Vanderbilt Mansion, Hyde Park

 

 A trip along the Hudson River offers a lot to see and do. From the old river towns to the hikes along the water, there is something for everyone. One of my favorite things to do is to visit the historic mansions that served as vacation homes to rich and powerful of New York City. The Vanderbilt Mansion, in Hyde Park, NY, is one of the best examples of these homes.

 

Frederick Vanderbilt by NPS uploaded by Jillian Jack

Louise Vanderbilt - Photographer Unknown

 

In 1894, Frederick Vanderbilt (1856-1938) and Louise Vanderbilt (nee Anthony, 1878-1926) purchased this 800+acre estate from Dorothea and Walter Langdon, daughter and son-in-law of John Jacob Astor. Like many of New York’s richest families, they were attracted by the beauty of the Hudson River Valley. The opening of the New York Central Railroad, which was owned by the Vanderbilt family, made travel to Hyde Park from the city, an easy trip. The Vanderbilts hired the firm of McKim, Mead and White to design their 56 room mansion, which was finished in 1898. 

Visitors Center

Frederick and Louise used their Hyde Park estate as a spring and fall vacation home. They turned the estate into a private park, with carriage roads and walking paths on the 200 acres closest to river, west of the Albany Post Road. The 600 acres to the east were a functioning farm. The fact that they only lived in Hyde Park for a few months out of the year didn’t stop Frederick and Louise from decorating their country estate in the style to which they were accustomed. Paintings, sculptures, and furniture were shipped from Europe. In fact the Vanderbilts had four different interior decorating firms working on the house at the same time.

Entrance Hall

Women's drawing room

 

One interesting fact about how NPS runs and maintains the estate. Over the mantle-piece there is an Italian tapestry, made for the Medici family, that has become almost totally faded. The park service has decided to leave it alone, as the amount of work needed would move from restoration to recreation, something they don’t want to do.

 

Louise Vanderbilt died in 1926, and Frederick in 1939. The estate was left to Louise’s niece, who had no interest in owning or running it. She put it up for sale, and Franklin Roosevelt, president at the time, and owner of a large estate just to the south of the Vanderbilt home, took an interest in the land. Roosevelt arranged for the National Park Service to acquire the land along the river, and all of the buildings. This means that the Vanderbilt mansion is one of the few period homes that moved directly from the family that owned it, into historic preservation. As a result, the house has all of the original artwork and furniture that the Vanderbilts purchased and installed.

Butler's Pantry

Dumbwaiter

Kitchen

 

Today, the land is a public park, open to all who wish to walk the grounds and enjoy the views. Tours of the house are available several times a day for a fee of $10/person, free for NPS pass holders. 

Spending Two Days in San Juan

 

The New York Times runs a weekly column offering suggestions of things to do if you were to have on and a half days to spend in a particular place. In 2019, after Hurricane Maria and before Covid, the Gray Lady offered their suggestions of places to see and restaurants to visit in San Juan, Puerto Rico. On a recent trip, I decided to see how well those suggestions stand up after five years.

Coffee in Santurce

The Times had three suggestions for breakfast and or a coffee break in the Santurce neighborhood. The first is Hacienda San Pedro, on Avenida José de Diego, across from the Museo del Arte. The Hacienda is a coffee farm near the town of Jayuya, in the mountains of Puerto Rico, and this shop sells wonderful coffee made from their own beans. It a smooth coffee, like most native Puerto Rican roasts. The shop has comfortable indoor seating, along with a patio with more seats outside.

 

Museo del Arte

Another choice is Cafe con Cé, on Avenida Loiza. Cafe con Cé is one of several eateries that have transformed and empty lot into a foodie destination. Their storefront is small, but there is plenty of seating on the patio.

 

La Goyco Community Center

This book exchange has been on Calle Loize for over 30 years

Finally, and in my opinion the best choice, is Kasalta. This old style panadaría offers more than just a good cup of Joe. There are wonderful pastries, great sandwiches and even a full bar. Kasalta is a great place for breakfast, lunch or an evening snack.

 

Museums and Historic Sights

 

The Times suggested visiting El Morro and Castile San Cristóbal, an idea I totally agree with. The also recommend stopping in to see El Museo de las Americas, also high on my list. You can read my recent blogs here and here. I would add El Museo del Arte Contemporáneo, The Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC). Located in the former Rafael M. Labra High School, on Avenida Ponce de León, this often overlooked institution offer a glimpse into art being created today by Puerto Rican artists. The building was built in 1916 as part of a federal government program to build urban schools.

When I visited in March 2024, the entire museum was showing Puerto Rico Negrx (through Sept 1, 2024). This show highlights the work of Afro-descendant Puerto Rican artists, working on the island and in the diaspora. 

Rematername by Nitzayra Leonor

Transición Uno by Ramón Bulerín

Los Tres Amigos by Ramón Bulerín

Espíritu del Corte by Daniel Lind Ramos

An Evening Cruise

 

One thing that is obvious from trying to follow the suggestions of the NYT is that there is no way to try all of their ideas. They suggested a trip to Dorado for spa visit, something that in reality would take all day. But another of their choices really hit my heart - taking an sunset cruise on San Juan Bay. While the company they used no longer exists, the Viator web-site offered several choices. We went with one labeled “San Juan Sunset Harbor Boat Ride” which connected us with Rico Suntours. They offer pick-up and drop-off service at hotels around the San Juan/Isla Verde area. The tour travels the length of San Juan Bay from the San Juan Marina to the entrance of the bay, under El Morro. The tour offers a view of the city that I had never seen, and the chance to be on the water as the sun went down was wonderful.

The Ferry to The Dominican Republic

The Cruise Terminal

Banco Popular

Customs House

Bacardi Factory

The Gate of San Juan

El Moro

 

Like any tour guide, the Times column offers a group of suggestions that should looked on as a list of possibilities, but not as a complete itinerary. It offered me a framework to use, and one that I will explore in future posts in other cities.

Exploring patrimony at the Museo de las Americas

 

Voyages by Imna Arroyo Cora

 

One of my favorite places to visit in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, is the Museo de las Americas. Located in the Cuartel de Ballajá, the old barracks, just outside of El Morro, the museum presents a look at the of the island and of all of Latin America. I have visited on several occasions, and you can read about their permanent exhibits here.

 

This fall I had the opportunity to see two exhibitions of works by contemporary artists of Puerto Rican descent. The first was Quién Profanó la Mansión Georgetti? (Who Desecrated the Georgetti Mansion?) by Eddie Faraioli (b. 1950). 

 

Eduardo Georgetti

 

Eduardo Georgetti (1866-1937) was the son of a family of landowners, and he became one of the largest sugar barons in Puerto Rico. In 1923 he had a mansion built in the Santurce neighborhood of San Juan. At the time it was considered on of the greatest mansions in the Caribbean. Georgette died in 1937, and his wife in 1938. In 1955, the mansion was turned in to a hospital, and in 1971 it was demolished to build apartments.

Georgetti Mansion

Faraioli uses doors and window frames salvaged from the mansion to create artwork that connects the lost patrimony of the house with the natural resources of Puerto Rico. He makes a visual argument that the history of the and culture of the island, both man-made and natural, and intertwined in the lives and hearts of it people, and that both must be protected.

Mangle

Pana II

Bambúa

Guardiana del Bosque

Meninas, from Left - Los Platanos, Las Amapolas, Frida Kahlo, Flores Rojas

Platano Azul

Also on exhibit is Travesías (Crossings) by Imna Arroyo Caro (b. 1951). Ms. Arroyo Caro has said “My work explores the different manifestations of nature, spirit and beliefs of African ancestors; gives voice to their stories; activating both physical and spiritual spaces.” The works here were inspired by a visit to Brazil, where Imna began the spiritual exploration of connections to the enslaved Africans brought to the Americas. The pieces in this exhibition present a historic connection between the beliefs of the ancestors and the lives and deaths of those brought over during the middle passage. Travesías will be open until June 6, 2024. 

Legacy

Yemaya Okuté

Ancestors of the Passage

Abuelas, Abuelos, Ancestors