Imagine losing everything and refusing to start over.
Would you cook up an elaborate scheme to save your lifestyle?
Hi everyone, ken here, welcome to this house.
Today we are exploring Wilderstein in New York.
Make sure to hit that subscribe button so you never miss an exciting episode of this
house.
Robert Suckley was born into an incredibly wealthy family.
His grandfather, George Suckley, had emigrated to the US from England, chasing the American
dream.
George set up shop as a merchant, but quickly became a shipping magnate through a series
of wise investments.
George then married into the Livingston bloodline which came with large swaths of land lining
the Hudson river.
His estate passed through generations, with his son, Thomas, building a modest, but stately
Italianate house on 32 pristine acres along the Hudson river.
When Thomas died, he left the entirety of the family fortune to his only surviving son,
Robert.
Only 1 short month had passed since his fathers funeral before he went on a spending spree.
He headed up to the family estate, known as Wilderstein, and hired architect Arnout Cannon
Junior to reimagine the existing home as a mansion, but with one stipulation.
The family home was not to be torn down, but worked into a new house.
The architect set out to study the layout before announcing a plan to build a new house
around it, burying the old home inside of a sprawling queen anne style mansion.
But construction would not stop there.
The grounds were reimagined to include a 10,000 square foot carriage house to compliment the
main house.
In addition, a gate house was built at the entrance of the estate and a boat house was
added by the river.
For the interior of the main house, Robert hired Joseph Burr Tiffany, the nephew of Louis
Comfort Tiffany, to complete the interior design.
Now that the house was finished, Robert could see the highly ornamented interior which he
had paid top dollar to have Tiffany design.
Pulling up the drive in a horse drawn carriage, you would step out below the port cochere
and make your way towards the front door, noticing stained glass surrounding the door
in the intricate fashion for which Tiffany was known.
Walking inside, you would enter the stair hall clad with wood paneling from floor to
ceiling.
A built in seat joined with stairs continuing upwards with carved balustrade joining on
newel posts supporting flamboyant lanterns in the form of statuary.
Such as the Griffin lamp atop the master newel post with bat like wings and sharp fangs protruding
from the serpentine body.
To compliment the built in seating was an inglenook, ensuring that upon arriving home,
you would be greeted by a warm fire.
Continuing on, in stark contrast to the dark woods found in the entrance hall, was the
white and gold room finished out in the Louis the 16th style with gold leafed garland and
fanciful pediments above the doors and windows.
Of the finer details, we can find floral relief work carved into the think columns supporting
some of the windows.
At the top of the room, the walls dramatically curved above the frieze to join with the ceiling,
where layers of millwork framed a round mural.
Though smaller murals could be found in some of the other framed ceiling sections such
as musical instruments and geometric patterns playfully surrounding the central mural.
Continuing to the living room, and true to the American colonial style, overstuffed sofas
were situated above colorful rugs with floral borders.
On the walls, damask wallpaper stretched from floor to ceiling and on the ceiling, if we
look closely, we will notice plaster garland curving as it dances about the perimeter.
Next we will arrive in the dining room where we will find a stunning display of craftsmanship
as each section of wainscotting bevels.
The curves of the lower mantle break from the geometric millwork to bring the eyes upward,
layer by layer as we find intricate relief work in each section of the fireplace until
our eyes rest on the coffered ceilings with inlaid relief work soaring overhead.
To the side was a heraldic stained glass window featuring a coat of arms reading “Si Je
Puis” or translated to “If I can”
We will then find the Library, finished out in a mixture of the Moorish and Flemish styles
with half height bookcases wrapping around the room.
Every surface was overflowing with books and trinkets, though towering above the clutter,
a series of stained glass windows rose towards the ceilings with millwork rounding out and
dramatically pointing upwards.
Taking a look behind the scenes of this estate, we will enter the servants kitchen where we
can see a range set against a tiled wall.
And on the other end of the room, you could enter the pantry to find glass display cases
safely storing the family’s collection of fine china.
Robert started a family here with his wife Bessie and had 5 children, though one passed
away from illness during childhood.
Shortly after, during the panic of the 1890s, the Suckleys moved to Switzerland to wait
out the recession.
Robert returned state side often for business, but while he was in the US he would buy things
and have them stored at the house.
Later, he brought his family back to the united states to send his 3 boys off to Harvard for
college and soon after decided to relocate back to Wilderstein permanently.
Of his 3 sons, only Henry managed to graduate while the other 2 flunked out.
During world war one, henry felt compelled to join the military, but was killed during
an air strike in Albania.
Upon hearing the news of their brother’s death, the other two Suckley brothers joined
the military and returned alive, though neither of them ever married nor had children.
A few years later, in 1921, Robert passed away.
Neither of the Suckley boys were adequate enough to run a business, so the family fortune
quickly dwindled.
The only person able to keep the family name relevant now was Robert’s daughter Daisey,
who had been mostly overlooked throughout her life.
She was a social butterfly and could get to really know someone with just a short conversation.
After her father’s death, she reconnected with her 6th cousin, Franklin Roosevelt before
he ran for president.
This would prove to be a pivotal moment for maintaining her social status and continuing
to maintain Wilderstein.
After FDR was elected, Daisy visited the white house frequently and even helped FDR plan
his cottage in Hyde Park where she would later attend a royal picnic with Queen Elizabeth
of England.
Daisy did her best to keep up appearances, even though she was dining with kings and
queens, she had run out of money.
She went to work for her aunt, caring for her in her old age and, in exchange, she received
an allowance to continue her lifestyle.
FDR heard the news of her aunt’s passing, and in an act of kindness offered her a job
at his presidential library where she worked until 1963.
This job allowed her to save up money to continue living at Wilderstein, but it still wasn’t
enough.
As she got older, she never fell victim to illness and just continued to age.
so at the age of 89 years old she realized she needed to keep planning for her future.
She established a non profit organization and donated her house to that organization
with one condition, that she could live out the rest of her life in the home, and she
did just that.
In 1991, she passed away in her beloved family home.
Whether she really wanted the house to be preserved or just cooked up a scheme to live
big on a tiny budget, it didn’t matter.
Her desperation ended up saving the house for future generations to enjoy and to this
day it continues to be open to the public for tours.
Which room was your favorite?
Make sure to let me know down below in the comments section.
And while you’re there, make sure to hit that subscribe button so you never miss an
exciting episode of this house.
I would also like to take a moment to say a special thank you to our this house supporters
whose names you can see on screen right now.
If you would like to see your name on this screen please consider joining our membership
program today.
I’ll see you next time on this house!