What Happened to William Rockefeller's Rockwood Hall?

Unlike John D Rockefeller, William Avery Rockefeller liked to flaunt his wealth. We are exploring the country estate known as Rockwood Hall in Tarrytown New York.
Location: New York
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Photos from: Public Domain
Photos of current Rockwood Hall Grounds from Creative Commons 4.0(creativecommon... Wiki user: Ɱ
Music from Epidemic Sound

[@BarneyR-u2d]

The loss of this mansion borders on the criminal. It’s appalling that it was torn down. Thank goodness for illustrations!

[@EcceHomo1088]

except for the fact these people and their ancestors created the "central banking system"... kinda why we are in the current mess we are in. Beautiful house nonetheless... but the Rockefellers were 100% criminal mafioso types going against the founders of the country as stated before... by creating the centralized banking system.

[@Porsche996driver]

So many were torn down during the depression and war years.

[@craiggillett5985]

I find it outrageous that USA has systematically demolished it’s built history, unlike Europe. Today USA urban areas are notable for their ugliness.

[@EcceHomo1088]

@@craiggillett5985 Europe is destroying itself too... all western nations are.

[@veronicareeves2629]

👍👍👍

[@StamperWendy]

I think if they didn't demolish the mansion, they could've turned it into a museum, charging a fee so that it paid for its own upkeep. I'm glad they still have the grounds available to the public but what a shame the house wasn't preserved, as well. Thanks, Ken!

[@christopherstephenjenksbsg4944]

Well done! I lived in Yonkers just to the south for over 20 years, and that entire area is known for its fine villas and mansions, among them Washington Irving's Sunnyside and Lyndhurst, which belonged to Jay Gould and his family for several generations. One area you may want to check out for future videos is Lenox/Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It has been described as a more refined and cultured version of Newport. The Elm Court estate, which straddles the Lenox/Stockbridge line, has a particularly interesting history, having been home to Emily Vanderbilt Sloan White, a granddaughter of the Commodore. It is HUGE -- the largest shingle style house in the US. After Emily's death in 1946 and a short stint as an inn it was abandoned for about 50 years. I lived nearby as a teenager in the 1970s. I and some friends snuck in one night to see the place, although we didn't steal or vandalize anything as many others did. Rehabilitation of the house and grounds as a boutique hotel was begun in 1999 by Vanderbilt descendants. It was sold to a developer in 2012 who wanted to make large additions to turn it into a financially viable hotel, but that project was quashed because of local opposition. It is for sale again. Its future is in doubt, although I don't think there's any danger that it will be abandoned again or demolished. Another fascinating Stockbridge estate was Shadowbrook, now long gone, but still fascinating in its history and design. The place was gargantuan, the largest house in the US when it was built, with 31 bedrooms for family and guests. One amusing story by the Stokes family states that: "One of the sons, who attended Yale, wired home that he'd be coming home with a party of '97 men. It's not known whether he meant 97 men or men from the class of 1897, which we presume, but his mother is said to have replied: 'Don't make it more than 50; have friends already here.' "

[@amyogden7376]

Thank you for solving the mystery of Rockwood Park. A friend and I would meet there frequently to walk in the ‘80s and ‘90s. It is a beautiful place to view the Hudson, and to walk dogs!

[@dalechodorow7465]

This property had been a mystery to me too despite my having lived nearby for 13 years. Thanks.

[@andrewbrendan1579]

Thank you, Ken ,for all the information you bring us. Not only had I never heard of this house, I'd never even heard of the owner! I hope that at least some of the fittings and artwork from the mansion were saved before demoltion. Sad that the house is gone but it's great that the grounds are a park rather than a housing development or the location of strip malls.

[@LJB103]

Very good video. It's a shame that with the size of the mansion, it couldn't have been saved by becoming a school. There was also another somewhat nearby mansion that was already a country club: Woodlea (the Sleepy Hollow CC) that had been the 140 room mansion of Margaret Vanderbilt Shepard. A video of all of the mansions of that one generation of the Vanderbilts could be interesting.

[@claudiocavaliere856]

Absolutely amazing! Stunning property and stunning views! Very interesting indeed! Congratulations!

[@christopherkraft1327]

Thanks for sharing another exciting video!!! 👍👍

[@freshmanna4678]

I live very near the trails where this castle once stood and grew up hiking them frequently. People in our area continue to use them constantly to this very day for hiking and horseback riding.

[@Gizathecat2]

That is sad! The castle could have become a hotel and conference center.

[@111Phoenix777]

Can you imagine what it must have been like to visit one of these ginormous mansions, much less live there? I can't even imagine what it must have been like to live there. Would you ever leave your home if you lived in a place like this? As long as someone was bringing the groceries, and I had plenty of books, and coffee, not sure I would ever leave. I think I'd probably just sit outside on the wraparound porch all year long and read books and drink coffee. Ha ha!!!

[@TT-nh2od]

Seriously. They lived liked American monarchs

[@sheridowsett9929]

Can you imagine the maintenance costs on the place?

[@WayneKeen]

@@sheridowsett9929 It is hard to imagine for sure, the security staff, the farm staff, the maid staff, the cook staff, the craftsmen and maintanence staff. Some of those for 24 / 7. One could easily imagine 100 or more on staff.

[@connieduras2386]

Thanks!

[@gkvogt]

Thanks again for another interesting story.

[@skpjoecoursegold366]

that was such a beautiful building, now torn down.

[@kellingtonlink956]

It is rather sad that the nicest remaining parts of this Estate is the ‘guard house’. Interesting history lesson. Thanks for the video.

[@Terri_MacKay]

I'm glad that, instead of an ugly glass skyscraper being built on the land, it was turned into a beautiful green space that can be visited and enjoyed by all.

[@111Phoenix777]

~3:38 Aw man, he demolished the castle in 1941!? WTF!? That's the problem with these huge properties, is I'm sure the cost of maintenance and the property tax must have been astronomical. Sure wish they could have preserved it as a historical landmark.

[@SlapShotRegatta22]

Grew up not miles away and spent many a time there. A popular night hang out spot when we were in high school (as long as you didn't get caught by the cops). Still go there to this day. A very beautiful location.

[@ryanhilliard1620]

This house was so beautiful! Did I hear you correctly? 402 rooms?😳 Sad the estate is gone, but wonderful that people can visit the grounds.

[@freshmanna4678]

You can still visit Kykuit, John D Rockefeller’s estate on neighboring property.

[@JTThunderBOS]

I really like your videos. I did a paper in architecture school called "Remaining Gates." This featured gates, retaining walls and other landscape elements that were left following the demolition of grand estates. I wasn't aware of Rockwood Hall at the time, but that would have been a great candidate for my paper. Take a look at "Weld" the estate of Larz Anderson in Brookline, Mass. The house and gardens were amazing, but destroyed after donation to the town, and considered a white elephant in the 1940s. Very similar story and remains are eerily similar. Some of the garden balustrades remain, but the carriage house was saved. Used today as the Larz Anderson Museum of Transportation, built in the 1880s in the chateauesque style in buff brick, and still amazing. This along with the Anderson's early car collection. It takes a lot of resources to sustain a property like this, but such a shame when they are torn down.

[@elle9543]

I only wish I'd known of this park for the time I visited New York. The paths appear marvelous!

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

Thank you for the video!

[@frhogate]

I live very close to this spectacular land and call the trails my second home. The property was also in consideration as the sight for the UN.

[@clairwaucaush7225]

Wow! This one is different, the OWNER of the house tore it down! He couldn't keep a portion of it, or make it smaller overall? Instead ripped the whole thing down. He should have found someone who liked it. Otherwise it looks like a great park to visit. Still, it would be annoying walking around there knowing what WAS there.

[@LJB103]

Remember, John, Jr. already lived with his family and his father down the road at Kykuit when he wasn't at his 37 room apartment at 740 Park Avenue!

[@FAngus-ly8lk]

It was torn down in 1941, after property values for houses of this size had been devastated in the Depression. A house this huge, extravagant and costly to maintain was probably a white elephant. It may also have been in poor repair - after years of use as a country club and then sitting unoccupied.

[@Porsche996driver]

Thanks for sharing this bit of history! Too bad it didn’t survive as a cool country club. Looks British.

[@georgensal]

Nice video, thank you. This is the problem with these enormous houses in the Americas, (North and South), created by people with tons of money but unfortunately destined to go down as soon as the builder dies ( 20, 30 years tops)...one could ask, what's the need for 250 rooms when eventually they are going to become a burden too expensive to keep and mantain? It's a pitty, all that beauty and craftmanship ending up in a landfill.....

[@millardfillmore241]

Tarrytown and its neighboring area is a amazing part of NY state.

[@leticiadelacruz9150]

What a beautiful house. It’s a shame they tore it down. But I understand the maintenance upkeep would be outta control!!$$$

[@earlnut]

Some of the large houses built up in Minneapolis, St. Paul area mention things like "needing a staff of 45 to take care of the house and grounds" And that's when those things were new! It's no wonder most of them didn't last much past the original owners. They were a huge undertaking right from the start.

[@kathiandres1985]

I lived two blocks from the estate. Passed it on the way home from work every day. Mrs. Rockefeller bread cows from Argentina. The calfs were delivered by cesarean as to prevent injury to the mama and baby. Funny seeing cows out in the pasture with big squares on their sides! These cows were so friendly and loved to have their heads scratched!

[@nicklasschmltt6959]

What? Money is no object to these people. Maintenence? Upkeep? This is only one of their homes

[@leticiadelacruz9150]

@@earlnut what a shame! History lost!

[@leticiadelacruz9150]

@@kathiandres1985 you are very lucky. It must have been a breathtaking to view!

[@111Phoenix777]

~3:45 Well at least they made a beautiful park out of it. That's nice.

[@patrickcarpenter6258]

I weep when I hear places like this end up being demolished. It's so sad.

[@vermontica2021]

There's a duplicate in Cincinnati that's separated into condo units! Almost identical.

[@tonybananto8134]

What about doing a story about Boldt Castle in NY 1000 islands area

[@davidpalmer9334]

Do one on Yaddo in Saratoga Springs

[@j1st633]

First comment. Great channel.

[@robertmoore2049]

The gate house is a beautiful structure.

[@patricialong5767]

Another impossibly large home but I do like the architecture and the materials with which it was built.

[@janicecopeland9083]

We will most likely never again have such beauty.

[@johnchism]

I could really have a good life in that gatehouse.

[@Designarchi1]

So many of these massive mansions once passed on are white elephants and often demolished. As a designer I worked on a massive home that once the owner died no one would buy the residence so the heirs tore it down to make way for a new owner built mansion. People of extreme wealth don't like to buy something used.

[@gkvogt]

Good point about buying something "used".

[@WayneKeen]

The sad part of a "dream house" is one person'dsdream is seldom someone else's dream. One person's "perfect" is someone else's "this doesn't work for us at all, we have to totally redo this, why bother". The same thing happens on a smaller scale with "regular size" custom houses. They end up not selling or selling at drastic discounts because one person's dream (or needs) seldom align with the next one's.

[@youngimages2000]

Schools often downgrade into reform schools, universities seem to last…

[@t.j.m3987]

Just craziness😢

[@jimc4731]

Ah the days before income taxes JIm

[@jansalcher6820]

The name is not Bart-lett with the emphasis on Bart - it's Bartlett altogether no emphasis in the middle to divide the name. I aught to know my maiden name is Bartlett.

[@JimmyCall]

Another crazy pull it down story.

[@trainwreck420ish]

Inglenook!!!

[@janedee6488]

Castle What-a-waste

[@johnhawkins4516]

It was demolished. They're always demolished.

[@honorladone8682]

You can't take it with you. Philadelphia USA

[@lawrencejosephjenzen]

wonderful. I need a mansion can you buy one for me please.

[@DriftWorn]

You tear it down only to just give it to someone else. What a tradegy.

[@theCAPOSHOW]

Hello “This House!” 714 N Capitol in Pekin Illinois. Small Victorian home, 7,500 sqr ft. Check out the home online I am in the process of closing on it for my client! You will love it!

[@ldaxxx1]

Why didn't some religious order buy it? The place would have been an excellent retreat or seminar. Alas, another splendid old mansion destroyed.

[@WayneKeen]

Maintenance and operational costs of these houses tend to be quite high, which is usally why they end up abandoned or destroyed.

[@lindafurr2404]

So much money and did they ever actually help anyone but themselves? It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a rich man go to Heaven.

[@craiggillett5985]

Generic comment for the algorithm

[@davidhennen7045]

Well how sweet of him to tear down a masterpiece built by love, what was I thinking? Oh yes, he's a complete a$$-hole!💸💸💸💸💸💸🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑💲💲💸💸💰💰🪙🪙🔥🔥🧨🧨