National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Railroad Right-of-Way
Former New York Central Rail Road. Currently Conrail. Railroad constructed circa 1850s.
SMALL-SCALE FEATURES
Garden Ornament Fragments
Ornament in the gardens probably date to the first work undertaken in the Langdon Era, but current
fragments are remnants of the garden development efforts of Frederick W. Vanderbilt. There are
scores of garden ornament remnants. Included in the collection of ornaments are bases of cast stone
finials, Roman wells carved from marble, and some cast stone benches beneath the large pergolas as in
the rose garden.
BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES
Coach House
Designed by Robert Henderson Robertson and constructed in 1897 during Vanderbilt tenure, this
building is an elaborate example of Queen Anne style architecture. Building is an elaborate, two-story
Queen Anne, multiple gable building. North wing is Roman brick walls while remainder is halftimbered
and stucco. Other features include brownstone watertables, wood gargoyle bracket ends,
brick quoins, red tile roof, brick window surrounds, steel trusses, and framing.
Gardener's Cottage
Designed by John Sturgis and Charles Brigham and constructed in 1875 under the Langdon tenure,
this was one of two buildings on the property retained by the Vanderbilts. Building was part of an
ambitious building program which fixed the present relationship between the mansion site and the
formal gardens. It is an asymmetrical Italianate two-story, brick building with a slate, cross gable roof.
Other features include round-headed windows, bracketing, ornamental eaves and decorative window,
bluestone rubble masonry foundation, white painted shutters and board and batten siding at gable
ends.
Loggia
Designed most likely by Robert Cridland while employed by Thos. Meehan and Sons. Constructed in
1910. This small building represents the final element of the building program serving the formal
garden complex. The loggia terminates the axial path of the rose garden, a romantic expression of
Italian architecture intended to complement the theme of a pre-existing garden. Consists of an Italian
pavilion inspired loggia. It is one-story with a tile hip roof. On the west and east faces are three-arch
openings with round columns. On the north and south elevations are single arch openings with low
iron railings across the openings.
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