Tryon Hall: Inside Manhattan's Lost 25 Acre Riverside Equestrian Estate

Uncover the astonishing story of CKG Billings, a millionaire sportsman who dared to build a massive equestrian mansion right in the heart of Manhattan! From lavish parties atop horses to a tragic inferno, join us on this epic journey into one of New York's most captivating lost treasures.
Like, Comment, and Share our video, Subscribe if you enjoyed this video!
Location: Manhattan, New York
Check out our Merch: thishouse.media
Join our Membership program:
/ @thishouse
Public Domain Photos from: Library of Congress,
CC BY-SA 3.0(creativecommons.org/licenses/... from: Wikipedia User: Gigi alt
CC BY-SA 4.0(creativecommons.org/licenses/...) Photos from: Wikipedia User: Epicgenius, Beyond My Ken
Assets from: Envato Elements
Music from Epidemic Sound

[@annettebrunette1402]

I was glad to hear the trapped dog survived his escape ...

[@lavidawithjoey]

That driveway is simply incredible. What a feeling one must have felt heading up the hill

[@randyboglisch137]

Beautiful. What an incredible loss to the city...it is absolutely beautiful..Ken thank you for all your research and finding these fabulous one of a kind homes to show to us.

[@markrubin2470]

I never considered this area to be part of fort tryon park. It was just castle village when I lived there in 60s, 70s , 80s, 90s and early 2000s. Great job in discovering all the pictures of the estate. Fascinating

[@LJB103]

I was only in the park once as it is the site of the Metropolitan Museum's "The Cloisters." I seem to remember having read that Rockefeller, Jr. had originally intended the Billings mansion to be the museum until the fire. Excellent video.

[@samanthab1923]

I was just going to ask if those archways are part of the Cloisters? Could see them from the Henry Hudson when we would be going to visit relatives in Yonkers

[@LJB103]

@@kyleturner6829 Isn't it all Fort Tryon Park that included the Billings estate and now The Cloisters?

[@PatricioGarcia1973]

@@samanthab1923yes, the archways entrance is part of the cloisters. there used to be an entrance to it from the HH parkway but closed in the 30s

[@samanthab1923]

@@PatricioGarcia1973 I remember a Greek looking portico on street level that overlooked the river nearby. Wonder if that was part of the original estate? Was quite vandalized the last I was up that way. Was glad to see it was rehabilitated ⭐️

[@PatricioGarcia1973]

@@samanthab1923 it looks like the one in the video, but i dont know if it is the same. The NYC parks dept fixed it up a little, and has a bike trail. Is a nice tourist spot now

[@farmyardflavours]

I love you channel, it's wonderful ! Thank you for all of your hard work and research :)

[@williamtyre523]

Fascinating video, as always. I recognized the C.K.G. Billings name from Chicago but didn't know about his Manhattan house. And then I was surprised, toward the end of the video, to realize I have been to this site when I went to the Met Cloisters!

[@bettesmith1117]

Omg, this is so wonderful to see. I grew up in this neighborhood and spent endless amounts of time in this park and in the Cloisters. Loved it always. Such great memories. Thank you!!

[@beago0810]

Fort Tryon Park is the neighborhood I grew up nearby. My son has two parakeets buried at the park by a lamppost and a stone small building. I ventured to the cloisters on many elementary school trips (P.S. 152). Very fond memories sledding down Devils Hill and walking on the dangerous stone walls that take you up in the park. Exploring that park was an adventure in itself. So nice to hear about the history of the area.

[@adammiller2246]

Dykeman st here

[@bettesmith1117]

ah yes, Dykeman st, knew it well. Always so much going on.@@adammiller2246

[@farrellrouse4820]

The views from the mansion, overlooking the river and the valley, are my favorite part of the estate.

[@sunspiral79]

Another brilliant video...Well done Sir

[@sherirunnels545]

Wow. That made me smile. He certainly did have fun. You can feel it. Loved this video.

[@larry3034]

Greed never ceases to AMAZE.❤❤❤

[@Steven-wm9vu]

Ken, you're really upping the effort lately. These past couple of weeks, the videos have been incredible. Really educational as always. Your reasearch and knowledge are excellent. Thanks!

[@marshawargo7238]

I recently saw a comment made saying "I want to see the house, why do you have all of the un needed into about the past owners?" I'm thinking that they should go to another channel! Without the inhabitants a home is just a house! Doesn't that commenter wonder "what kind of person/people built something like This?"

[@HORSEYANIME2024]

Pls do more videos on historical mansions( estates in other us states

[@Taras-Nabad]

This was great. I love this stuff.

[@BellaCroyda]

I've always saw those arches in Riverside Park on the Henry Hudson Parkway but didn't know why they were there. Great loss.

[@paco7992]

My favorite part of the Eastate is the part between when it was built and when it caught fire! Another great episode, thank you both.

[@philniall9518]

I worked in that park; the remnants are incredible and worth seeing.

[@kathygrosvenor4464]

Having been born in NYC with generations before me, I’d notice these remnants of history. I don’t know much about them. I suppose one isn’t interested in such things when young. The evolution of a City so grand as New York,it’s history is abounding. Thank you so much for all the information you share. It’s well appreciated.

[@wessebaggers]

I enjoy all you bring to us ! I love these homes ❤❤

[@SpanishEclectic]

Oh my goodness! The hobby-horse costumes! So funny! Billings was certainly a character. While he provided employment for hundreds of workers, such indulgence doesn't sit well knowing he had squeezed out other utility companies and could control what regular people had to pay. The tower was quite impressive. I'm sorry to learn Rockefeller's dream of a museum came to naught, but what a beautiful location for a park! Thanks for an entertaining story! P.S. I was curious if he had anything to do with Billings, Montana, but apparently the place was named after the Billings who was president of the Northern Pacific Railway. I wondered, as these Robber Barons got around, lol.

[@jmchez]

Google "The Cloisters Museum". Where the house once stood, JD built a monastery style museum, bringing every stone from various buildings in Europe. Today, The Cloisters houses the main Medieval collection of New Yorks's, Metropolitan Museum of Art.

[@wildfireintexas]

I liked the his and hers breakfast rooms. They seemed very cozy.

[@danielcastelaz4819]

Peter Milton used this house as a model for the image in one of his prints, Hidden Cities II, in 2004.

[@j1st633]

Born and raised Upper West side of Manhattan. Visited the park many times. Very cool.

[@marlenaamalfitano2727]

I do love trotters

[@andyross4856]

I think this is my favorite of all the country estates You’ve ever shared with us I Love every part of it

[@cynthiajohnston424]

It would have been nice to see & hear more about the stables ; as a former pro equestrian , I'm interested in the logistics of how the horses were stabled , fed , exercised , etc. at such an unusual location .

[@DCHutchins]

I you read the later history of Fort Tryon and Rockefeller on this land, they usually do not even cover the guy who spent the first big chunk of money on it. Interesting video.

[@docsmctink]

Really enjoyed this presentation! Thanks so much!

[@WVgirl1959]

❤ from West 'By-God" Virginia 😁

[@jcsgodmother]

I;ve been to the site many times. It is nice to see what the mansion was like.

[@marciafallon7653]

This ginormous place actually looks pretty livable. Other than having too many chairs placed up against the walls, instead of in cozy groupings, the furnishings look very comfortable. My favorite “rooms” are the bedroom that was shown, the bowling alley, and the indoor pool. I could live with those😅

[@tthomas184]

I agree. Usually these old mansions look drab, dreary, and overstuffed, but this had some nice amenities. I could live there too.

[@originalsusser]

My favourite part of the estate was the acreage it occupied on Manhattan Island

[@cathythompson6872]

Would love to have seen photos inside the stables.

[@janedee6488]

At least the dog survived.

[@tthomas184]

I've visited the Cloisters several times and Ft. Tryon Park many times, and walked thru the archway, but I never suspected the site once had such a grand estate there. Thank you!

[@thedawneffect]

Wow that was absolutely gorgeous! What a shame that it burned... to have put so much money into building it, but not into the safety aspect of the fire hydrants and hoses is crazy to me. But a very beautiful EPIC "home"/man-cave LOL! Cracks me up that his wife chose to live elsewhere.

[@brinvargas1474]

I grew up in that area of Manhattan, Washington Heights/Fort Tryon Park and the Cloisters! I have a few childhood pictures of the great arches on the Hudson River side but never knew the full history of those arches other than some obscure reference to Rockafeller. Thank You *sooo* much for this very informative & interesting history lesson 💚

[@lunhil12]

Down on Broadway there remains a grand arch that was one of the entrances to the property though it is partially hidden by and incorporated into an auto repair shop. Growing up in uptown Manhattan we explored every inch of it as kids. The Metropolitan Museum's Cloisters annex on that land is one of the treasures we had access to and should not be missed by visitors to NYC.

[@PatricioGarcia1973]

one of the few remaining constructions left is the entrance with the arches, and the stone works.

[@thecuttinggardener361]

I lived close to Ft Tryon Park and the Cloisters back in the 2000s. It was always one of my favorite places in the city.

[@TheJhtlag]

Good stuff, been to the Cloisters, fun trip but had a vague idea of its provenance which i could have guessed at in outline, this provides names and history; He was retired at 40 and went out and built his "man-cave" Hey, what's money for? I've also seen the picture of the horse dinner now I connect it to time and place. Thanks.

[@kyleturner6829]

Yes indeed. I have been running there for over 30 years! Interesting history!

[@frederickcombs8661]

One of your best stories

[@user-dg7gn4qk1y]

for years i always wondered what those structures where off the Henry Hudson Parkway. thanks

[@RyanPowerhouse]

This is a wonderful channel. ❤

[@Paulftate]

howdy,,howdy from Virginia

[@pavelow235]

I can't remember, have you started doing English country homes yet? Downton Abbey (Highclere Castle) would be a good start.

[@sanadika1brunelle329]

id like to hear more of how the horses were cared for on this estate? did they just live in stalls 24/7?

[@jetsons101]

Just looking around on google street and birds eye, the Fort Tryon area has to be the only nice place left in NYC....

[@patriciamalasgrover52]

What a grand place, the house was my favorite, the grounds, sad ending.

[@janetcarbone4213]

Dream barn!❤❤❤❤❤🐴🐴

[@AsktheJudge-xm3ty]

The stable was my favorite part

[@vickiephilpitt7697]

Boy, I sometimes wish I had extra cash to throw around on other homes when I get bored with my tiny 2200 sq ft house. How can someone get bored when they have an indoor AND outdoor pool plus their own bowling lanes. Then again, wasn't this before the government decided to start collecting income taxes? Aww, disposable income! ( what's that?) 😅😂

[@legiontheatregroup]

Ah, everything is relative. Your tiny 2,200 square foot house sounds like a mansion to me! I would love that much space. My home is 1,200 square feet.

[@loilt5091]

I only require 700...just more space to collect dust & needless, material, self-possessions.

[@vickiephilpitt7697]

@@loilt5091 that is so, so true!

[@ChefKevinRiese]

Cool! I lived in NYC for 35 years and didnt know that!

[@nikmills]

I like the telephone on the wall in the bowling alley.

[@quetzalcoatlz]

Could you image the cost of this today? Its absolutely insane the scope of work performed to alter a cliffside of Granite!

[@whyzup6593]

Grew up in the park..in more ways than one. Was never harrased & was never threatened. I remember Clint Eastwood filming a movie there. Hippies from Englewood Cliffs would come across the river to party. Was all Irish & Italian back then

[@Joan-qe7gm]

Ha! As soon as I saw the video, I recognized the Cloisters. I just want to commend Mr. Rockefeller for giving so much to NYC. He also bought the area across in NJ so that the view across the Hudson would be unobstructed. He also gave the land where the United Nations is now.

[@etsugradlib]

3:40 this’ll do for Wayne Manor.

[@jillatherton4660]

The 'Ancient', an essential part of a chateau.👍

[@danielpollak6075]

4:07- 4:11, looks like a mansion built on the foundation of a previous castle.

[@debbralehrman5957]

Thanks 👏🏼👏🏼 🍁🍂🎃🍂🍁

[@kathycasey9153]

directly across the Hudson was a bunch of mansions as well. I think I see one peeking out in the first photo. There aren't many pictures of them.

[@aaronpeta]

This is the only way I would ever live in Manhattan. Any less space and forget it.

[@essence178]

The dog escaped ....😊😊😊😅😅😅

[@monkeygraborange]

It never ceases to amuse me that vicious, avaricious social climbing animals will construct literal mausoleums to their egos and vanities, and name any room a “library” that contains more than six book... none of which they’ve read.

[@alaingadbois2276]

And often these buildings don’t outlive their owners by much.

[@jenpink4298]

You made me laugh when you said it was a man cave😂

[@ralphhhoffmann-odermat2472]

Best was that the dog survived unharmend.

[@andrewbrendan1579]

How is it that I've been intrested in for years in American mansions and the people who lived in them yet have never heard of this place? --- My favorite part of the mansion is the stair landing that also served as a library. I like seeing a place serve more than one purpose. I work at a university that has a building with one of the staircases at the end of the building. There is a landing with floor to ceiling windows looking right into the branches of a tree. Years ago I would use those stairs and think what a great sitting room that space could be. Now? It's accessible only in the event of an emergency escape, a wonderful space used and enjoyed by no one.

[@StamperWendy]

I would NOT have dined there... Poor horses!

[@putnamcountycrimeanalysiswandr]

As you drive north on the Henry Hudson Parkway, the left side has columns and portico that are stunning. Unless it was under lock & key however, A mansion would never survive today. Ceiling to floor graffiti. In fact there's graffiti all over the columns.

[@zachlafond2652]

The fire seems very convenient.

[@hslev]

Nothing about the Cloisters, later built on the site?

[@finddeniro]

Ah the Guilded Age..before Income Taxes.. Lavish ..Mark Twain attended a many..Punch Line.." This dinner is fit fer Canables .. " true.

[@bonquiqui874]

As much as this history is interesting, I just can’t imagine that level of greed that so many of these homeowners had. And at the expense of so many underpaid working class people

[@jetsons101]

Best part was the pool..........

[@MrPetecollins]

Ooops, thought this was a try on haul..!

[@wallinglee]

LOL! "right in the heart of Manhattan" not even close

[@Snarkapotamus]

What, no S&M/bondage room!?

[@KerryEriksson]

Did they know what caused the fire?

[@Arthurian.]

This could've been the coolest estate in NYC.. Could've become a fantastic wedding location and everything.

[@justrelaxing1501]

Ah to have all the money and do absolutely nothing for society...just like today!

[@Carfeu]

Crazy people with money was always a thing I guess

[@BondServant1110]

Wake Up, we've been lied to about our history.

[@asylumlover]

I THINK I AM HEARING THINGS????!!!!!!!! DID I HEAR YOU SAY THAT THEY STAGED AN EVENT AT A MANHATTAN RESTAURANT, ON THE 4TH FLOOR, WHERE THEY MADE EVERYONE PRESENT SIT ON HORSES FOR THE EVENT????!!!!!!!! HOW THE HELL DID THEY GET HORSES TO THE 4TH FLOOR????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@harshanid3636]

Beautiful house. The surviving gates are spectacular. However if big money reduces powerful men into eccentric morons, its best to not have much.

[@nunyabuziness8421]

That's what happens when u rent your house. Shame

[@JK-lp6uw]

The narrator's voice is agonizing..

[@8mydaydream409]

This man born into a wealthy family did very little work his whole life! Retiring at 40 from a job where he did nothing but collect checks and buy other competitive companies is rather disgusting in my opinion!

[@nina-ex9vx]

Exactly!

[@user-zp7jp1vk2i]

it appears that's the way to go: look at todays "inflluencers" pushing all kiinds of "you don't ever have to work" concepts!

[@Nelson-rd1et]

Is the narrator trying to get a date at a trans bar…?

[@andrew2528]

Interesting story, but mostly unwatchable due to the VERY creepy narrator.. not even sure if it's a real human?? Horrible..

[@mypalfootfoot9591]

How do you have that much money, build such a magnificent estate and during the construction process, no one plans for the possibility of fire??? And what about the city, doesn't it have safety requirements???

[@chinoman7234]

I stayed in this house before the demise

[@bethbartlett5692]

🤨 This story plays out like a 1950's "B Movie". There's absolutely "no chaser" that would help me swallow the description of "Water Hydrants too Far" and "Hoses too Short", or as they say where I reside: "That dog just won't hunt!" Now, maybe the8r Insurance Company bought this ruse, ir the Public, or whomever it was wove to serve, but, (I can not fathom a Man of such extreme means, education, and experience, having designed a System of Fire Control, and having made such elementary and definitively ignorant an error.) There's occassions I must wonder: Do the elite make some public statements just for the pleasure of seeing: "How naive the Public is, or for delighting in particular Reactions?" To have a method 9f obtaining absolute Truths of any given "Subject" in any given "Date/Time" in "History" ... 🔮🪄🎩 Beth Bartlett Sociologist/Behavioralist and Historian Tennessee, USA