"La Bergerie"/"Rokeby"

 residence, 1810s construction

"Rokeby"was created between 1811 and 1815 for Brigadier General John Armstrong Jr. and his wife, Alida Livingston Armstrong, youngest daughter of Judge Robert Livingston and Margaret Beekman Livingston of "Clermont." The land for the estate was purchased from Alida's family, whose first American ancestor, Robert Livingston, was granted immense tracts of land along the Hudson by the British Crown in 1688. General Armstrong was a Pennsylvanian who had served as aide-de-camp to General Horatio Gates during the Revolutionary War, and was widely considered to have authored the somewhat infamous "Newburgh Letters," urging military officers to seize control of the then ineffectual congress. Armstrong was also a U.S. Senator, Minister to France, and Secretary of War under James Madison.

When the British burned the city of Washington D.C. during the War of 1812, Armstrong unfairly received much of the blame - he consequently retired to finish building his estate on the Hudson in 1815, and the family moved in before the work was complete. Armstrong had previously created two other estates in the area, "The Meadows," and "Mill HIll." John Armstrong himself is believed to have been the designer of those estates, as well as Rokeby. The Armstrongs originally called their home "La Bergerie," French for "the sheepfold," as they were raising a large herd of Merino sheep which had been a gift from Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1818, the Armstrong's youngest child and only daughter, Margaret Rebecca, married William Backhouse Astor, son and main heir of John Jacob Astor I. In 1836, William Astor purchased the estate from his father in law for $50,000.00. The portion of the property containing the Mudder Kill is said to have reminded Margaret Astor of the glen in Sir Walter Scott's epic poem, Rokeby, and she changed the estate's name from "La Bergerie" to "Rokeby." In 1849, William Astor gave 100 acres on the southern portion of "Rokeby" to Franklin Hughes Delano, great uncle and namesake of the future President and husband of Astor's daughter Laura. The Delanos enlarged their property, built an Italianate mansion and called their new place "Steen Valetje," Dutch for stone valley.}

General & Mrs. Armstong's home was originally a large, nearly square masonry house of federal design with a low hipped roof and central palladian window. A scot named Warner Richards is thought to have been the home's master builder. The house had a three bay front facade with five bay side elevations. There is a central entrance and interior hall which opens into three rooms on each side, and a curved staircase was located at the back of this hall. The staircase returned and entered a rectangular hall with a large skylight on the second floor. The four front bedrooms were accessed from this hall. There was originally a second straight staircase that led from grade to an elaborate door with sidelights on the second floor which was open to the main hall. Due to later alterations, this feature is now completely enclosed. On the other side of the door there is now a small vestibule, an arched passage, and a small flight of stairs descending to the main staircase. Later owners, including Astors, Wards, and Chanlers, all enlarged and/or remodeled the house to some degree. The service wing, tower and mansard roof date to 1857-1858. The designer of the spectacular gothic revival library contained within the tower is unknown, although some believe it is the work of Alexander Jackson Davis. Noted architect and Chanler family friend Stanford White was hired to do more alterations in 1895, most notably in the library. The estate's landscaping was improved by Hans Jacob Ehlers in 1846. It was improved again by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. in 1912.

WIlliam and Rebecca Astor's daughter Emily married Samuel Ward, brother of Julia Ward Howe. Their daughter, Margaret Astor Ward married John Winthrop Chanler. Mr. & Mrs. Chanler both died unexpectedly and within a short time, and their children, described in contemporary newspapers as "The Astor Orphans," were sent to "Rokeby" to be raised by a series of nannies and tutors. The grandchildren of one of these so-called Astor Orphans. Margaret Chanler Aldrich, are "Rokeby"'s current caretakers. The house remains a private residence in the family and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

It was recently highlighted in the 2013 memoir "The Astor Orphan" by Alexandra Aldrich. Limited access has been given to hold and attend public events on the estate's grounds.

www.themagazineantiques.com/article/rokeby-the-past-is-...
www.eventsatrokeby.com/
www.locationdepartment.net/locations/9078