Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site: Monument to the Gilded Age

(National Park Service) W ith spectacular views of the Hudson River as well as the Catskill and Shawangunk Mountains, the Hudson River valley has much to offer both residents and visitors. By the turn of the 20th century, many wealthy families, including the Vanderbilts, had built palatial houses along the Hudson, between New York City and Albany. The Hudson River held special significance for the Vanderbilts. In the early 1800s, Cornelius "Commodore" Vanderbilt laid the foundation for the Vanderbilt fortune when he began a ferry service between Staten Island and Manhattan. Later, the family's New York Central Railroad ran along the Hudson. In 1895, Frederick Vanderbilt, grandson of the Commodore, built his country estate overlooking the river in Hyde Park, New York. With more than 600 acres of landscaped property and a palatial Beaux-Arts mansion, the Hyde Park estate came to symbolize the enormous wealth accumulated by a privileged few during the Gilded Age. Today, the Vanderbilts' Hyde Park home is preserved as Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site.

TABLE OF CONTENTS About This Lesson Getting Started: Inquiry Question Setting the Stage: Historical Context Locating the Site: Maps 1. New York State and surrounding region 2. Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site Determining the Facts: Readings 1. The Vanderbilt Family Beginnings 2. The Vanderbilts' Hyde Park Mansion 3. The Vanderbilts as Philanthropists Visual Evidence: Images 1. Vanderbilt Mansion under construction 2. Modern view of Vanderbilt Mansion 3. Vanderbilt Mansion today 4. 1st floor plan of the Vanderbilt Mansion 5. 2nd floor plan of the Vanderbilt Mansion 6. Louise Vanderbilt's bedroom 7. The Vanderbilt dining room 8. The Pavilion Putting It All Together: Activities 1. How the Other Half Lived 2. Researching Personalities from the Gilded Age 3. Philanthropy in the Local Community Supplementary Resources

RELATED INFORMATION How to Use a TwHP Lesson Lessons on Related Topics TwHP Home National Register Home About the National Register How the National Register Helps Teachers Contact TwHP Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site This lesson is based on Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site, one of the thousands of properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

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