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A trio of historic homes — two from the 19th century, one from the 20th century — are must-sees when you visit Garrison.
A National Historic Landmark, Manitoga is the home of industrial designer Russel Wright. (Chances are good your parents or grandparents had a set of the super-modern dishes he designed.) The house itself, called Dragon Rock, has been compared to architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic Falling Water. Both are in heavily wooded settings and seem to be an integral part of the landscape. Plate glass windows overlook a placid pond and a 30-foot-tall waterfall. A vine-covered pergola leads to his studio, where he come up with many of his most innovative designs for furnishings and other objects. The surrounding 75-acre woodland garden has miles of trails that will delight hikes of all levels. Remember to leave your dogs at home, as there is a no pet policy.
Make sure to check out a true miracle, Boscobel House and Gardens. When this historic home dating from 1808 fell into disrepair, it was scheduled to be demolished. Preservationists recovered all the architectural details they could and rebuilt the stately home piece by piece at its current location at what is possibly the most beautiful vantage point along the Hudson River. The result was a Federal-style showplace that equals — and sometimes even surpasses — the grandeur of the original. Tours give you a real understanding of what life was like for the upper classes in the early 19th century. Come on Saturday and you can also wander around the Cold Spring Farmers’ Market, a magical place to do your shopping and connect with the community.
On 30 acres overlooking the Hudson River, the 19th-century Tudor Revival mansion known as Winter Hill is currently home to Hudson Highlands Land Trust, the Garden Conservancy, and the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. There currently aren’t tours of the half-timbered house, but the property’s gentle slopes make it a favorite sledding destination in the winter.
