NEWSLETTER
“A Horse’s Life at Staatsburgh”
Staatsburg, N.Y. (4/20/22) — From spirited thoroughbreds to sturdy work horses and gentle cart ponies, Staatsburgh was an equine world. On May 14, 15, and 21, at 10:00am, Staatsburgh staff will lead a walk for children and their families on the grounds of Staatsburgh and talk about the many roles that horses played on a Gilded Age estate. The staff will show historic photographs of horses on the estate, including photos of children riding at Staatsburgh over 100 years ago.
In the days before the internal combustion engine, horses were essential to the estate way of life, for both work and leisure. Horses worked the estate’s farm, pulled the mowers that cut the extensive lawns, and risked their lives on the Hudson River, harvesting the winter’s ice crop. The elite among the family horses were riding horses, carriage horses, and thoroughbred horses that competed in the world’s most prestigious horseraces.
The program is free, but reservations are required; the link for making reservations can be found at www.bookeo.com/StaatsburghSHS. Visitors may also enjoy strolling the grounds of the site, picnicking by the Hudson River or hiking the woodland trails in adjacent Mills and Norrie State Parks.
Staatsburgh was the autumn home of Ruth Livingston Mills, a prominent figure in New York Society, and her husband, industrialist and philanthropist Ogden Mills. The mansion was redesigned by the famous architect Stanford White in 1895 and decorated in the styles of 17th and 18th century France. In this lavish setting, Ruth Livingston Mills hosted parties for the elite of Gilded Age Society. Guests included people such as her cousin John Jacob Astor, her neighbors Fredrick and Louise Vanderbilt, and her twin daughters’ close friend Alice Roosevelt, President Theodore Roosevelt’s eldest daughter.
Staatsburgh State Historic Site and the Ogden Mills & Ruth Livingston Mills Memorial State Park are located on Old Post Road in Staatsburg, off Route 9 between Rhinebeck and Hyde Park. The historic site is one of 6 sites and 15 parks administered by the Taconic Region of New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. For more information, call 845-889-8851, or visit Staatsburgh’s websites at Parks.NY.gov, Facebook, and Blogger. Staatsburgh’s events are listed at Parks.NY.gov/Events.
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 individual parks, historic sites, recreational trails and boat launches, which were visited by a record 78 million people in 2020. A recent university study found that spending by State Parks and its visitors supports $5 billion in output and sales, 54,000 private-sector jobs and more than $2.8 billion in additional state GDP. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit parks.ny.gov, connect on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter. The free New York State Parks Explorer mobile app is available for iOS and Android devices. To download, visit: Google Play Store, NY State Parks Explorer App or Apple Store, NY State Parks Explorer App.
###
Contact: Donald Fraser | Donald.Fraser@parks.ny.gov | (845) 889-8851 ext. 338