not make a day of it? You can check out the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame or take a leisurely afternoon stroll through the Cleveland Botanical Garden.

The Colosseum

The ancient world had its own versions of sporting arenas, but let’s be honest — none could quite rival the grandeur and infamy of Rome’s magnificent Colosseum. This colossal wonder serves as a testament to the might of the Roman Empire, along with its insatiable appetite for entertainment. The arena’s innovative elliptical shape laid the foundation for modern stadiums.

Constructed under the Flavian dynasty between 72 and 81 CE, the massive amphitheater could seat over 50,000 spectators. In addition to hosting animal hunts and gladiatorial battles, the arena could be flooded with water, where battles between ships would take place — all to the roaring approval or dismay of the audience.

Architect: Commissioned by Emperor Vespasian and completed by his son Titus

Fun fact: Beneath the Colosseum’s floor was a vast subterranean substructure known as the hypogeum. This included a complex network of tunnels and chambers where gladiators, ferocious beasts and sinister contraptions for special effects were kept before fights. 

Nearby attractions: You won’t have to go far at all to dive into Ancient Roman history. Just a stone's throw away, you’ve got the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, waiting to transport you back in time.

Dodger Stadium

SoCal vibes meet America’s so-called favorite pastime at Dodger Stadium. Serving as home base for the Los Angeles Dodgers, it’s been an integral part of the MLB (Major Baseball League) scene since it opened in 1962. Built in the valley of Chavez Ravine and set against the backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains, its scenic beauty complements the thrilling baseball action. 

Architect: Emil Praeger 

Fun fact: The concept for Dodger Stadium began to take shape in 1957, following the team’s relocation from Brooklyn, New York. Today, it holds the title as the oldest ballpark west of the Mississippi River and ranks as the third-oldest MLB ballpark, behind Boston’s Fenway Park and Chicago’s Wrigley Field. 

Nearby attractions: Reach for the stars at Griffith Observatory or visit historic Olvera Street, where you’ll find the colorful Mexican Marketplace. 

Estádio do Maracanã

Constructed to serve as the main venue for the 1950 World Cup, Rio de Janeiro’s Maracanã Stadium embodies Brazil’s unwavering passion for football (known to us Americans as soccer). This stadium has borne witness to some of the sport’s most historic moments, including the legendary Brazilian footballer Pelé scoring his 1,000th career goal here in 1969. 

Architect: Rafael Galvão and Pedro Paulo B. Machado 

Fun fact: The World Cup final held at Maracanã still holds the record for the highest attendance, with a crowd estimated at over 199,000.

Nearby attractions: Take the cog train to the top of Corcovado Mountain to reach the awe-inspiring Christ the Redeemer statue or visit the white sand beaches of Ipanema.  

Estadio Santiago Bernabéu

Madrid’s Estadio Santiago Bernabéu stands as a monument to football royalty. It has hosted the final match of the UEFA Champions League on four occasions (1957, 1969, 1980 and 2010) and is the home of the Galácticos: the world’s priciest players signed to play for Real Madrid. From David Beckham to Alfredo Di Stéfano to Cristiano Ronaldo, this stadium has borne witness to legends and epic clashes.

Architect: Manuel Muñoz and Luis Alemany Soler, with a revamp by L35, Ribas & Riba, and GMP Architekten

Fun fact: The Bernabéu has an unusual vertical design, making it one of the steepest stadiums in the world, helping ensure that every fan has a great view. 

Nearby attractions: For those seeking a cultural experience, Madrid beckons with its treasures, such as the Prado Museum and the Royal Palace.

Fenway Park

As home to the Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park proudly holds the title of being the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball. It boasts a 37-foot-high (11 meters) left field wall affectionately known by locals as the Green Monster. (It was added a couple of years after opening to deter curious passersby from sneaking a glimpse.)

Architect: James McLaughlin

Fun fact: The lone red seat that sits among the green right field bleachers commemorates the longest home run in Fenway Park history, which was hit by Ted Williams on June 9, 1946. Legend holds that Williams spotted a fan taking a nap and decided to wake him up by launching a ball at him.

Nearby attractions: After the game’s over, you’ve got some great options for entertainment. You can explore Boston's historic Freedom Trail or head over to the lively Quincy Market. 

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Racing enthusiasts know that there’s no place quite like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana. The thrill, the speed and the history — it’s all there. Traditionally, the race is held over the last weekend of May and stands as one of the oldest and largest single-day sporting events in the world.

Architect: Not attributed to a specific architect or firm

Fun fact: Originally, this race was called the 500-Mile Sweepstakes, but its name went through quite a few changes over time. The “500” stuck around, though. Drivers hit 500 miles by going 200 laps around the 2.5-mile oval.

Nearby attractions: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum offers an in-depth exploration of racing history. You can also discover artworks along the 100-acre riverfront Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park. 

Madison Square Garden

New York City’s Madison Square Garden has been the stage for some of the 20th century’s greatest athletes, from boxing legend Muhammad Ali to hockey great Mark Messier. Nicknamed the World’s Most Famous Arena, the venue has witnessed a bit of everything — from Marilyn Monroe singing “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy at the 1962 Democratic Party fundraising dinner to the excitement of Knicks basketball and Rangers hockey games.

Architect: Stanford White, Cass Gilbert and Charles Luckman

Fun fact: Madison Square Garden has been rebuilt a total of four times since 1879. Its current iteration was designed by American architect Charles Luckman in 1968, whose firm also designed the Prudential Tower in Boston and the Forum in Inglewood, California.

Nearby attractions: Explore the High Line, a public park built on a historic elevated rail line and watch the sunset over Manhattan from the 86th floor of the Empire State Building. 

Melbourne Cricket Ground

Over in Australia, you’ve got the Melbourne Cricket Ground, or MCG to locals. This place is like the crown jewel of Aussie sports venues, and it’s a big deal, as it’s the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. It was built to satisfy the continent’s cricket craze, and it was here that the world’s first test cricket match took place, in 1877. Test cricket is like the granddaddy of the sport, lasting a full five days, where two national teams take turns batting and bowling. It was a faceoff between Australia and England, and in the end, Australia came out on top, winning by 45 runs. 

Architect: Various (the stadium has undergone multiple renovations)

Fun fact: The MCG’s six light towers are 75 meters high, equivalent to a 22-story building and are the tallest of any sporting venue in the world.

Nearby attractions: Take a leisurely stroll along the Yarra River or visit the National Sports Museum for a comprehensive exploration of Australia’s sports legacy. 

San Siro Stadium 

Italy’s San Siro is one of the most legendary venues for football (soccer). It’s officially named Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in memory of Milanese footballer Giuseppe Meazza and is home to both Inter and AC Milan, two top professional teams.

AC Milan was founded in 1899, and Inter Milan followed nine years later in 1908. Interestingly, Inter’s formation was a result of a disagreement within AC Milan’s ranks, particularly regarding the signing of foreign players. A fierce rivalry emerged, cranking up the already electrifying atmosphere of the annual Milan Derby, which, as you might have guessed, takes place at none other than San Siro.

Architect: Ulisse Stacchini and Alberto Cugini

Fun fact: In preparation for the 1990 World Cup, architects Giancarlo Ragazzi and Enrico Hoffer, along with engineer Leo Finzi, designed the addition of the stadium’s third tier, suspended by its 11 spring-like towers and crisscrossed red steel girders. These enhancements were aimed at boosting San Siro’s seating capacity. 

Nearby attractions: The Castello Sforzesco and the gorgeous Gothic-style Milan Cathedral, known as the Duomo, (the third largest church in the world) are situated in the heart of the city.

SoFi Stadium

Home to the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers, this stadium sets the bar high with its innovative design and immersive state-of-the-art facilities. The 3.1-million-square-foot (288,000-square-meter) arena is the largest in the NFL. 

Architect: HKS 

Fun fact: The stadium features the Oculus, an oval, double-sided infinity screen suspended 122 feet (37 meters) above the playing field. This massive display includes a 4K HDR video board and 27,000 embedded LED pucks capable of displaying images and videos in such high resolution that you can spot them from airplanes arriving at Los Angeles International Airport.

Nearby attractions: Take in a concert at the Kia Forum or grab a donut at Randy’s. The original shop features a massive 32-foot-tall donut on its roof, and has appeared in movies like Wayne’s World and Iron Man. 

Stade Roland-Garros

Paris is home to this mecca for clay court tennis. It’s the place where the French Open goes down every year. For two action-packed weeks, the best international players, including Björn Borg and Rafael Nadal, gather to battle it out on its challenging courts. And there are 17 of them, including the central Philippe-Chatrier court, which has a retractable roof to keep the game going when it rains.

Architect: Louis Faure-Dujarric 

Fun fact: The stadium features an open-air courtyard dedicated to France’s Four Musketeers, or les Quatre Mousquetaires. It’s a nod to a quartet of iconic French players: Jean Borotra, Jacques Brugnon, Henri Cochet and René Lacoste, who made their country proud in the tennis scene during the 1920s and ’30s. Lacoste even got his nickname “the Crocodile,” thanks to his big grin and iron grip on his racket. And guess what? He later went on to create the clothing brand famous for that embroidered crocodile logo.

Nearby attractions: The enchanting Bois de Boulogne park is right next door, and the Eiffel Tower is a short distance away.

Wembley Stadium

Crossing over to the British Isles, Wembley Stadium in London is a pilgrimage site for football/soccer fans. The venue hosts major matches, including the home games of the England national football team and the Football Association Challenge Cup final as well as hosting concerts from bands like Green Day. 

Sir Robert McAlpine laid the foundation for the original, which was constructed for the British Empire Exhibition of 1924 and was quite a marvel, being the largest reinforced concrete building of its time. Its famous twin towers were symbols of the game and served as the backdrop for some of the most epic moments in football for over 75 years.

The new Wembley, designed nearly 16 years ago by Foster + Partners, is twice the size of the old one and comes with modern upgrades like a retractable roof for those unpredictable weather days and a soaring arch that’s taken over as the iconic replacement for the twin towers.

Architect: Robert McAlpine, then Norman Foster

Fun fact: The Wembley Arch soars to a staggering height of 133 meters, equivalent to about 30 stories, and stretches 315 meters (over 1,000 feet), solidifying its status as the world’s longest single-span roof structure. It’s functional too, though: It bears the majority of the roof’s weight.

Nearby attractions: Located adjacent to the stadium, the London Designer Outlet (LDO) is a great place to get your shopping fix. Or you can spend a fun afternoon at the landmark Natural History Museum. They’ve got hands-on exhibits and even animatronic dinosaurs!

Wrigley Field

If you breeze into Chicago, aka the Windy City, you’ve got to stop by Wrigley Field, America’s second-oldest Major League ballpark. If we’re talking about a stadium that can rival Boston’s Green Monster, Wrigley’s ivy-covered outfield wall is a strong contender. It’s so iconic, it’s got its own set of rules: If a baseball disappears into its vines, the batter (and all runners) are granted two bases. However, to make it official, an outfielder must raise his hand to signal that the ball is lost in the ivy. If he doesn’t, it’s considered fair play. 

Architect: Zachary Taylor Davis

Fun fact: The neighborhood stadium was one of the last Major League ballparks to install lights for night games, which didn’t happen until 1988. The tale of these floodlights dates back to the early 1940s, when plans were set in motion, but a pivotal twist occurred after the attack on Pearl Harbor. In a patriotic gesture, Philip K. Wrigley, owner of the Cubs, diverted 165 tons of steel to support the war effort instead of installing the lights.

Nearby attractions: After the game, you can wander the lively Wrigleyville neighborhood. And if you’re up for more adventure, don’t miss the chance to explore the city’s legendary architecture by taking a boat tour along the Chicago River. 

Yankee Stadium

The original Yankee Stadium was a massive horseshoe-shaped ballpark and one of the most beloved structures in the history of baseball. Its field witnessed legendary players like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle rounding its bases, to name just a few.

In 2009, the torch was passed to the new Yankee Stadium. Inspired by the 1923 Bronx Stadium, the modern four-story limestone and granite-faced ballpark even re-created the arched Art Deco metal frieze that crowned the upper deck of its illustrious predecessor.

Architect: Populous (formerly HOK Sport)

Fun fact: The Yankees’ impressive HD display is about 103 feet (30 meters) wide and 58 feet (18 meters) tall — six times larger than the screen at the old stadium. 

Nearby attractions: Check out the Bronx Museum of the Arts and explore the impressive Victorian-era greenhouses of the New York Botanical Garden.

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These stadiums and sporting venues are more than just places to watch a game — they are monuments to athletic achievement and the human spirit. Within their walls and on their fields, records have been broken, underdogs have triumphed, and fans have bonded over the shared passions of competition and community. Though styles and designs may change with the times, the thrill of cheering for the home team endures. The legends, memories and traditions attached to these landmarks will continue to inspire athletes and fans for generations to come. Wherever you are in the world, paying a visit to one of these iconic sporting meccas is a must for any true sports lover. –Taylor Miller 

Mayhem, Madness and Mystery at the Abandoned Buffalo State Asylum

Unveiling the dark secrets that haunt the halls of the former insane asylum on an unforgettable tour with Preservation Buffalo Niagara at the Richardson Olmsted Campus. 

If you like creepy settings and learning about the history of mental illness treatments, book a tour of the Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane the next time you’re in that neck of the woods.

As mentioned in our previous post, Wally and I were staying overnight at the Richardson Hotel. So, of course, we couldn’t resist the chance to explore the vacant buildings of the decommissioned asylum the following morning. I eagerly awaited the release of tickets for the docent-led tour on the Preservation Buffalo Niagara website — and when they became available, I quickly purchased our tickets for the two-hour in-depth tour ($30 each at the time of publication).

After a quick breakfast at Café Calvert, we arrived about 15 minutes early and gathered with the other attendees inside the Lipsey Architecture Center gallery, which hosts a small museum of artifacts, where you can delve into the institution’s history. Once we checked in, we signed the necessary safety release forms and were provided with hard hats. 

Geoffrey has been giving tours for a long time and knows an impressive amount about the facility.

Our guide, Geoffrey, introduced himself and warmly welcomed us on behalf of the Richardson Center Corporation, the nonprofit organization entrusted with preserving the historic structures on the Richardson Olmsted Campus. He began the tour by introducing the key figures who were involved in the construction of the buildings we were about to explore. He also laid out some ground rules: no photography, unauthorized video recording, high-tech ghost-tracking gadgets, smoking, or vaping allowed. (Wally and I had gotten special permission to take a few images inside to accompany this post.)

In the interest of safety, Geoffrey requested that we all stay close together. The buildings and floors we toured have been stabilized for future use — though we saw at least one closed-off area that had a hole through the floor. Someone who wandered into off-limits areas could find themselves plummeting to the floor below. 

The asylum was the largest commission of Richardson’s brief career. His vision for the hospital reflected the Kirkbride philosophy to create a holistic environment for the recovery of mentally ill patients. The central part is now a hotel.

Paging Doctor Kirkbride

The first of three figures Geoffrey introduced us to was Dr. Thomas Story Kirkbride, a Quaker physician and alienist who served as the superintendent of the Pennsylvania Hospital for Mental and Nervous Diseases. 

Kirkbride was a pioneer in advocating for the moral treatment of the mentally ill, and his influential opus, On the Construction, Organization, and General Arrangements of Hospitals for the Insane, With Some Remarks on Insanity and Its Treatment, was published in 1854. It laid the foundation for a standardized concept for these specialized institutions. 

Topics covered in his book included the roles of the staff, putting the superintendent firmly in charge of decision-making — perhaps reflecting the importance he placed on his role at the Pennsylvania Hospital. 

The entire complex took a quarter of a century to complete due to a lack of funds. After a 10-year delay the five women’s wings were finally completed, in 1886.

Kirkbride proposed that these mental facilities not exceed 250 patients, a baseline that was frequently disregarded and likely contributed to their failures. Case in point: When the east wing of the Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane accepted its first patients on November 15, 1880, it was already pushing the limits. It was designed by Richardson to accommodate 300 patients, 50 more than Kirkbride’s maximum.

This codified method of asylum construction became known as the Kirkbride Plan and included a central administration building with patient wings on either side.

The men’s ward included a barbershop. One side ended up becoming a repository for plaster molds used to make ceramic Christmas-themed figurines that were sold in an onsite shop.

Buffalo Gets Its Wings

Geoffrey pointed out that when the state of New York decided to build a mental asylum in Buffalo, they sought the expertise of Dr. John Gray, the superintendent of the New York State Lunatic Asylum at Utica. At its inception, the site spanned 203 acres of farmland on the outskirts of the budding city, stretching all the way to the banks of Scajaquada Creek.

The second key figure to be introduced to us by Geoffrey was a familiar one: architect Henry Hobson Richardson. Although his career was brief — he died at the age of 47 of kidney failure — he’s remembered as the father of American architecture. Richardson was responsible for the design and construction of the residence of William Dorsheimer, a prominent lawyer and citizen of Buffalo. When the time came to select an architect for the asylum, Dorsheimer suggested Richardson.

According to Geoffrey, the structure is Richardsonian in certain ways, but Richardson wasn’t allowed to do exactly what he wanted. The state continually made modifications to Richardson’s designs, and the structure we see today was actually the seventh iteration. Gray improved upon the asylum’s design, including the introduction of short, curved corridors, which discouraged the placement of additional patient beds that would lead to overcrowding.

Frederick Law Olmsted’s Impact on Buffalo State Asylum’s Landscape Transformation

By now our group had followed Geoffrey through an underground passage and assembled on the outer edge of the South Lawn, facing the central twin-towered Administration Building (now the Richardson Hotel). Our guide proceeded to tell us that the third person involved in the development of the former state asylum was none other than the renowned American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Kirkbride’s treatment approach emphasized the vital role of the environment, deemed crucial for recovery.

Olmsted and his partner Calvert Vaux were invited to Buffalo in 1868 to design a public park system. In anticipation of the construction of the Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane, the duo laid out plans for the pastoral grounds during their visit.

The original plans were lost, and the partnership between Olmsted and Vaux came to an end. However, Olmsted returned to Buffalo in 1879, just as construction was nearing completion and devised a fresh design. He oversaw the planting of around 150 trees and 2,000 shrubs intended to be enjoyed on afternoon walks. Regrettably, only two of these plantings are what remain of Olmsted’s original work: a lone swamp white oak whose heavy limbs are supported by wooden scaffolding and a white ash tree.

The entire complex functioned as a self-sustaining community, with its own blacksmith, bakery and railroad line. Additionally, there was a farm on the northern part of the site, which was designed, along with the extensive walkways and paths, by Olmsted. 

The Richardson Olmsted Corporation enlisted Andropogon Associates, a prominent Philadelphia-based landscape architecture firm, to rehabilitate and re-landscape the South Lawn for public use. Their efforts included the elimination of asphalt parking lots, which were recycled and repurposed to create pathways.

Beware! You never know what lurks behind that door!

Inside the Abandoned Mental Institution

Our interior explorations began with the male ward. These spaces exuded precisely what one might envision in an abandoned former psychiatric facility. The peeling walls were painted aqua blue, and the floors were littered with plaster that had gradually detached from the cavernous lath and plaster ceilings 16 feet overhead. Geoffrey enlightened us about the original wall color of the ward – a pale yellowish pink accented by burgundy trim.

Vents were placed higher up on the walls in the male wards because Kirkbride believed that male patients were prone to gathering around them and treating them as makeshift spittoons.

There’s a substantial amount of work ahead, with various ideas being considered for the future use of these spaces.

Quieting Schizophrenia’s Demons With Controversial Treatments

Our group paused at the end of a corridor where three basketballs sat forlornly and listened intently as Geoffrey discussed the details of insulin coma therapy, an experimental treatment from the late 1920s that laid the foundation for lobotomies and electroshock therapy. 

This method was used to treat patients with severe schizophrenia and involved the administration of small doses of insulin, which were gradually increased over several sessions, until the patient entered a comatose state for a minimum of one hour. The procedure did come with some risks, though, including heart failure and irreversible brain damage. 

While patients might have experienced temporary relief, doubts lingered regarding whether insulin coma therapy delivered lasting improvements. Despite these concerns, it remained a widely employed treatment for schizophrenia throughout the 1940s and ’50s.

One of the most evocative images Duke captured that day: the light streaming into the crumbling corridor, with three basketballs sitting forlornly beside a pair of long-dormant radiators at the end of the hall.

We exited the male wards, walking past the central building to reach the female ward. Geoffrey directed our attention to a brick structure adjacent to the Richardson Hotel’s HVAC system, which once served as the kitchen for the female ward. 

When patients weren’t farming or doing occupational therapy, they spent their time in the light-filled corridors, which acted as day rooms. They were 210 feet (64 meters) long and 15 feet (4.5 meters) wide. Fun fact: One was included in the Robert Redford film The Natural.

Exploring the Women’s Ward

As we ascended a set of metal steps, Geoffrey told us that many of the brick structures on the campus (those not built using Medina sandstone) were unstable and at risk of collapsing. 

The ceilings were made of tinplate, and although they’ve acquired a rusty patina, they’ve fared much better than the lath and plaster used in the male ward. You can still see traces of the original caramel-colored paint underneath the other layers. 

There were clear indications that the corridor we passed through had experienced a fire, which had charred the towering ceilings, likely in the late 1970s or ’80s. This fire, in conjunction with the graffiti scattered throughout the space, was the consequence of squatters gaining access to the property during a period when it was unused and largely forgotten by the city. Thankfully, the fire was contained and didn’t spread throughout the building.

Despite its current state of decay, this room retains a sense of its former grandeur.

When one of the visitors in our group asked if there had been any interesting patients over the years, Geoffrey paused to share a story. He held up an enlarged black-and-white photograph of a woman in a white dress seated in a chair in one of the ward’s corridors.

Evidently, she’d been accused of murder. Following her conviction, she was sent to the Buffalo State Asylum, where she received a diagnosis of epilepsy. She stayed there for three years before somehow convincing the superintendent to release her. Geoffrey mentioned that after leaving the psychiatric center, she vanished without a trace and reintegrated into society. It remains unknown whether she was involved in any more acts of violence.

The sexes were separated at the asylum, and only the women could enjoy fireplaces — the men weren’t to be trusted with fire.

A notable contrast with the male ward was the presence of sitting rooms with large fireplaces, which were conspicuously missing on the other side. Geoffrey commented that female patients were deemed responsible enough to handle fire. He then quipped that the decorative wall grates in the women’s ward were positioned lower because, according to Kirkbride, women were less inclined to spit.

Each three-story wing had areas where patients would spend their days when they weren’t enjoying leisurely walks in the green spaces or tending to tasks on the asylum’s farm. Floors were equipped with a reception room, a parlor, a dining room, single lodging rooms, an attendants’ chamber, two or more bathrooms, and a room with bathtubs — patients were expected to take a bath once a week.

Unfortunately, there’s nothing left of the tracks that help deliver food from the nearby kitchens to the dining halls.

A dolly was used to transport meals from the kitchens via a railway system that extended throughout the entire hospital, leading to a large dumbwaiter. This dumbwaiter, in turn, was used to deliver the food to the patient dining rooms on each floor.

A political cartoon from 1884 depicts Grover Cleveland and references story that he had an illegitimate child (whose mother he had committed to an insane asylum).

Grover Cleveland’s Problem Child 

The discussion shifted to the subject of patients who had been involuntarily committed, and Geoffrey drove this point home with a story of politics and power in Buffalo.

On July 21, 1884 the Buffalo Evening Telegraph published a salacious story alleging that Grover Cleveland, then governor of New York, had fathered a child out of wedlock a decade earlier with a widow named Maria Halpin. She gave birth to a baby boy on September 14, 1874, in a hospital for unwed mothers in Buffalo. The child was given the name Oscar Folsom Cleveland in honor of Cleveland’s closest friend.

Following the child’s birth, Cleveland used his political influence to request that County Judge Roswell L. Burrows remove the child from Halpin’s care. It was reported that Cleveland’s associates then forcibly escorted the understandably confused and distraught widow to the Providence Lunatic Asylum, known today as Sisters Hospital. However, after a comprehensive evaluation, the hospital’s superintendent confirmed the woman’s sanity and acknowledged her as a victim of political manipulation. She was released a few days later.

Cleveland's reaction? He refuted the allegations and initiated an aggressive smear campaign against Halpin, portraying her as an alcoholic and a woman of questionable character. Ultimately, Cleveland went on to win the presidency, and despite a 27-year age gap, he married Frances, the 21-year-old daughter of his deceased friend Folsom. But that’s a tale for another time. 

Some of the bathrooms still have toilets and sinks. High windows allowed natural light to enter without compromising privacy — a practical feature in the era before electricity.

Downfall by Design: The Inevitable Failure of the Kirkbride Plan

Geoffrey delved deeper into the Kirkbride model. His institutions were constructed like grand estates — lavish and expensive to operate. Their goal was to cater to the patients’ affluent relatives, who were encouraged to visit, see how lovely they were and end up convinced they were worth the hefty price tag. 

The tables have quite literally turned, and there’s still a significant amount of work ahead, as the rest of the complex awaits redevelopment. 

These hospitals primarily served as acute care facilities where patients received treatment for short-term episodes of hysteria and conditions such as disagreeable, rebellious or eccentric behavior. By today’s standards, these conditions would likely be categorized as behavioral issues. With patients coming and going quickly, the asylum reported a high cure rate. It’s not surprising, considering that most of the patients who were admitted weren’t clinically insane to begin with.

Patient populations at county-run almshouses that were already over capacity were emptied and transferred to state-run institutions. It was a mix of conditions like dementia and schizophrenia. The Kirkbride model was applied — but there weren’t any wealthy patrons to foot the bill. The more serious cases were never cured, and the wealthier patients who had been financing these facilities switched to private hospitals. Kirkbride hospitals, like the one in Buffalo, became overcrowded and eventually fell into disrepair.

Overcrowded and underfunded, the mental institution finally closed in 1974.

By the 1960s, the Buffalo State Hospital, since renamed, was struggling to accommodate 3,000 patients, despite being built for 600. In response, the institution constructed the Strozzi Building and the Butler Recovery and Treatment Center, both of which remain in operation as part of the campus.

Powerful vignettes like this show the eeriness of the abandoned facility — as if the staff and patients all left suddenly, en masse.

Our tour lasted about a couple of hours and our guide Geoffrey provided us with a glimpse into the fascinating history of these structures. He was engaging and displayed a deep knowledge of the subject matter. If you’re visiting Buffalo and are interested in touring this singular (and delightfully creepy) National Historic Landmark, book your tour ahead of time. They only run from June through October. –Duke

The Richardson Hotel: A Night in a Former Insane Asylum

The hotel brings new life to a Buffalo, New York landmark. But does it deliver? 

I knew we had to stay at this iconic Buffalo building, an architectural landmark dating back to the late 1800s. 

I can still remember the clusters of vacant but majestic buildings of the Buffalo Psychiatric Center, bordering my alma mater. When I was an art student at Buffalo State College in the late 1980s, it had become a daily ritual for me. After parking my car, I would gaze beyond the chain-link fence at the fortress-like structures, imagining the possibilities of their reuse. That was over three decades ago.

In recent years, my dream of exploring the historic national landmark has finally come true. The grounds of the former mental asylum have been reintegrated into the city’s urban fabric and are now known as the Richardson Olmsted Campus. 

“When I shared that we were staying in a former mental asylum with my friends, they quipped, “Aren’t you worried it’s haunted?””

As a Buffalo native returning to visit family in Ellicottville, New York, I wanted Wally and me to add an extra day to revisit my old stomping grounds and stay overnight at the Richardson Hotel. In its previous iteration, it operated as the upscale Hotel Henry, which opened in 2017 but, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, closed its doors four years later in 2021. 

The 88-room hotel occupies the central administration building and two adjacent wards, which are dwarfed by a pair of twin, verdigris roofed towers, a hue somewhere between green and blue. Additionally, it’s within walking distance of Elmwood Avenue and three world-class museums: the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, the Burchfield Penney Art Center and the Buffalo History Museum, the only remaining building from Buffalo’s 1901 Pan-American Exposition. 

The original campus was 203 acres but is now 42. The largest reduction in size occurred in 1927, when half of the land was used to develop Buffalo State College, Duke’s alma mater.

The Architecture of Madness

But first, here’s a bit about the landmark’s backstory. In June 1871, construction began on a grand new civic project: the Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane. Architect Henry Hobson Richardson designed the innovative facility away from the city center, on 203 acres of farmland, which eventually grew to include 11 buildings. Its parklike grounds were planned by the foremost landscape architects of the nation, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, whose Greensward Plan won them the commission to design New York City’s Central Park.

The monumental Richardsonian Romanesque asylum looked more like a stately manor than a state hospital. It’s anchored by a large central administrative building with two symmetrical sets of wards extending horizontally in an orderly V-shaped formation, like a flock of geese in flight. Its general layout was determined by Joseph Gray, head of the existing State Lunatic Asylum in Utica, New York, and based on the Kirkbride Plan, a geometric system of asylum architecture developed by 19th century American psychiatrist Thomas Story Kirkbride. 

Patients were segregated by gender and condition: one ward for male patients and the other for females. Those who required the most care were placed at the farthest ends of the institution’s wards. This was done to ensure that patients received the most appropriate care based upon the nature and seriousness of their illness. 

Olmsted applied his skills as a landscape architect to establish a buffer between the asylum and the outside world, aligning with Kirkbride’s philosophy of “moral treatment,” which advocated for a more humane approach to mental health care. He suggested to Richardson that the buildings should be oriented to face southeast, which would enable the spacious corridors to be  filled with natural light. You see, the asylum opened on November 15, 1880 — two years before the commercial introduction of electricity. 

Additionally, Olmsted surrounded the buildings with expansive lawns and trees, fostering a connection between the facility’s interior and its surrounding landscape, both of which were considered crucial for patients’ recovery.

Duke loves his detail shots — and this one is of the Minton tile inside the south entrance portico, the original entrance to the central building. 

A New Legacy 

Although the building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986, it wasn’t until two decades later that the nonprofit Richardson Center Corporation (RCC) was formed and subsequently intervened. Their objective was to own and redevelop the architectural treasure. The RCC raised funds to adapt a portion of the site, and the state of New York contributed $76 million to help jumpstart the ambitious project.

Following a seven-year conservation process, the public-private partnership focused on phase one, to reimagine the centuries-old complex by regreening the nine-acre South Lawn and adaptively reusing the central pavilion and two adjoining wings of the Medina sandstone building. TenBerke of NYC, Flynn Battaglia Architects of Buffalo, and Goody Clancy of Boston teamed up to undertake the overhaul, resulting in a boutique hotel, conference center and permanent home for the Lipsey Architecture Center, named for the late Stanford Lipsey, the former publisher of the Buffalo News and a champion for the city’s architectural revival. 

A key aspect of the redesign involved moving the main entrance to the north side of the four-story central administrative building, and enclosing it within a contemporary transparent steel and glass box. 

Fun fact: During renovation, the addition attached to the north side of the central building was demolished, revealing the original terracotta-colored grout between the blocks of muddy pink Medina sandstone. Don’t forget to pause and admire this before entering the hotel. 

When I shared my excitement about staying at the Richardson with my friends, they quipped, “Aren’t you worried it’s haunted?” In reality, the only apparitions I found were some of the aesthetic “improvements” made by the hotel’s new owners. 

The hallways at the Richardson feature warm globe lights and distinctive carpeting that evokes the decay of the abandoned wards.

Staying at the Richardson 

After the closure of Hotel Henry, Douglas Development purchased the property and rebranded it as the Richardson Hotel (which reopened on March 3, 2023). While I can appreciate the new owners’ intentions to establish their own identity, they had acquired a timeless and restrained turnkey property. Why junk it up?

For me, the addition of the porte-cochère was disappointing and feels out of place. It detracts from the commanding lines of the sandstone façade and obstructs artist Dániel Shafer’s graceful, rounded Spirit of Community sculpture. Incidentally, the addition of a herd of Buffalo statues doesn’t help. It’s not surprising, then, that the outdoor terrace that used to be above the atrium was dismantled — after all, who would want to overlook a canopy covered in corrugated steel? 

I’ll say it: I’m not a fan of the porte-cochère, which feels more appropriate for a gas station than a boutique hotel. 

As we entered the atrium, I noticed that the elegant, low-slung seating areas outside of the Lipsey Architecture Center were strangely cordoned, as if to say, “Keep off.” And when I looked up at the modern double glass and metal staircases leading to reception, I was overwhelmed by the number of vinyl decals indicating the check-in location. (Note: This abundance of signage was a recurring theme throughout the hotel). 

I saw the sign…and then some! The overabundance of wayfinding signage at the Richardson made it feel cheap.

I was eager to appreciate the scale and volume of Richardson’s design, but what I discovered were walls covered with oversized canvas photo prints of Buffalo landmarks. There were so many that my eyes didn’t know where to focus. The refurbished grand staircase should have been the centerpiece of the lobby, but instead, had to contend with the decorative stencil work uncovered during renovation and the aforementioned wall art. 

During renovation, Douglas Development uncovered decorative stencil work and replicated it throughout the hotel.

The reception desk is tucked under this impressive staircase.

I can get behind the idea of celebrating Buffalo and its architectural legacy, and I have no issue with historically accurate stenciling — but perhaps they should have considered choosing one or the other, not both. If the goal is to pay homage to the city’s landmarks, condensing it into a gallery wall could serve as a more fitting approach. 

The richly patterned and colored tile flooring in this curved connector passage was made by Minton, Hollins & Co. in Staffordshire, England. 

Considering the national reputation of nearby art galleries, such as the Burchfield Penney and AKG, I found myself wishing Douglas Development continued the rotating art program that Hotel Henry established with Resource:Art. This would encourage visitors to explore the hotel’s public spaces, serve as an additional draw and solidify the hotel’s presence within the city’s museum corridor. 

At least the former asylum’s lofty corridors retain their grand scale. The palatial hallways are anchored with wall-to-wall carpeting in a palette of blues and greens. This color scheme could be a nod to Buffalo’s heyday as a Great Lakes port or the peeling paint of the wards that have yet to be restored. I particularly liked the elegant yet simple circular pendants with milk glass globes suspended from the ceiling. 

Just what the doctor ordered: Our room was cozy, uncluttered and bright.

Our Room: A Cozy Queen for a Couple of Queens

We stayed in a Cozy Queen room on the second floor. I had read that most of the hotel's guest rooms were created by merging three single-occupancy rooms, which were only 11 x 9 feet wide. And staying true to its name, our room was compact and uncluttered, with a queen-size bed, two nightstands, a desk and en-suite bathroom. Given the limited space, a built-in stainless steel rack and cheerful bright yellow ball coat hooks efficiently served in lieu of a full-size dresser. 

The wall art above the upholstered headboard was the focal point of the room, featuring a striking black and white architectural detail of the landmark. Not only was it cool but it also served a practical purpose. The panels are constructed from an eco-friendly noise-reducing wool and wood fiber material. 

Café Calvert was the perfect place to start our day. They offer caffeinated and non-caffeinated beverages, as well as an assortment of delicious sweet and savory baked goods. Tell Jenna we say hi!

Onsite Dining at the Richardson Hotel

Visitors can get their caffeine fix and a bite at Café Calvert, which is exactly what Wally and I did after we dropped our bags off in our room. The café sources its beans from local roaster Overwinter Coffee. In addition to an iced latte, Wally and I shared a peach and blueberry muffin and a cheddar and bacon scone, both of which were delicious. Jenna, the barista who served us, was friendly and helpful. When I asked her for a local lunch spot to go the following afternoon, she suggested Remedy House in the hip Five Corners neighborhood, a highlight of our trip. 

We also checked out Bar Vaux, the cocktail lounge located next to Café Calvert. I had the Across the Pacific and Wally, the Hobson Sour. We also shared a tasty thin-crust mushroom pizza. Despite its high ceilings, the space feels intimate. 

Get a pizza (and great cocktails) at Bar Vaux.

Overall, our stay was pleasant but fell short of my expectations for a luxury boutique hotel. There was no welcome book, TV guide or menus for the hotel restaurants in our room. Additionally, only one of us could use the hotel WiFi; if both of us had wanted to, we would have incurred an additional fee. 

The building features rounded passages between buildings — originally designed to deter putting beds in the hallways.

The upstairs lounge is a nice spot to hang out.

With that said, the hotel has been open for six months and celebrated its grand opening on September 19. It’s my hope that Douglas Development has plans to address cosmetic changes using a more discerning eye and introduce in-room amenities in the future, to fully meet the expectations of a four-star hotel experience. 

Buildings aren’t made like this anymore — let alone converted into hotels. So it’s well worth a stop for food and drinks at Bar Vaux or a visit to the Buffalo Architecture Center to see this gem up close, even if you can’t experience an overnight stay. –Duke 

The Richardson Hotel

444 Forest Avenue 
Buffalo, New York 14213
USA

 

Forest Lawn Cemetery: Lost Among the Dead

Buffalo, New York’s famous resting ground is home to the Blocher Monument and the graves of President Millard Fillmore and Rick James (yes, of “Super Freak” fame). 

Wally (and Duke) had a gay old time in Forest Lawn Cemetery — though it was a tough one to navigate on foot.

I’ve always been fascinated by old cemeteries. In college, I taped a set of slides of weathered limestone headstones from the antebellum Laurel Grove Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia, over the diffused light panels on either side of my bathroom’s medicine cabinet. One of the slides showed a tombstone for a little girl, inscribed with the epithet, “Our Little Della.” A few of them were so old and brittle that they were almost translucent. 

So, when my husband, Wally, and I were planning our trip to Buffalo, New York, I knew we had to add Forest Lawn Cemetery to our itinerary. I remembered wandering through it many times in my early 20s, when I went to college nearby, and I couldn’t wait to see it again with him, as he shares my appreciation of Victorian funerary art and expansive 19th century parks for the dead. 

“She gushed about having seen the grave of Rick James, the singer-songwriter of “Super Freak” fame, an ’80s hit that celebrated a kinky girl — “the kind you don’t take home to mother.””

An add to celebrate Forest Lawn’s 75th year, paying homage to its origins at the site of Judge Granger’s homestead.

The Birth of Forest Lawn Cemetery 

Prior to being formally consecrated as a cemetery in the summer of 1850, the land belonged to a man named Erastus Granger. Granger built his homestead and farm on the northernmost parcel, working the tillable parts of the hilly terrain. 

He was appointed superintendent of the Six Nations Agency by President Thomas Jefferson where he maintained a close relationship with the Seneca Nation, one of the tribes that occupied the region. 

After Granger died, Buffalo attorney William D. Clarke purchased the 80-acre estate from his widow and two sons. Clarke intended to establish a rural garden cemetery on the site, which was a mix of dense forest and meadows. This topography is how the cemetery earned its name, Forest Lawn. 

When graveyards were associated with disease, cemeteries were built in rural areas and acted as gorgeous greenspaces.

The Rise of the Rural Cemetery 

By the late 1800s, a growing fear of disease led to a change in the way people thought about death and burial. Cramped and overcrowded church graveyards were seen as unsanitary and as a threat to public health. People began to seek out more peaceful and bucolic settings for their loved ones’ final resting places, which led to the rise of the rural cemetery movement. 

The location of these cemeteries was often outside city limits for both hygienic and aesthetic reasons. They were beautiful greenspaces, with forested groves, meandering footpaths and elaborate monuments. One of the most famous examples is Père Lachaise in Paris, France. Founded in 1804, it quickly became the blueprint for many others. 

As cities expanded, rural cemeteries like Forest Lawn were swallowed up by urban sprawl. Although they were no longer considered “rural” in the traditional sense, they retained their pastoral beauty and tranquil atmosphere. 

The monument to Seneca Nation chief Sagoyewatha, also known as Red Jacket, stands atop a column inside the Delaware Ave entrance. He got his nickname from the red wool British infantry coat he wore during the American Revolution. 

Famous Graves: Millard Fillmore and Friends

Forest Lawn has its share of famous residents, including: Millard Fillmore, the 13th president of the United States; John J. Albright and Seymour H. Knox, the founders of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery; Red Jacket, the orator and chief of the Seneca Nation, who supported the neutrality of his nation during the War of 1812; and George Norman Pierce, the creator of the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car. 

But Wally and I were more interested in seeing a few of the more unusual monuments of its permanent residents. 

These eight bells were originally part of a set of 43 that was forged in Le Mans, France and hung in the steeple of St. Joseph’s Cathedral.

For Whom the Bell Tolls 

Our first stop was an impressive steel structure holding eight verdigris copper and tin alloy bells. The carillon, located near the main office and wrought iron gates of the Delaware Avenue entrance, has a fascinating history. 

The largest of the group is the Oishei Memorial Bell, dedicated to the late businessman and philanthropist John R. Oishei (pronounced “Oh-shy”). It sits upon an elaborate marble plinth that was taken from the demolished St. Joseph Cathedral, which once stood at the corner of Delaware Avenue and Utica Street. This particular bell weighs in at 1.5 tons (3,000 pounds), and is a testament to the craftsmanship of Bolée et Fils, the French foundry that cast them in 1866. 

The Oishei bell's surface bears the Latin inscription “Laudate Dominum Omnes Gentes,” which means “Praise the Lord, All Ye Nations” — more commonly known as Psalm 117. Note the gargoyles guarding the top of the bell.

The eight bells were originally part of a 43-bell set commissioned by John Timon, the first bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo. They were intended to hang in the bell tower of St. Joseph’s Cathedral on Franklin Street — but by the time they arrived in Buffalo, Bishop Timon had died. The bells were installed in the belfry, but were too large for its interior and never worked properly. They were eventually removed and put in storage, where they remained until the new St. Joseph Cathedral was built. 

Although the new cathedral was larger and more grand than the previous cathedral, its marble-clad exterior was ill-suited for harsh Buffalo winters. By 1924, the north and south transepts required major repairs, and by 1927, the towers were so unstable that they had to be removed. The bells were once again placed into storage, this time in the sanctuary’s basement. Over the next 48 years, 35 of the original 43 bells were stolen, leaving only eight. 

The second incarnation of the cathedral was demolished, but Michael Dozoretz of Lancaster Steel Service Company salvaged the remaining bells. The aforementioned largest of these  was purchased by Patricia Colby-Oishei and given to Forest Lawn Cemetery in 1975 to commemorate her father. 

Oishei made his fortune by perfecting and marketing wiper blades for cars, which had not yet been widely used in 1916. He founded Trico Products Corporation, which still specializes in integrated windshield wiper systems today. The bell is also a testament to the generosity of the Oishei family, who have donated so much to Buffalo's cultural and charitable institutions. 

The seven additional bells were donated by Dozoretz and suspended from the graceful metal frame above the Oishei Memorial Bell in 2020. They ring on the hour and play the De Profundis, a Latin adverb meaning “Out of the Depths of Sorrow,” as funeral processions enter the cemetery grounds. 

The lavish Blocher Monument (located in Section 11), is hard to miss. Look inside: It depicts Nelson Blocher, son of John and Elizabeth Neff Blocher, in repose. Above his head, a scantily clad angel beckons him to Heaven.

Blocher Monument: A Tragic Tale of Love and Loss

Our next stop was the Blocher Monument, one of the most unusual and elaborate memorials in Forest Lawn Cemetery. Architecturally speaking, it resembles a folly, or perhaps a mechanical clock, ready to spring to life. The towering structure is topped by a fanciful two-tiered bell-shaped affair that reminds me of the pink cable knit hat worn by the cartoon character Dumb Donald on The Adventures of Fat Albert, complete with a pompom on top. It reportedly weighs 29 tons, is supported by five pilasters, and is enclosed in plate glass. (I almost don’t even want to tell you what Wally thought it looked like. Oh fine: He called it the Butt Plug.)

There are three crypts beneath a moveable slab in the floor — one for each of the Blocher parents and their son, Nelson. Rumor has it there was a fourth reserved for Nelson’s long-lost love, Katherine. 

According to local lore, Nelson Blocher, the only child of John and Elizabeth Blocher, was caught up in an unfortunate affair. A bachelor at age 34, he fell madly in love with Katherine Margaret Sullivan, the family’s 20-year-old maid. Once their relationship was discovered, Nelson’s parents were keen to end it. They felt that Katherine was beneath their son's social standing, so they sent him off to Italy on a buying trip to purchase leather goods for the family business and dismissed her. 

When he returned from Italy, he was heartbroken to discover that Katherine was gone. Some say that Nelson searched for her in vain, while others maintained that he returned home with a mysterious illness. Whatever the truth may be, Nelson’s health declined rapidly, and he died a year later at the age of 37. 

Devastated by their son's untimely death, John and Elizabeth commissioned an elaborate monument to commemorate his life. The four life-sized figures rendered in white marble were sculpted by the Swiss-born Italian artist Frank Torrey. The centerpiece of the memorial features Nelson reclining in repose, one leg folded beneath the other, clutching the one earthly possession left behind by Katherine: a Bible. 

His parents gaze at his passive supine form. Nelson’s father, John, made his fortune from real estate investments and footwear manufacturing. His figure stands with his right arm resting on a broken pillar, symbolizing a life cut short. His mother, Elizabeth, holds a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a single rose in the other, depicting the bond between mother and child. A winged angel hovers above Nelson, holding a floral crown, presumably to be placed on the young man’s head as he ascends to Heaven.

The Firemen's Monument (Section 8) boasts a 17-foot-tall granite pedestal engraved with the names of the Buffalo firefighters who had died by 1901 battling the blazes that ravaged the city, which was primarily constructed of wood. It’s surrounded by concentric circles of additional firefighter graves. 

Exploring Forest Lawn Cemetery  

While Wally and I were walking through the cemetery, we met a woman from Savannah, Georgia, who was spending the afternoon sightseeing while her son was getting settled at nearby Canisius College. As we chatted with her, she enthusiastically gushed about having seen the grave of Rick James, the singer-songwriter of “Super Freak” fame, an ’80s hit that celebrated a kinky girl — “the kind you don’t take home to mother.”

According to our new acquaintance, it was the coolest thing she’d seen all day and it wasn’t far from where we were headed. She indicated that it was just up the road to the left. We thanked her for the tip and continued to follow the route with the white, yellow and blue stripes. 

The chapel at Forest Lawn dates back to 1882 and was constructed of stone taken from the cemetery’s own onsite quarry. The angel statue is in remembrance of lost children.

After consulting the map we had picked up at the Delaware and West Delavan Avenue entrance, Wally suggested we follow the yellow line that leads to the cemetery's “mausoleums.” As we rounded a bend, I spotted the Egyptian Revival memorial for Edwin Gilbert and his wife Mary Ellen. 

The white granite monument features a raised pedestal with sloping sides, a cavetto cornice adorned with a winged sun disk and the name “E. Gilbert” engraved vertically on the front. Atop the pedestal is an imposing sphinx, likely inspired by the one at Giza. Gilbert was a maltster, a maker of malt, which is the main ingredient used to make beer, along with water. He was also a member of Buffalo’s Merchant Exchange. The cartouche on the sphinx’s chest includes hieroglyphics of an ankh, a reed and water. 

A reclining sphinx wearing the traditional nemes headcloth of Egyptian royalty sits atop a large pedestal with the name “E. Gilbert”‘ engraved on the front. It can be found in Section 8.

We forged ahead and somehow managed to bypass James’ headstone. Meanwhile, we found ourselves circling Mirror Lake. That was okay with me, because I had wanted to see the Three Graces fountain. It’s a replica of the original statuary designed in 1909 by Charles Cary Rumsey for the Hudson Valley estate of his future father-in-law, Edward Henry Harriman. Rumsey was the son of a prominent Buffalo family, and he was also Laurence Rumsey Goodyear’s uncle. 

The bronze sculpture beautifully depicts the three daughters of Zeus and Euryoneme, each of whom has a unique gift to bestow on humanity: Aglaia (Elegance), Eurphersyne (Mirth) and Thalia (Youthful Beauty). The fountain was placed in Mirror Lake in 1987 to commemorate Goodyear’s 40th year of service on the Board of Trustees of Forest Lawn. 

The original Three Graces fountain was commissioned for sculptor Charles Cary Rumsey’s father-in-law, railroad magnate E.H. Harriman for his palatial Hudson River estate, Arden House. A replica decorates Mirror Lake.

Like other cemeteries of the period, waterfront property was in high demand. Many impressive mausoleums skirt the pond’s edge. 

Waterfront property is desirable even for the dead.

This white marble memorial honors George Kingsley Birge, who lead both M.H. Birge & Sons, a renowned wallpaper manufacturer, and the George Pierce Company, which produced the Pierce-Arrow automobile, once favored by presidents and Hollywood elite.

The second time we encountered our new friend was by the gravestone of Sarah M. Hinson (1841-1926). If you, like me, have memories of placing your hand over your heart and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance every morning in elementary school, you can trace this tradition back to this woman. Hinson is remembered as a patriotic Buffalo schoolteacher who was passionate about teaching her students to respect the American flag. She chose June 14, 1891, as the date for her first Flag Day celebration because it was the day in 1777 when Congress officially recognized the Stars and Stripes of our national flag. Buffalonians affectionately refer to her as the Mother of Flag Day, which was proclaimed an official holiday by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916. 

Aspiration, a bronze statue of a cloaked female figure is the work of sculptor Harriet Frishmuth. Cast in 1926, it commemorates iron mogul William A. Rogers and his wife, Eleanor Stillman Rogers. 

Wally and I had deviated from the yellow lined route after realizing the “mausoleums” were actually just the places that hold cremated remains at Forest Lawn. We complained  about how hard it was to navigate the cemetery. (Hinson’s grave is in Section 1, and we were trying to locate Section 7 — despite the difference between numbers, we were actually quite close.) 

Ms. Savannah admitted that she had gotten turned around in her car a few times. She then proceeded to share a personal story about her supernatural experience, telling us how she had captured a ghost of a woman in a photo she took while visiting the Pirates’ House, a historic tavern in Savannah that was made famous in the book Treasure Island. 

Apparently she had brought a spirit home with her. After her son saw her doppelgänger and freaked out, Ms. Savannah decided it was time to exorcize the spirit from her home. So she made a pilgrimage to the Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp in Florida, which was founded in 1894 by George P. Colby, an itinerant medium from Pike, New York. The town is home to a century-old community of mediums and healers who believe people retain their identity after death as spirits. She finished her commentary by mentioning that her son made her promise not to bring any non-corporeal guests back from her visit to Forest Lawn. We said goodbye and continued to search for the permanent residence of Isaiah H. Hughes. 

Obelisks were all the rage at Forest Lawn — and we couldn’t figure out which one was for the magician known as the Fakir of Ava.

I had intended to find the modest memorial to Hughes, a magician and illusionist known as the exotic Fakir of Ava. It’s located in the elusive Section 7 of the cemetery, but today was not going to be the day. Additionally, I wasn’t sure about the scale of his obelisk, which was clearly a popular type of monument. There were an impressive amount at Forest Lawn, and they all started to look similar. Ultimately, it eluded us and we were unable to locate it. 

A Tough Cemetery to Navigate 

The cemetery grounds are well maintained, but at 269 acres, its scale is vast and navigating it on foot with a loosely detailed map proved to be more challenging than we expected. Sections aren’t clearly marked, and the numerical sequences that date to the cemetery’s opening were often jumbled. For example, Section 5 adjoins Sections 16 and 21. In hindsight, I’d suggest visiting Forest Lawn by car or by taking one of their docent-led tours. 

Although Wally and I didn’t get to see everything we wanted at Forest Lawn, we still had a memorable day. We met an interesting individual, and will definitely be back to explore more. –Duke 

Forest Lawn Cemetery 

1411 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, New York 
USA

 

Step Into the World of Gossip Girl: The Ultimate NYC Tour

Spotted: a glam guide to the most iconic Gossip Girl locations! Take a journey through the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite. Grand Central, the Empire State, the Met steps — here’s everything you need to feel like you’re living in the show.

Are you ready for a story of love, drama and betrayal? Well, then hop aboard for a tour of Gossip Girl shooting locations. 

I still remember the days when my classmates and I would huddle around the TV, transfixed by the scandals and love triangles of our favorite Upper East Siders. From the unforgettable (and toxic) pairing of Chuck and Blair to Serena’s iconic style — not to mention Lonely Boy’s emo angst — Gossip Girl had us hooked.

“It wasn’t just the characters that captured our hearts — it was the city that served as their playground.

New York City became a character in its own right, a backdrop for the drama and glamour that unfolded on screen. ”

But it wasn’t just the characters that captured our hearts — it was the city that served as their playground. New York City became a character in its own right, a backdrop for the drama and glamour that unfolded on screen. And as a die-hard fan, I knew I had to experience it for myself.

That’s how I found myself on a bus full of fellow Gossip Girl enthusiasts, ready to embark on a tour of the show’s most iconic filming locations. We chose BCS charter bus rental for our journey, knowing that we would be in for a comfortable ride with amenities like plush seats, a bathroom and even a fridge. And of course, the show’s killer soundtrack was a must-have for our journey.

Our adventure took us to some of the most famous spots from the show, from Grand Central to the steps of the Met. And we of course made a stop at the Empire State, where Chuck and Blair’s romance reached new heights (and lows).

As we traveled around the city, I couldn’t help but feel like I was living my best Gossip Girl fantasy. 

Stop 1: Grand Central Terminal

89 East 42nd Street

Let’s go back to where it all began: iconic Grand Central. This is where Gossip Girl’s leading lady, Serena, returned to NYC in the very first episode. I’ll never forget the moment Dan laid eyes on Serena here, which set off a chain reaction of drama.

After grabbing a coffee at Central Market, we headed inside to see the spot where it all began for ourselves, snapping some pics of the breathtaking architecture.

Stop 2: The Campbell

15 Vanderbilt Avenue

The Campbell isn’t your average bar — it’s a scene straight out of Gossip Girl. With three distinct areas, including a cozy fireplace, it’s no wonder Serena and Nate chose this spot for their steamy rendezvous. At the time, Nate was still dating Blair. Talk about scandalous!

This historic bar has been given a stylish makeover and is a must-visit destination for any fan of the show.

Stop 3: Museum of the City of New York

1220 Fifth Avenue

Get ready to step back in time and experience the history of New York at the Museum of the City. It boasts an impressive collection of photographs, interactive exhibits and in-depth analyses of the city’s architecture and infrastructure during various eras.

But what’s the connection to the show? The museum was a filming location for the Gossip Girl reboot. It’s where the new characters made their grand entrance at Constance Billard School, and we couldn’t help but feel like we were part of the show’s elite crew during our visit.

Stop 4: Empire Hotel

44 West 63rd Street

We couldn’t have a Gossip Girl tour without a visit to the Empire Hotel, the stomping grounds of Chuck Bass himself. This iconic hotel is not only a filming location but a hub for luxurious dining and posh accommodations.

We had a meal at PJ Clarke’s and reminisced about all the Chuck and Blair drama that unfolded within those walls. And don’t miss the chance to take in the stunning view from the rooftop bar — it’s the perfect spot to feel like a true Upper East Sider and get a view of the iconic neon sign. 

Stop 5: Empire State Building

20 West 34th Street

We couldn’t leave New York without a visit to the Empire State Building. It’s not only a world-renowned landmark, it’s also the site of one of Chuck and Blair’s most epic moments. This is where Blair was supposed to meet Chuck — but things didn’t go quite as planned.

Don’t worry — our visit was drama-free, and we were able to take in the stunning views of the city from the top.

Stop 6: Metropolitan Museum of Art

1000 Fifth Avenue

Last but certainly not least, we have the iconic Met. This museum may have many impressive exhibits, but let’s be real. We’re all here for one thing: the steps. These stairs are the backdrop of some of the most memorable scenes from the show, where Blair and her minions held court.

We couldn’t resist taking our own Blair-inspired photos on the steps, and felt like true Upper East Siders for a moment. It was the perfect ending to our Gossip Girl tour of New York.

Following in the Footsteps of Your Favorite Gossip Girl Characters

Are you following along, fellow GG addicts? If you’re anything like me and want to immerse yourself in the fabulous world of the Upper East Side elite, then this is the tour for you! Rent a charter bus, gather your squad of Gossip Girl enthusiasts and hit up all the iconic spots from the show. From Grand Central Station to the Met’s legendary steps, you’ll feel like you’re living in the show itself. Trust me: It’s a full day of fun and a must-do for any true fan. 

So what are you waiting for? Grab your Blair headbands and don your Chuck Bass suits and hop aboard! You know you love me. XOXO –Alexandra Karsonn

West Rose: Ellicottville, New York’s Chicest Spot

The buzzy and Instagrammable West Rose restaurant in Eville is more than just a pretty face. Known for their wood-fired pizza, you should also check out the noodle shop upstairs.

West Rose, famous for its wood-fired pizzas and stylish aesthetic, has definitely taken Ellicottville’s food scene up a notch.

When Wally and I visit my family in the charming Western New York burg of Ellicottville, we always make it a point to wander Washington Street, the main thoroughfare of shops and restaurants. We’ve watched its evolution over the years and couldn’t help but notice the newish standout restaurant West Rose. 

Our visits tend to be short, so we weren’t able to check it out until this past fall. When we mentioned wanting to make sure we finally got to experience West Rose for ourselves, my sister suggested that Wally and I go for brunch. She had us at “breakfast pizza.”

“My sister suggested we go to West Rose for brunch.
She had us at “breakfast pizza.”
”

It was a Sunday and we had made reservations for 10 a.m., in hopes of beating the brunch rush. When we arrived, the front bar was already hopping with families.  

The front bar provides additional seating.

A (West) Rose by Any Other Name 

Something Wally and I noticed before even stepping foot into the restaurant was their strong brand identity. The subdued color palette uses dusty rose, gold, gray-green and yellow-ochre to great effect throughout. Upon entering the bright, airy space I admired the stylized brushed brass rose inlay in the white and gray marble tiled floor. 

A nice detail on the floor by the entrance

Wally suddenly thought he had a eureka moment: “West Rose! Westeros!” he exclaimed, alluding to the fictitious continent in the popular series Game of Thrones. 

However, we later learned from co-owner Caryn Dujanovich that it doesn’t have any connection to GoT, and is in fact a nod to where it’s located: Western New York, combined with her daughter's name, Louise Rose. And you’ve gotta admit, it’s got a nice ring to it. 

Three years into running the Grange Community Kitchen, a restaurant in nearby Hamburg, Brad Rowell and his business partner Caryn were approached by a couple of regular guests from Ellicottville who incidentally own the building that West Rose inhabits — and, as they say, the rest is history. 

“We had a great staff at the Grange and felt confident that we would be able to maintain the same level of quality there while offering some employees opportunities to advance in the company,” Caryn explains. “We were able to make our Grange sous chef, Anthony Petrilli, a partner in West Rose. He creates the menus and runs the kitchen.”

The interior is chic and clean — mostly white and light wood, with pops of the brand’s colors.

The Design: Getting Hygge With It 

The vision for the restaurant’s interior aesthetic was led by Caryn and embodies a cozy Scandinavian vibe, which suits the charming town of Ellicottville. Eville, as it’s affectionately known among locals, started as a ski town but has become an all-season destination with a variety of outdoor activities, including hiking, golf, horseback riding and Sky High Adventure Park, the largest zipline and aerial course in New York state.

Wally’s glad his in-laws live in such a charming, quirky town. (He’s says it reminds him of Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls.)

Time-worn details like the exposed ceiling, wood floors and brick walls are complemented by industrial and natural textures. Elements such as brushed brass, cognac-colored leather, marble and white plaster, pair seamlessly with yam-colored velvet, terrazzo and beechwood. 

“We wanted the space to have a warm interior with a focus on texture,” Caryn says. “We are always mindful of making sure we won’t get sick of the design in five years!”

Hand-painted murals by Julie Molloy, art director at Block Club, the Buffalo-based agency behind the branding and identity of West Rose, enlivens the second floor space. 

We stopped in for brunch and had the breakfast pizza, topped with bacon, egg, cheddar cheese, scallions and chili-infused maple syrup.

The Food: American Cuisine Elevated 

The menu changes regularly to reflect the freshest available ingredients from local producers and farms.  

“After considering seasonality, we then decide what dishes fit the vibe and theme of the restaurant,” Caryn tells us. 

You’ll find items like cheeseburgers, cioppino, kale Caesar salads and crispy chicken on the menu — but the wood-fired pizzas are the star of the show. 

The restaurant’s use of geometric shapes and a captivating color palette instantly drew our attention.

Wally and I  were seated across from the kitchen bar, which is perhaps the most special part of the restaurant, as it features a wood-fired oven imported from Naples, Italy. We had quite the show: I tried unsuccessfully to capture a chef expertly tossing and spinning pizza dough. 

We ordered and shared a savory breakfast pizza topped with bacon, egg, cheddar cheese, scallions and chili-infused maple syrup — washed down with a couple of spicy Bloody Marys, of course. 

West Rose Upstairs has become a noodle shop and cocktail bar.

Using Their Noodles

Be sure to check out the second floor of the restaurant, which features a lounge and ramen bar. 

“The noodle bar concept was actually not what we originally had in mind for that space!” Caryn explains. “That area of the building was left unfinished when the restaurant was first built, and after two years, we decided it would be a good time to make use of the space.” 

The original plan was to offer an easy-to-execute menu of upscale bar food items, including fancy hot dogs, focaccia pizza and cheese plates. 

“Our chef and manager Mark decided to try something different and made a drunken noodle bowl to put on the menu,” Caryn continues. “This became by far our most popular item, and since Mark is a talented chef, who is able to create and execute a full noodle bar concept, we decided to go in a new direction!”

If noodles aren’t your thing, though, you can order snacks such as smoked spiced Marcona almonds, housemade focaccia or marinated olives. 

Both spaces are open for dinner Thursday through Sunday, and brunch on weekends. 

“The best part of running a restaurant is working with our team to create memorable experiences for our guests on a nightly basis,” Caryn says. 

If you’re in Eville, stop in and see for yourself. 

And be sure to check out their newest project, Wayland Brewing Company in Orchard Park. –Duke

West Rose

23 Washington Street
Ellicottville, New York 

 

Graycliff: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ode to Lake Erie

This impressive estate perched above the water was built for Isabelle Martin and shows the birth of Wright’s organic architecture.

Frank Lloyd Wright built Graycliff, a summer residence for the Martins, from 1926 to 1929 — just in time for the family to lose their great wealth.

Frank Lloyd Wright had to grow on me. Actually, more accurately, I had to experience his work firsthand to develop an appreciation for it. Because, to me at least, his exteriors can seem monolithic, the windows small, the horizontal planes somewhat uninteresting. 

But when you enter one of his homes, it’s like you’ve entered a magical realm — the unassuming wardrobe that opens into the fantastical realm of Narnia, if you will. Wright transports you to another world, a cozy space where nature is invited in, often in surprising ways. You develop a great respect for the thought and vision that went into each of his homes. The environment connects to the site with a palette inspired by, and often using, materials sourced from the immediate area. 

“When the Martins complained about the additions, Wright replied, “You don’t need them — but the house does.””

Our docent, Gail, was extremely knowledgeable about Graycliff and its colorful history.

The Martin Family and the History of Graycliff

Graycliff was the lakeside haven and summer home of Isabelle and Darwin Martin. Darwin was a wealthy executive at the Larkin Soap Company and first met Wright at his Oak Park studio in 1902 to discuss the commission of a Larkin Administration Building. He later commissioned Wright to design and build the home that would become Graycliff. The estate is perched atop a 50-foot bluff overlooking Lake Erie in the town of Derby, New York, about 20 miles south of Buffalo. In the distance, you can see the Point Abino Lighthouse and the Welland Canal in Canada. 

The Larkin Soap Company was a massive mail-order business, and Darwin one of the highest paid executives at the time (worth the equivalent of $40 million nowadays). This accounts for his ability to build not only Graycliff but the family home in Buffalo (known as the Martin House) with Wright — an architect notorious for not letting a budget get in the way of his vision. 

But all of that changed when the stock market crashed in 1929, ushering in the Great Depression. Darwin had heavily invested in a number of his son’s business ventures, including 800 West Ferry, a luxury apartment high-rise in Buffalo. Due to these underperforming investments, the Martins’ fortunes eroded. 

Darwin sustained a series of mild strokes and a more serious episode on December 17, 1935, resulting in his death. 

It was reported that upon hearing of Darwin’s death, Wright stated that he had lost his best friend and most influential patron. Over the years, Darwin loaned Wright approximately $70,000. None of it was ever repaid. 

Isabelle continued to spend summers at Graycliff until about 1941. When she could no longer afford to keep the main house open, she moved into the apartment above the garage in the Foster House, before passing away on February 22, 1945 at the age of 75. 

Wright probably never imagined a modern sculpture sitting on the lawn at Graycliff — but we like to think he’d approve.

Wright’s Vision for Graycliff

Construction of the estate began in 1926 and was a gift from Darwin to Isabelle, upon his retirement from the Larkin Soap Company. The Martins were able to spend their first summer there in 1929, though the grounds weren’t completed until 1931. 

The complex comprises the main house, a sunken boiler house (called the Heat Hut) and the Foster House, originally conceived as the chauffeur’s quarters, so named because it was used as the summer residence of Isabelle’s daughter, Dorothy Martin Foster, her son-in-law, James, and their two children. 

Graycliff is named for the natural feature that forms the overlook it’s perched upon, and despite sounding a bit dour, the house is actually bright and airy. Not only did Wright want to provide views of Lake Erie, he had another reason to fill the house with natural light: Isabelle suffered from scleritis, a condition that causes chronic eye pain and light sensitivity. According to correspondence sent from the Martins to Wright, Isabelle needed a place that was flooded with “light and sunshine” — the opposite of their city home, which was dark and difficult for her to navigate. 

The view of the lake through the home was destroyed for a while when the Piarist priests put their chapel here.

The Piarist Priests: The Other Owners of Graycliff

In the 1950s, the Martin descendants sold the property to the Piarist Fathers, a Roman Catholic teaching order from Hungary. The Piarist edict being education for every child, they formed Calasanctius High School in Buffalo and needed residences for 24 priests and a boarding home for 48 underprivileged students.

When the priests purchased the property, they also needed a chapel to accommodate the large Hungarian community in the area. So they tore out a wall to create a new entrance and replaced the windows of the cantilevered porch with colored glass — thereby cutting off the view of the lake through the house and destroying Wright’s main vision for Graycliff. 

The story goes that when Wright was 91, he visited Graycliff, unannounced, with some protégés. 

The architect pulled up, and the head priest, recognizing the fancy car, ran out to greet him. Taking one look at the alterations, the first thing Wright says is, “Who did this? This is not my work.”

“We needed a chapel,” the priest stammered.

“Well, I can design you one,” Wright said. 

Ignoring the priest, he turned to his colleagues and said, “Come on. I’ll show you the house.” And in they walked, uninvited. 

Wright never got to design that chapel, as he died a few months later. But he’d be happy to learn the property has been restored. 

Isabelle liked to create flower arrangements, so Wright planted a cutting garden for her in front of the home.

The Cutting Garden

Our tour began with a walk through Isabelle’s garden. She was noted for her flower arrangements, so Wright designed gardens to accommodate her hobby. 

Eventually, the Martins hired landscape architect Ellen Biddle Shipman, renowned for her naturalistic style, to revise Wright’s landscaping scheme. Shipman enhanced the garden for Isabelle, giving her flowers that would bloom in rotation from spring through fall. 

The site also includes pine trees, which reminded Isabelle of summers at the Lake Placid Club in the Adirondack Mountains. 

Beyond the cutting garden were the vegetable gardens, orchards for apple and pear trees and grapevines. 

The house was approached from a diagonal driveway, which faced the sunset and helped make the narrow home appear larger.

The First Glimpse of Graycliff

Our initial view of the house took place between two stone markers, the original location of the driveway that led to the house. 

The family owned eight and a half acres, but the plot where they wanted their summer home was two and a half acres. Further complicating matters, the spot atop the limestone bluff was just 250 feet wide. That’s very narrow for a 6,500-square-foot house. 

But there was nothing Wright liked so much as a challenge. And one of the cool, oh-so-Wright elements is that you approach Graycliff at an angle. The Martins bought the adjoining property from their next-door neighbors, the well-to-do Rumseys. The driveway branches off of the Rumseys’ and perfectly faces the setting sun, which would be a vision for visitors arriving for a summer soirée. 

The turnabout was made of yellow gravel — to complement the gold of the setting sun, of course. 

Approaching from an angle had an added bonus: It made the narrow façade seem more stately and grand. 

But the house itself wasn’t the main focus: Wright wanted the first glimpse to be of the lake; that was the true star of the show.

Horizontal lines almost always play a prominent role in Wright’s designs. For him, they draw a parallel to the ground, and in particular at Graycliff, the horizon and the surface of Lake Erie. The house becomes one with nature. 

The roof is made with cedar shake shingles, each hand-painted. Wright didn’t like gutters, so the house doesn’t have any. He never was one to let practicality get in the way of aesthetics. 

By creating a glass box of sorts, visitors could see through the home’s rectilinear form right out to the lake. At the time Graycliff was built, the area was undeveloped farmland, with nothing obstructing the view of the water. 

The driveway curves around an artificial pond, but that wasn’t part of Isabelle’s plan. Once again, she wanted something that would evoke her beloved Adirondacks, and she requested a small hill covered with bushes and low trees. But Wright cleverly played the money card, and insisted that the pond would be less expensive. The idea is that this water feature would be an extension of the lake. Wright almost always got his way.

A large part of Wright’s design aesthetic involves incorporating colors and materials from the surrounding area. At Graycliff, sand from the shores of Lake Erie was mixed into the stucco to add another layer of texture, and the home’s red roof is meant to evoke the ferrous oxide in the Tichenor limestone on the cliff behind the house that bleeds a rust color. 

Sand from the beach was added to the stucco façade and inspired its yellow hue. The cliff’s limestone, bleeding a rusty red that carries into the color of the roof, was also used to build the home.

Another design motif favored by Wright was cantilevers — and at Graycliff, he wanted to evoke the layers of limestone on the bluff. 

His plans called for various additions, but his clients weren’t sold. 

“The Martins were concerned about money, and they said to him, ‘We really don’t need this balcony; we don’t need the stone porch; we don’t need the porte cochère. Just a little awning would be great,’” our guide Gail tells us. “And then they go away on a trip — and when they come back, all that’s in process.”

When the Martins complained about these additions, Wright replied, “You don’t need them — but the house does.” Ever the egotist, Wright was always right, and he bristled whenever someone questioned his vision. 

Stay by Sarah Braman, 2022, on the grounds of Graycliff

Sarah Braman: Finding Room

When we visited Graycliff, monumental modern sculptures by Sarah Braman were scattered about the grounds. These large geometric shapes made of concrete and brightly colored glass added a vibrant element of visual interest to the landscape. We enjoyed them, and hope that Wright would have appreciated them as well.

Duke peeks out of Sit, a 2022 sculpture by Braman — the first of her works we saw during our visit to Graycliff

Wally takes the name of the sculpture, Sit, literally.

That being said, we could have done without a couple of the ones inside the house. We’d have preferred to see the living room set up as it would have been when the Martins lived here — not emptied of some pieces of furniture to make way for Braman’s smaller-scale sculptures of domestic items and found objects, which struck us as disjointed. 

The client actually wanted a hill here with trees — but Wright insisted on a small pond that would connect to the lake out back.

Entering Graycliff

Upon arrival, we passed through the porte cochère and entered the foyer. Immediately, you’ll notice one of Wright’s signature architectural techniques, known as compression and release. In the entry, the ceiling is low, and the smaller scale of the room creates a tension that propels you to move beyond it, into the larger living room, an open space with higher ceilings. To create the expansive double-height space, Wright used beams from nearby Bethlehem Steel. 

Unlike Wright’s Prairie-style homes, which were concentric, with one large room off of which the others flowed, Graycliff is rectilinear. One room follows another, and Wright used compression to define transitions between these spaces without walls. By this time, he was moving into a style he referred to as organic architecture.

The stucco-covered walls used on Graycliff’s exterior continue into the interior, and provide a visual connection between the outdoors and indoors. 

When the Graycliff Conservancy purchased the property in 1999, very few of the original furnishings remained. Many are reproductions, including the willow and reed pieces throughout the home. This type of furniture was very popular during the late ’20s and is thought to be similar to what Darwin and Isabelle saw when they vacationed in the Adirondacks. –Wally 

Wright felt fireplaces were the heart of a home, and this one was built in the Adirondack style.

A Room-by-Room Tour of Graycliff

The Living Room

The living room is center stage. Floor-to-ceiling windows and doors open onto the front terrace and the backyard and span the length of the house. These walls of glass provide gorgeous views of Lake Erie and fill the interior with plenty of natural light. The focal point of the room is the monumental Adirondack-style stone fireplace with a mantle that nearly covers the north wall. Wright believed that the fireplace was the heart of the home. An unusual feature to this type of hearth is that logs were stacked on end, vertically. As a fire burned, it created a dramatic plume of flames. 

One of the few materials used in the home that was not sourced locally was the cypress heartwood flooring from Florida — most likely chosen for its durability and beauty.

Curl up with a good book in the Fern Room, a cozy nook off of the living room.

The Fern Room

Adjacent to the living room is a cozy nook that served as a library and is known as the Fern Room — a great spot to curl up with a good book and admire the incredible views of the lake. The ceiling is lower here to establish a more intimate space. The floor is covered in flagstone that came from the city of Buffalo, which was, at the time, replacing its stone walkways with concrete. 

Wright proposed that the window glass meet at the corners so as not to obstruct the view, but the Martins didn’t see the need for that additional expense. (He would later get his way at Fallingwater, a home built for Edgar and Liliane Kaufmann between 1936-1937 in Mill Run, Pennsylvania.)

The Sunporch

Beyond this, the floorplan flows into the sunroom, with rubber floor tiles. Originally a screened-in porch, cypress-framed windows were added to shield occupants from the intense winds coming off the lake. 

The room functioned primarily as a music room. Isabelle had a paid companion who lived at Graycliff by the name of Cora Herrick, though the children called her Aunt Polly. She played the piano — one of the few original pieces of furniture remaining in the home. According to Gail, Darwin wrote in his diary how much he loved hearing music being played while he was working at his desk above. 

Diners had great views at Graycliff — and got to avoid errant sparks flying out of the fireplace.

The dining room at Graycliff is around the corner from the living room.

The Dining Room

On the other side of the living room is an area that served as the dining room. 

The table is positioned parallel to the wall so that guests could easily turn to enjoy the view of the lake — and also to avoid the errant sparks and embers that occasionally popped out of the fireplace. 

All six bedrooms are found upstairs.

The Staircase

A cascading waterfall staircase made of maple leads to the home’s bedrooms on the second floor. This type of passage consists of two parallel flights of stairs joined by a landing that creates a 90-degree turn. 

A dramatic window with a diamond shape at the top of the stairs

The architect’s signature use of rhythmic repetition can be seen in the home’s details. Wright noticed that the local limestone breaks off in geometric forms, so he gave a nod to these in subtle ways: octagonal door knobs and a diamond-shaped window at the apex of the staircase as well as light fixtures. This brings order and visual harmony to Graycliff. 

Poor Darwin got stuck with the worst bedroom of the bunch.

Darwin, a workaholic, converted his porch into an office.

Darwin Martin’s Bedroom

Upon climbing the stairs, Darwin’s bedroom can be found to the right. Not only did Darwin not share a room with his wife, he was also assigned the worst of the bunch, to our minds. It’s smaller than most of the other bedrooms, though it does contain a small bathroom and sleeping porch.

Darwin converted the porch into an office, as he was a notorious workaholic.

The bedrooms feature one of the innovations at the time: olive knuckle hinges patented by Stanley Company that allow a recessed door to open all the way flat to the wall. 

This sparse hallway led to the bedrooms and the back staircase.

We really liked Braman’s Her House (2019), which sat in Isabelle’s room, as it evoked the larger pieces on the lawn.

A guest room next to Isabelle’s room offered twin beds — and gorgeous views of Lake Erie.

Isabelle’s room had its own bathroom, a door out to a balcony and a walk-in closet — unheard-of in a Wright home!

Isabelle Martin’s Bedroom 

At the top of the stairs and looking to the left is a monastic gallery, which has a similar set of windows as the living room below, and leads to a private wing with bedrooms. The first is a nice guest room, with Isabelle’s bedroom next door.

Wright despised closets. However, Isabelle was the client of record for the house and insisted he provide her with one. Her bedroom includes a walk-in closet where the bathroom was originally planned. But Isabelle wanted her bathroom to have a window, so it had to go on the lake side and required Wright to cut a hole into the chimney to accommodate her request. 

A private terrace is accessible from Isabelle’s room, and she probably spent evenings there as direct sunlight would have been too much for her eyes to bear. 

She might have been the hired help, but Aunt Polly sure had nice digs at Graycliff.

Aunt Polly’s Room 

While she did get a nice bedroom, Aunt Polly was technically the help. Her room is a transitional space from that of the immediate family to the staff. 

Cora remained in service from 1911 until Isabelle’s death in 1945. In 1929, when the Martins could no longer afford to pay her, Cora stayed on for room and board. After their mother’s death, the children took care of their dear Aunt Polly. 

Even the servants had cute rooms at Graycliff.

The servants had their meals in a sunroom at the back of the house.

This cool sink came from Europe and was used exclusively by Isabelle for her flower arrangements.

The Pantry and Kitchen 

Farther down the corridor are two bedrooms for the staff, as well as the back staircase that leads down to the staff sunporch and kitchen area.

The hammered metal sink in the pantry was imported from Europe and was used solely by Isabelle to arrange flowers from her cutting garden. The cook had to use the one in the adjacent kitchen, which faced the front yard instead of the lake. 

On display within the built-in cabinets, another Wright trademark, behind Isabelle’s sink, are Larkin Soap products, including Buffalo china. Elbert Hubbard was Darwin’s brother-in-law and started the Arts and Crafts Roycroft movement in East Aurora, New York. He suggested to Larkin that consumers would be incentivized to purchase their product if they received a piece of china along with it. He was right, and the pottery ended up being quite successful. 

In the cabinets, there’s also the Martins’ red and white wedding china and Indian Tree pattern china, which were gifted to the conservancy by the couple’s grandchildren. 

Here’s the sink the cook used in the kitchen off of the pantry.

The stovetop and oven were all part of one piece of furniture.

The small yet functional kitchen contains another original piece, a hulking fridge from the Jewett Refrigeration Company, along with a freestanding prep station, sink and porcelain-glazed stove. 

The Heat Hut held a boiler to heat both Graycliff and the Foster House. Then the priests used it to store wine and honey.

The Heat Hut

Sitting between the main home and the Foster House is the sunken red-roofed Heat Hut. The structure once held an oil boiler that provided steam heat to both houses. According to Gail, the Piarist priests used it to store wine and honey from the bees they kept on the property. 

The Foster House, part of the garage at the Graycliff estate, was originally used by the chauffeur and his family.

The Foster House

The apartment above the garage was built for the chauffeur and his family. The original design was flipped so that the cantilever balcony would afford its inhabitants unobstructed views of the lake. 

Shortly after the stock market crashed, the Martins couldn’t afford to keep the chauffeur out at Graycliff, so they sent him back to Buffalo, and their daughter Dorothy, and her husband, James Foster, moved in, spending summers there with their two children until 1941. 

Wally and Duke on a balcony of the Foster House

There are quite a few bedrooms in the Foster House — but not much else, aside from a small sitting room and kitchen.

After Darwin’s death and the family’s financial troubles, Isabelle moved into the Foster House, staying in what was the gardener’s room, which had its own bathroom. The ever-particular woman liked to sit on the balcony — but she didn’t appreciate seeing the cars pull into and out of the garage. She contacted Wright, who acquiesced and moved the garage doors to the side and extended the wall.

Wright extended a wall to block out the view of cars coming and going from the garage for Isabelle.

“And she says, ‘While you’re at it, can you make me another bedroom up there?’” Gail tells us. So the apartment now has four bedrooms and a couple more balconies. Isabelle seems to have been the one person who could charm Wright into altering his original plans.

The seating out back helped hide the servants carrying picnic items down to the beach and back.

The Esplanade 

Wright’s idea for the esplanade was to build a reflecting pool, cascading terraces and steps that led all the way down to the beach. But when the architect left the premises, Darwin contacted his friends at Bethlehem Steel to request a metal tower with steps like those his neighbors had. Not as pretty as Wright’s vision but certainly practical. It deteriorated, so there’s no longer any way down the beach.

Duke, Poppa and Wally enjoy the gorgeous day at Graycliff.

The access to the stair tower was visible, though, and again Isabelle complained about the view. When she was out on her terrace, she could see the servants coming and going. She felt this was unseemingly — that’s why they had a rear staircase, after all — so Wright constructed the overlook seating in such a way that the help could go about their business while remaining out of sight. 

Saving Graycliff 

When the Martin family decided to sell the property, the person who wanted to buy it was a developer who built the condominiums that are now next door. He planned to demolish Graycliff — who needs a historic home when you can get top dollar for lakefront condos? 

Thankfully, a group in Buffalo came to the rescue, forming the Graycliff Conservancy. In 1999 they received a grant, and the conservancy was able to purchase the property. 

The renovations began, wrapping up in 2019 and costing about $10 million. 

There are plans to build a new eco-friendly visitors center to replace the current one, which was built by the priests as a gymnasium for the children.

Restored back to its 1926 splendor, Graycliff exemplifies Wright’s philosophy of living in harmony with nature. If you’re in the Buffalo area, stop by for a visit. As with all of Wright’s homes, they have to be seen to be fully appreciated. –Duke

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Graycliff

Graycliff

6472 Old Lake Shore Road
Derby, New York 14047
USA

 

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