Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park - Great River, New York
Posted by: moelsla
N 40° 44.359 W 073° 09.770
18T E 655119 N 4511442
In 1884, William Bayard Cutting, civic leader and entrepreneur, acquired 660+ acres along the Connetquot River. Cutting hired Charles Haight in 1885 to build the Tudor style mansion and Frederick Law Olmsted Sr. was commission to design the landscape
Waymark Code: WM19CPT
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 01/27/2024
Views: 1
The Bayard Cutting Estate was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
The mansion is 19,000 square feet, the summer home of William and his wife is the heart of the park. The mansion is modeled on a Tudor-style English country house. The interior of the 60 room mansion features large pieces of oak furniture, stained-glass windows from Louis Comfort Tiffany and imported fireplaces.
On June 18, 1936, the Long Island State Park Commission was given 200 acres of the Cutting estate for use as an arboretum by Mrs. Bayard James, daughter of William Cutting, with the stipulation that she and her mother keep full use of the property as long as either is living. Both the house and property were given to the people of Long Island "to provide an oasis of beauty and quiet for the pleasure, rest, and refreshment of those who delight in outdoor beauty; and to bring about a greater appreciation and understanding of the value and importance of informal planting". The Long Island State Park Commission took over control of the park on Dec. 1, 1952. An endowment fund of $1,000,000 had been set up by Mrs. Cutting who died November 15, 1949. Alterations were made to the property including the addition of bathrooms and parking lots and adding a tearoom to the main house. Improvements were also made to roads and paths.
The park officially opened to the public on May 15, 1954. In keeping with the purpose of the gift, the commission decided that there would be no picnicking, bathing, horseback riding or playgrounds allowed on the property. More parking spaces were added the following year to accommodate more visitors. Extensions were also made to trails and walks.
Street address: 440 Montauk Hwy Great River , New York United States 11739
County / Borough / Parish: Suffolk County
Year listed: 1973
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture, Landscape Architecture
Periods of significance: 1875-1899
Historic function: Event, Architecture/Engineering
Current function: Park
Privately owned?: no
Hours of operation: From: 9:00 AM To: 4:00 PM
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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