Another beauty from the past!
A decent hike along Breakneck Ridge in Cold Spring, New York, leads you to the ruins of the Cornish Estate, also known as Northgate to the family who called it home. (Along the way, you can also catch a glimpse of Bannerman Castle–see previous post.)
If I could spend months meandering through the Hudson Valley at whatever pace I chose, I’d be a happy girl. I’m a little stuck on the area! I’ve been there once, a decade ago, and it was enough to whet my appetite for more exploring. Its mix of sunshiny welcome and tree-shaded mysterious nooks serves up great food for a writer’s appetite for dreaming.
The Cornish Estate is another haven for history and mystery. No one knows who designed it, but it was built in 1912 for diamond merchant Sigmund Stern. Five years later, he sold the 650-acre estate to Edmund and Selina Cornish. Edward was president of the National Lead Company in NYC, but the newlyweds wanted to leave the city and move north.
An hour’s train ride north led them to their new home. He was president of the National Lead Company. Together, they furnished their mansion and made a place to thrive that also included a swimming pool, gardens, and outbuildings.
Requesting forgiveness to post it!
They entertained often and lavishly, creating a rich history for their family. It wasn’t until recent years when descendants of the family discovered photographs of the original estate in its glory days. Respecting copyright requests, I can’t post those photos here, but I can include this link so you can easily take a visual tour of the original place on your own.
Befitting the stuff of tragic love stories, Edward and Selina died within two weeks of each other in May 1938. For the next twenty years, the buildings and grounds fell into disrepair until a fire destroyed much of the mansion. In the decades since then, nature has taken over. Now the ruins attract sightseers and hikers, photography and history buffs. Online searches
Here are a few more links if you’d like to know more: