Kykuit

For our next adventure, my sister and I went on a tour of the Rockefeller estate in Tarrytown, NY, called Kykuit (pronounced, “kai-koot“). What an incredible place! The house and grounds are stunning – filled with amazing art, all arranged with remarkable taste and care. This impressive property served as a spring and autumn home for three generations of Rockefellers (including Nelson Rockefeller, Governor of New York for many years, and the grandson of the original tycoon).

The tour began at the entrance to Phillipsburg Manor, an estate from colonial times, about 1 1/2 miles from the estate we actually came to see. I took a few pictures for sentimental reasons as I recall visiting this living history museum on a school field trip in elementary school.

As we rode the bus up to the estate, we learned that Kykuit – about 30 miles north of the Standard Oil headquarters on Wall St. – stretches over 4,000 acres and boasts 40 fountains, 17 bathrooms, and 44 bedrooms. Not to mention the impressive modern art collection gathered by Nelson Rockefeller.

Nelson’s love of art was nurtured by his mother, Abby, who also helped found the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. If you ever visit MoMA, you’ll undoubtedly notice how many pieces were donated by the Rockefeller family.

Philanthropy has always been at the heart of the family. John D. Rockefeller, Sr. (JD) – the original tycoon – is often called “the father of modern philanthropy.” JD believed in giving thoughtfully, focusing on education and medical research, and created a type of charitable giving previously unheard of: he made sure his financial gifts would continue to be felt for generations. This work continues to this day via The Rockefeller Foundation, with the family meeting annually to allocate charitable funds.

Construction on the house of Kykuit began in 1908. Originally, the house was designed in the style of a (large) cozy cottage. But when JD’s brought his wife, Laura, to see it, it was not at all to her liking. Laura preferred a more elegant, Classical Revival look. As such, the house was completely rebuilt into the version we see today and was completed in 1911. The goal was for the house to blend naturally with the landscape, and I think they pulled it off: walking throughout the home and grounds, it feels peaceful and harmonious, grand even in its simplicity.

The entryway was raised so that those arriving in horse-drawn carriages wouldn’t have to step down to enter the house; the porch was designed to match the typical height of most carriages.

4 generations of Rockefellers: from the left: “Jr” (JD’s son), in the middle is the founder of Standard Oil, JD, and to his right is Nelson holding his own young son, Rodman.

Highly patriotic, JDR had this eagle hover above the main entrance. The figures below the eagle, represented (if I recall correctly) science on one side and nature on the other.

When the house was built, JD was the wealthiest man in the world. So, of course, his home included all the latest technology and modern conveniences, including an Otis elevator inside the home as well as central vacuuming (in 1908!). But unlike other Gilded Age mansions reputably huge and over-the-top, Rockefeller wanted this home to feel warm, comfortable, and livable. A lifelong lover of natural vistas, JD sought to preserve his beautiful views. So, he bought all the land around the estate, of course, but he also purchased the village of Tarrytown as much as he could to control its development, going so far as to having his backyard raised (cubic tons!) to ensure his view of the Hudson River would not be spoiled by the village buildings. In fact, JDR even purchased the land across the river to protect his view; his land extended all the way down to New York City! This land – called The Palisades (mountains) – was eventually deeded to New York State, but on the condition the upper acreage remain undeveloped. To this day, this prime real estate just north of Manhattan remains untouched.

The main view from the back of the house. The location of the house was chosen for this stunning view from the master bedroom suite, which also looks out over the back veranda.

This enormous fountain stands across the drive from the main entrance, overlooking a stunning vista. The wide, round basin below the figures is a solid piece of granite, the largest piece ever mined from Maine. JD had to buy a bond to get it up the hill in case the road or rock was damaged. Sadly, none of the fountains were on, due to a leak. Given the complexity of the plumbing powering all of the estate’s waterworks, workmen must take it apart piece by piece to find the leak. Needless to say, this renovation/repair work is costly and laboriously intense. It is paid for by the Rockefeller Foundation.

The first part of the tour took us inside the house, where a warm feeling greeted us the moment we stepped in. Everywhere we looked, the décor added to the elegance and taste – each piece seemed to tell its own story. What truly made the house special, though, was its remarkable collection of art and artifacts. The family had gathered treasures from many cultures over the generations, honoring traditions from around the world. JD’s son, John D. Jr (Junior), even purchased J.P. Morgan’s entire collection of Chinese porcelain (now considered priceless), with exquisite pieces from the Han, Tang, Qin, and Ming dynasties gracing nearly every room.

As photo taking was not allowed inside the house, most of these are from the internet, but I did sneak 1 or 2 photos as I am wont to do!

The Chinese dynasty figure is kept in plexiglass not to protect it from modern day tourists; Nelson covered it to protect it from his boisterous children.

JD was a very religious Baptist. Sunday was for church and then hanging with family. The room in the photo above, is seen from the 2nd floor through an architectural feature called an oculus. This centrally located, “main” sitting room had an organ and the organist from the 5th Avenue Baptist Church would play for the family every Sunday afternoon.

The painting on this wall in the main sitting room is a Miro replica. Larger than the original hanging in MoMA, Nelson loved the design as well as how its colors complement the Chinese carpet.

The dining room set for 6 and again, below, set for 12. Fully extended, the table could sit 28.

A portrait of JD by John Singer Sargent, flanked by a pair of 18th century German, ceramic vultures.

JD was pretty much retired when he moved here, but this office was where he worked on his philanthropic causes. A TV was added during Nelson’s days and the case built to hold it matched the other mahogany bookcases in the office. However, evidence of ‘real living’ remains:
the TV sits atop a Campbell’s soup can because Nelson felt the TV sat too low in the case!

On the 2nd floor, this sitting room sits between the two main bedrooms. You can get a glimpse of the view. JD and Laura had a fully grown tree brought in to frame their view!

Ribcage showers were the hottest thing since sliced bread in JD’s day, and he had one installed in his private bathroom (there was also one in the golf house changing room). The room still contains typewritten instructions on how to work it. I saw instructions on how to make phone calls, too. Of course, the room had embroidered bath towels, but those were added during Junior’s time as master of the house.

When Junior moved in, he so respected (feared?) his father, he couldn’t bear to sleep in JD’s suite. So, Junior and his wife, Abby (Nelson’s mom), slept in the suite of rooms on the front side of the house. The photo above shows the sitting room between their two bedrooms.

The room above is across the hall from the office, just after you walk into the home. When Junior and Abby ran things, Abby loved this room, spent much of her time in it and is why Nelson hung her portrait here (not shown). When Abby was starting the Museum of Modern Art, she held meetings in this room, as well. It is still called “Abby’s Room.”

Another patriotic touch: copies of famous portraits of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln hang in one of the many sitting rooms.

Next, we entered the Butler’s pantry, just above the basement kitchen, where we saw the dumb waiter that brought up the food from the kitchen, the warmer to hold said food in case the family wasn’t ready for it just yet. We also perused a few sample menus from back in the day. We also saw the old-fashioned buzzer board telling the staff who needed help and in which room (very Downton Abbey style!). What really caught my eye, though, was the linoleum floor — a popular 1930s design identical to the one my grandmother had in her kitchen just across the river.

The dining room was next where, among the many other fascinating details of the house, were floor-to-ceiling sliding windows that could be opened all the way up, for dining en plein air.

And yet, every corner we turned held a personal touch underscoring the fact that this was a true family home. Not far from the John Singer Sargent portrait stood pieces of artwork by Nelson’s late son, Michael, who died tragically as a young man.

The dining room chandelier was originally electric, but Nelson later converted it to candles (my parents did the same thing in their dining room!) and added recessed ceiling lights for a softer glow. Eventually, the chandelier was restored back to electric.

The next part of our tour was Nelson’s Man Cave — a cozy set of basement rooms filled with Picassos and numerous other examples of incredible modern art. I knew we were in for something special when I noticed Picasso sketches hanging on the wall as we walked down the stairs to the den! Nelson loved spending time there, surrounded by his artwork. Before this space became a gallery, it served a far less glamorous purpose — it was the pipe room for the organ and was also used for storage.

Among the collection are two Andy Warhol silkscreens — one a gift from the artist himself, which inspired Nelson to commission another, this time of his wife, Happy.

At one point, Nelson learned about a large tapestry made to replicate Picasso’s Guernica and after learning more about it, had to commission more for his personal collection. Once a year, Rockefeller would suggest three paintings he thought were good candidates for the tapestry form. Picasso would select one, choose the colors (sometimes changing colors from the original painting), and then send the design to Madame J. de la Baume Durrbach, who wove them in her studio in the South of France. Each piece took about a year to complete and was larger than the original artwork. The final tapestry made before Picasso’s death was woven in silk — all the others are in wool. Nelson Rockefeller commissioned 18 pieces between 1958 and 1975. Kykuit normally houses 15 of these very rare tapestries.

Another charming touch was a display of glass bottles. Nelson’s sons had collected while walking through the woods. Nelson challenged the boys to create this display. He was so proud of their work that he always brought guests down to see it and bragged about what his sons had done. The display still stands proudly in the center of the room.

Next, our tour guide took us outside to the gardens, and I could take photos again. The landscape architect for the estate wanted the outside to feel like the gardens were an extension of the house, and in this he was most successful. As we left the basement, we walked through a grove of trees leading back up to the left side of the house and then explored a pool house, a former swimming pool, some gardens and a gazebo.

This sunken lawn previously held one of two pools that Nelson installed: one for adults and another on the other side of a short hedge which was of wading depth for the children.

In this photo you can see all the floors of the house. While the adults’ rooms were on the second floor, the children were on the third with the nannies, while the servants occupied the fourth.

Behind the sunken lawn of the previous pools is the Pool House seen below, complete with a soda fountain and a painted ceiling.

There were both formal gardens to stroll through as well as more relaxed ones. One garden near the pool house had an Asian influence, complete with Japanese sculpture.

Above this inset statue was a small ‘prayer space’, built in honor of Nelson’s deceased son Michael.

Toadstool furniture and gnomes were very popular at the time this estate was built. JD approved this toadstool set but said no to the gnomes!

Little details such as this frog were prevalent all over the estate.

The more formal gazebo shown below features a statue Junior desperately wanted. He first tried to acquire it before World War II but only succeeded after the war. Especially interesting is that the statue stands on a rotating pedestal, allowing her to face any direction. So – what part of the body would you want facing you?

Though the gazebo’s floor is due for repairs, it’s not exactly at the top of the priority list.

All the outdoor works of art can be lit at night in a myriad of ways. An extensive lighting panel in a foyer right off the main sitting room controls the lights, their brightness, etc.

When Nelson died, the Japanese style house and pool you see below (it sits lower down a hill below a short wall) was built for his widow, Happy, and their two sons. His youngest son, Mark, currently lives there.

The “backyard” of the house is where we were able to appreciate the view this estate has and that which JD worked so hard to preserve. The rear gardens also included an 18-hole golf course as JD was an avid golfer and played EVERY day he was in residence, weather permitting. Then there is a wilderness grotto, where the Rockefeller teenagers would have parties. You could easily imagine how on Friday nights the boys would hang out there with their buds. Jealous!

Above is the original swimming pool to the house.

This Japanese gazebo divides the back of the house from the left side.

The right side of the house does not have much garden space but just beyond is an expansive rolling lawn which leads to the “Playhouse.” The building includes (among other amenities) a bowling alley, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, basketball courts, a movie theater, a dining room and restaurant-style kitchen. When Nelson Rockefeller deeded Kykuit to New York State, he stipulated the family can always use the estate when they need to and the family clearly still needs the Playhouse because they use it regularly! As a matter of fact, the weekend before we toured, a family member had a wedding reception there. We could not tour inside the Playhouse, although there may be tours beginning next spring.

As we walked to the bus and began the return to normal life, we passed this water trough. Even the horses were treated to artistic details.

The last stop on the tour was the Carriage House. The structure belonged to a neighboring, older estate that was bought by the Rockefellers. The large building now houses a conference center as well as two enormous ‘garages’: the first with antique horse-pulled carriages and an impressive car collection in the other.

JD loved driving, so as he drove himself to work, the chauffeur would sit in the back. Once they arrived at the office, the chauffeur would take over.

This saddle was a gift from the king of Morocco.

All the automobiles were the top-of-the-line of their day and made for the family. The family insisted on only American made cars expect for one. While at the 1964 World’s fair Nelson saw the first Mustang ever built and bought that. Then he saw a red Daimler and just had to have that as well, and thus the family tradition was broken.

Rockefeller kids enjoyed riding around the estate and the local village in this Red Bug (also known as a Flyer), popular in 1924.

The first electric car, build in 1916, with peak production happening between 1912 and 1920. The family used this as a back-up car during WW2, when gasoline was rationed.

The car used by Nelson when he was the Governor of New York State.

As I mentioned before, the artwork displayed in the house and around the estate is a reason to visit alone. Here are SOME of the sculptures on the estate.