Lyndhurst Mansion's Eerie Allure in Tarrytown, NY
The Gothic Spectacle on the Hudson
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Nestled in the foreboding woods of Tarrytown, New York, Lyndhurst Mansion casts an otherworldly silhouette against the twilight sky. A quintessential specimen of Gothic Revival architecture, it sits on a sprawling 67-acre plot by the Hudson River, a spectral guardian just south of the Mario Cuomo Bridge (Tappan Zee Bridge). This hallowed haven, etched with antiquity, is recognized as a National Historic Landmark, haunted not only by its past but by the chilling scenes captured within its stone walls for the Dark Shadows films.
A Folly or a Fantasy?
Constructed in 1838, Lyndhurst was conceived by the visionary architect Alexander Jackson Davis, its design provoking both curiosity and mockery. Its first resident, the then Mayor of New York City William Paulding Jr., fondly named his abode "Knoll". Critics, however, were quick to deride it as "Paulding's Folly", thanks to its fantastical turrets and irregular outline. This remarkable residence, dressed in limestone quarried from Sing Sing in today's Ossining, New York, remained undaunted.
A Tale of Three Owners
George Merritt, a successful merchant, was the next to fall under Lyndhurst's bewitching spell. Bringing Davis back as his architect, Merritt expanded the mansion between 1864-1865, bestowing it with the name "Lyndenhurst", a tribute to the estate's linden trees. A grandiose four-story tower, a revamped porte-cochere, a lavish dining room, and servant quarters were among the spectral additions in the house's north wing.
In 1880, the mansion's whispers beckoned Jay Gould, a railway magnate. As the new master of the house, he saw fit to shorten its name to "Lyndhurst". This cryptic abode served as his country house until his demise in 1892.
In the eerie silence that followed Gould's death, his daughter, Anna, decided to hand over the keys to Lyndhurst to the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1961. To this day, Lyndhurst Mansion opens its heavy wooden doors to those brave enough to step into its historic and spectral world.
So, do you dare to roam the halls of Lyndhurst? Come feel the chill of centuries past and the thrill of a ghost story etched in stone and wood. Don't forget to take a moment to remember its former inhabitants – if you're lucky, they may return the favor!
