"Steen Valetje"/"Mandara"

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Steen Valetje was the estate of Franklin Hughes Delano and his wife, Laura Astor Delano. Franklin Hughes Delano, born July 27, 1813, became a partner in the New York shipping firm of Grinnell, Minturn and Company in January 1839. In September 1844 he married Laura Astor (a daughter of William Backhouse Astor and granddaughter of John Jacob Astor). As a wedding present the couple received a portion of William Backhouse Astor's "Rokeby" estate near Barrytown, New York; their house, a large Tuscan style mansion with a square tower was constructed there between 1849 - 1851. The Delanos named their new estate Steen Valetje, Dutch for Stone Valley. Franklin Hughes Delano was involved in many financial ventures with his brothers Warren, Frederick, and Edward; he also had control over a large piece of property in the city of New York which his wife had inherited. He served as Consul for Chile at New York from 1840 until 1851 when he resigned that office and also retired as an active partner in Grinnell, Minturn and Company. He and his wife traveled to Europe that year; they later spent much of their time in Italy and Monte Carlo. Franklin Delano died in Monte Carlo in December 1893; Laura Astor Delano died there in 1902. Franklin Hughes Delano was the great uncle and namesake of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In the late 20th century the Delano's original Tuscan mansion was extensively remodeled in the Georgian style. The estate's name was also changed to "Mandara" at that time. Listed for sale in October 2016

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