# 1849 - Rockwood Hall (2nd Largest House)



## Skydog (Apr 26, 2021)

*Preface: *I recently moved to Tarrytown NY - really at the behest of my wife  - but I am pleased to report that the historical narrative that TPTB offer up on this little Rockefeller stronghold on the Hudson is as chockablock full of outrageous malarkey and impossibility that one cannot help but smirk at the boldfaced ruse so successfully bestowed upon us pleebs for so long. 

*Rockwood Hall: *Once the second largest private residence in the US..



Story:

- Original English Gothic castle built in 1849 (*SD Comment: Ruse #1 - 1849 - one single year to construct this castle) *from locally quarried stone by wealthy merchant Edwin Bartlett.

- By 1860, Bartlett sold the house to William Henry Aspinwall, who lived there until 1875; his son Lloyd lived at the house until 1886.

- William Rockefeller purchased the estate and accounts differ as to whether he demolished the original castle and then built another -- or simply extensively renovated the original structure. *(SD Comment: Ruse #2 -Think about how outrageous that statement really is). *

- The resulting 204-room mansion was the second largest private dwelling in the United States, exceeded only by the George Washington Vanderbilt II’s Biltmore estate in Ashville, North Carolina.

- Set 150 feet above the Hudson River and 500 feet back from it, the manor house was built in the castellated Elizabethan style.

- It was 174 feet long by 104 feet wide - with outside walls of granite, inner walls of brick and a four-inch air space in between. The walls were three-and-a-half feet thick at the foundation and two feet thick at the upper floors.

- Every bedroom has its own open fireplace - *(SD Comment - Ruse #3 - loads and loads of my favorite decorative fire places - dual prongs and all). *


- Rockefeller died there in 1922, and his heirs sold it to investors, who turned the house and property into Rockwood Hall Country Club. The club became bankrupt in 1936, after which it became the Washington Irving Country Club. By 1940, the property lay empty again, so its owner John D. Rockefeller Jr. had most of the property's buildings razed, including the mansion. In late 1946, the Rockwood Hall property was proposed for the location of the United Nations headquarters. John Jr.'s son Laurence Rockefeller sold some of the property to IBM in 1970. IBM's property was later bought by New York Life, followed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, the current owner. The remaining property was sold to New York State at a significantly reduced price to become parkland within Rockefeller State Park.

- Shrouded in mystery, all that remains today is the foundation and terraced staircases, which only adds to the allure and intrigue for the many that visit what is now “Rockwood Hall Park.”

*SD Comment: I wish I had more time to cry foul properly here but I’m not even sure it’s necessary anymore. *


> Note: This OP was recovered from the Sh.org archive.





> Note: Archived Sh.org replies to this OP are included in this thread.


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## HollyHoly (Apr 26, 2021)

> Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.Username: HollyHolyDate: 2019-12-05 07:30:36Reaction Score: 5


a fire place in every bedroom it should have been named Chimney House and now its gone . it seems we have have these impossible to build structures that also impossibly disappear. It reminds me of fairy legends about glamour which is a spell of temporary reality , Like  handing someone a bag of gold  and then when they look in the bag its a bag of walnuts


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## KD Archive (Apr 26, 2021)

> Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.Username: KorbenDallasDate: 2019-12-05 09:33:47Reaction Score: 8


That's one weird story. Why would you alter a brand new building? There could be many reasons, but why?

Wondering whether the c.1860 driveway was paved, for the 1890 one was not, and goes in a totally different direction.


_Rockwood Hall - Wikipedia_


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## Archive (Apr 26, 2021)

> Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.Username: studytruthDate: 2019-12-05 09:53:27Reaction Score: 2


KD I would look for some photos from the 1890's. I could be that the drawing is simply artistic liscense...then again the drawing does look similar to what we see in the OP.

We need to find a few more photos to gage roughly when this house went through its great changes.
I will look around...

ACTUALLY I just found that it is now in a State Park, and that there is a very old aqueduct there.
Photo in the article below

Rockwood Hall – Archville Bridge

Image Link


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## KD Archive (Apr 26, 2021)

> Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.Username: KorbenDallasDate: 2019-12-05 10:05:09Reaction Score: 1


I don’t know when it was demolished, but Wiki says 1941-42. Where are the photographs? I did not have much success finding any.


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## Archive (Apr 26, 2021)

> Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.Username: studytruthDate: 2019-12-05 18:24:57Reaction Score: 5


This site, while it does not have more photos, might have a bit more information on the house background and what happened to it

Rockwood Hall - HouseHistree


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## KD Archive (Apr 26, 2021)

> Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.Username: KorbenDallasDate: 2019-12-05 19:24:28Reaction Score: 3


Isn't it strange, that there appear to be no photographs made between 1890 and 1942?


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## EUAFU (Apr 26, 2021)

> Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.Username: EUAFUDate: 2019-12-05 21:31:40Reaction Score: 2


This building does not appear to have 204 rooms as stated.


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## Skydog (Apr 26, 2021)

> Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.Username: SkydogDate: 2019-12-06 18:32:26Reaction Score: 1




EUAFU said:


> This building does not appear to have 204 rooms as stated.


I agree that Rockwood Hall does not appear to have 204 rooms at first glance. However, the main wiki article goes into a fair amount of detail on the layout of each floor and it looks like at least 30 rooms (probably more) were for servants.

Also, to put it in perspective - City Hall Philadelphia has ~700 rooms. Clearly City Hall dwarfs Rockwood Hall, but I wouldn’t have guessed City Hall has 700 rooms based on this pic below. But City Hall is still standing today (I was just there a month ago - only in 4 rooms - but they did not disappoint for one second - beyond amazing structure that we could never build with our late 1800s (or current) grubby hands) and the ~700 room count must be true today - as even mainstream would throw the flag on it if it were not the case (IMHO).


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## EUAFU (Apr 26, 2021)

> Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.Username: EUAFUDate: 2019-12-06 20:06:48Reaction Score: 2




Skydog said:


> I agree that Rockwood Hall does not appear to have 204 rooms at first glance. However, the main wiki article goes into a fair amount of detail on the layout of each floor and it looks like at least 30 rooms (probably more) were for servants.
> 
> Also, to put it in perspective - City Hall Philadelphia has ~700 rooms. Clearly City Hall dwarfs Rockwood Hall, but I wouldn’t have guessed City Hall has 700 rooms based on this pic below. But City Hall is still standing today (I was just there a month ago - only in 4 rooms - but they did not disappoint for one second - beyond amazing structure that we could never build with our late 1800s (or current) grubby hands) and the ~700 room count must be true today - as even mainstream would throw the flag on it if it were not the case (IMHO).
> View attachment 35552


Really, I would never imagine that this building has 700 rooms looking at this picture, so that mansion might have the 204 alleged rooms.

Sorry to divert the topic, but this statue at the top of the Philadelphia City Hall is impressive, both in size, in making, and how hoisted it up at this point.


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## KD Archive (Apr 26, 2021)

> Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.Username: KorbenDallasDate: 2019-12-06 20:22:10Reaction Score: 3


How many of those are underground?


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## HollyHoly (Apr 26, 2021)

> Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.Username: HollyHolyDate: 2019-12-06 20:57:16Reaction Score: 2




KorbenDallas said:


> How many of those are underground?


Phildephia city hall basement


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## KD Archive (Apr 26, 2021)

> Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.Username: KorbenDallasDate: 2019-12-06 21:20:28Reaction Score: 5




HollyHoly said:


> Phildephia city hall basement


Yup, the Philly one is a humongous building too: 547 feet: 1871 Philadelphia City Hall

I was actually referring to the Rockwood Hall. I also do not see how the Hall could have 204 rooms.

_This here_ is the first floor. That's what, 20-25 rooms? At this rate they would need like 10 stories to get to 204. _Could this be the solution?_

_Floorplan of the original first floor, 1860._

_Source_
As we know from the OP,  it belonged to W. H. Aspinwall at some point, hence referred to as W. H. Aspinwall's villa. Do we even know what hypothetical prior name to look for? That is if it existed before it was officially built...


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## HollyHoly (Apr 26, 2021)

> Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.Username: HollyHolyDate: 2019-12-06 23:05:47Reaction Score: 1


Seems like there is a  hint of subterranean  possible subfloors being referred to ... maybe.. frustrating that no one can do do some radar scans of these


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## Plissken (Apr 26, 2021)

> Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.Username: PlisskenDate: 2019-12-07 07:37:55Reaction Score: 7


Nice find Skydog!  This famously huge mansion is more elusive than Bigfoot to photograph.  I was recently looking around the area in relation to other studies and there are tons of interesting stolen history aspects to this area.  Looking forward to more strangeness from the Hudson River Valley!


source

      

From Wheeler's book with original building info here.  It reads like a "order your floor plan #56 from Better Homes and Garden for only 299.99".  It is also a modular design where you can add on rooms that will that blend with the original building, which brings us back to did Rockefeller destroy and rebuild or redesign and enlarge.  

The outline of the ruins:

And here is the barn (THE BARN!!!!)from this PDF --has the pictures from the OP and more.


Another pic
One more
Book with pic

Plissken


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## AgentOrange5 (Apr 26, 2021)

> Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.Username: AgentOrange5Date: 2019-12-07 14:54:58Reaction Score: 2




Plissken said:


> And here is the barn (THE BARN!!!!)from this PDF --has the pictures from the OP and more.


That is just crazy. How cute they have all the upper story windows for the animals to look out of. Even accounting for there probably being some hired men who lived in the barn, I don't believe that anyone would design a barn to look like that. Obviously repurposed.


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## Skydog (Apr 26, 2021)

> Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.Username: SkydogDate: 2020-01-02 10:19:43Reaction Score: 10


I was able to visit the foundation ruins yesterday. Pretty impressive place. Wasn’t able to go too far off the beaten trail though given the wind was howling off the river and the kids were cold / wanted to leave.


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## Archive (Apr 26, 2021)

> Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.Username: RarityDate: 2020-01-02 12:38:39Reaction Score: 2


The Aspinwall mansion was burned and "destroyed" by a "defective fuse" in March 1885, causing $70,000 in damages.

_Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, March 19, 1885_
Rockefeller secured the 795 acre estate from the Aspinwalls in early 1887

_The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, February 22, 1887_
1890 _Harper's Weekly _with the illustration KorbenDallas posted above along with details and information on Rockwood Hall. It says the Aspinwall mansion was torn down and stone from it was used to build parts of the foundation of two great stables.

_Harper's Weekly_

1897 article in German with an illustration of Rockwood Hall

_Scranton Wochenblatt. (Scranton, Pa.) 1865-1918, September 23, 1897_

This 1897 edition of _The American Magazine _gives a photo of Rockwood Hall, a description of the Aspinwall mansion, and says the old building had been destroyed to build Rockwood Hall.

_The American Magazine_

Another, brief description of Aspinwall mansion: "brown square tower; the largest on the river." 

_The Hudson River by Daylight_
This one says Aspinwall's had 100 rooms.

_The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, July 29, 1906_
1896 article going over some info and descriptions of Rockwood Hall.

_Waterbury Democrat. (Waterbury, Conn.) 1895-1897, May 20, 1896_
Descriptions of some of the paintings that were commissioned for Rockwood Hall's various rooms. 

_The Peterson Magazine_


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## Skydog (Apr 26, 2021)

> Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.Username: SkydogDate: 2020-01-05 16:58:37Reaction Score: 5


I was able to go back to the Rockwood Hall grounds yesterday with just my dog, so had more time to investigate.

The master masonry on display here is just stunning. The massive granite slabs on top of the curving “foundation” walls that seemingly go on forever couldn’t have been more perfectly cut, sized and placed - by whomever / whenever. Maybe that’s why they are still there...too hard to remove when the rest of the house was supposedly demolished in the 1940s.


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## _harris (Apr 26, 2021)

> Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.Username: 0harris0Date: 2020-01-06 22:40:19Reaction Score: 0


_@Skydog_ , awesome photos!! great that you can get there!

i can't see _this_ foundation in relation to any of the photos of the house?!


on google maps that bit with curved ends looks to be behind the original buildings platform/ foundation?! (behind from the old photograph view) wonder what was there?

EDIT - ahhh i think that's just a pre-platform before the house? can see the steps in other pics from the front-on view? but no more steps going up to the actual house? odd


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## Archive (Apr 26, 2021)

> Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.Username: Big JohnDate: 2020-01-11 23:48:37Reaction Score: 2




EUAFU said:


> This building does not appear to have 204 rooms as stated.


The house does look very small for 204 rooms, maybe everyone in those days were really small. I have a burning question how does is go bankrupt when owned by a Rockefeller. This gets even weirder when you add in that its was supposed to be the UN headquarters.


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