Mills Mansion

We visited Mills Mansion on Saturday in Staatsburgh, NY.  The mansion has an interesting history and stark contrast with Vanderbilt Mansion just down the road.

As with most Gilded Age Mansions, the descendants didn't want the house and had to do something with it.  A lot of families gave the houses to the town, state, or national park service.  The State of NY has done a tremendous disservice to this spectacular structure.  Many areas of the grounds are deteriorating.  The exterior was sprayed with Gunite in the 50s and it's absolutely horrific.  The adornments on the exterior are falling off and I fear that 50 years from now it will be another victim of New York State's mismanagement.

Some details.

The exterior.  The gray areas are where the gunite was sprayed.  The white has been rennovated.

In the basement they are doing a rennovation down the lathe.

oak doors in the basement

The caretakers quarters.  When the family was in town, he often stayed on the estate.  The safe is where they kept the cash and gold.

Oak paneling on the back stairs.

The servant's stairs.

A shelf in the kitchen.

Ogden Mills

The dining room.  Very dark dining room.

Sitting room.

painting above the grand staircase

Mr. Mills' desk.

Mrs. Mills' bedroom.  Atypically on the first floor.

The mansion had "state of the art" fire fighting equiptment throughtout the house.