Rokeby, also known as La Bergerie, is a historic estate and federally recognized

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...

located at

Barrytown Barrytown (originally known as Seventeen Mile Beach and Fosbery) is a town in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island. Barrytown sits on and is north of Runanga, on the Barrytown Flats. Punakaiki is further north. The town is nea ...

Dutchess County, New York Dutchess County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 295,911. The county seat is the city of Poughkeepsie. The county was created in 1683, one of New York's first twelve counties, and later orga ...

, United States. It includes seven contributing buildings and one contributing structure.

History

The original section of the main house was built 1811–1815. Construction was interrupted by the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

when

John Armstrong Jr. John Armstrong Jr. (November 25, 1758April 1, 1843) was an American soldier, diplomat and statesman who was a delegate to the Continental Congress, U.S. Senator from New York, and United States Secretary of War under President James Madison. A me ...

(1758-1843), the owner, served as a Brigadier General, Minister to France, and later as

US Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the C ...

under

James Madison James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for hi ...

.La Bergerie/Rokeby
/ref> When the British burned Washington DC in 1814, Armstrong received much of the blame, as he had previously insisted that the British would not attack Washington and failed to properly provide for the defense of the city; he consequently retired to finish building his estate on the

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...

in 1815. The Armstrongs originally called their home "La Bergerie," French for "the sheepfold," as they were raising a large herd of

Merino sheep The Merino is a breed or group of breeds of domestic sheep, characterised by very fine soft wool. It was established in Spain near the end of the Middle Ages, and was for several centuries kept as a strict Spanish monopoly; exports of the breed ...

which had been a gift from

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

. In 1818, Armstrong's daughter, Margaret Rebecca, married

William Backhouse Astor, Sr. William Backhouse Astor Sr. (September 19, 1792 – November 24, 1875) was an American business magnate who inherited most of his father John Jacob Astor's fortune. He worked as a partner in his father's successful export business. His massive in ...

(1795–1875), son and main heir of

John Jacob Astor John Jacob Astor (born Johann Jakob Astor; July 17, 1763 – March 29, 1848) was a German-American businessman, merchant, real estate mogul, and investor who made his fortune mainly in a fur trade monopoly, by smuggling opium into China, and ...

. In 1836, William Astor purchased the 728-acre estate from his father-in-law for $50,000. The portion of the property containing the Mudder Kill is said to have reminded Margaret Astor of the glen in

Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...

's epic poem, '' Rokeby,'' and she changed the estate's name from "La Bergerie" to "Rokeby."

Description

Evidence suggests that the overall plan was designed by John Armstrong himself.John Poppeliers (1973) "La Bergerie/Rokeby, River Road, Barrytown Vicinity, Dutchess County, New York: Photographs, Historical & Descriptive Data
Historic American Buildings Survey, National Park Service, Department of the Interior, Washington, D. C. It started as a rectangular, 2-story structure with a

hipped roof A hip roof, hip-roof or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope (although a tented roof by definition is a hipped roof with steeply pitched slopes rising to a peak). Thus, ...

topped by a square, pyramidal-roofed

cupola In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome. The word derives, via Italian, from ...

. 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 (known as a

clerestory In architecture, a clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey) is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both. Historically, ''clerestory'' denoted an upper l ...

) 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. It features a

Palladian window Palladian architecture is a European architectural style derived from the work of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). What is today recognised as Palladian architecture evolved from his concepts of symmetry, perspective and ...

on the southeast face of the second story. A -story addition constructed of

fieldstone Fieldstone is a naturally occurring type of stone, which lies at or near the surface of the Earth. Fieldstone is a nuisance for farmers seeking to expand their land under cultivation, but at some point it began to be used as a construction mate ...

was built about 1816. In the mid-19th century William Backhouse Astor enlarged the house from 20 rooms to 48, in brick with

brownstone Brownstone is a brown Triassic–Jurassic sandstone that was historically a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States and Canada to refer to a townhouse clad in this or any other aesthetically similar material. Type ...

trim, with a semi-octagonal tower on the west side, a north wing, and a third floor throughout the building. The service wing, tower and

mansard roof A mansard or mansard roof (also called a French roof or curb roof) is a four-sided gambrel-style hip roof characterised by two slopes on each of its sides, with the lower slope, punctured by dormer windows, at a steeper angle than the upper. The ...

date to 1857–1858. The spectacular

gothic revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

library contained within the tower is probably the work of

Alexander Jackson Davis Alexander Jackson Davis, or A. J. Davis (July 24, 1803 – January 14, 1892), was an American architect, known particularly for his association with the Gothic Revival style. Education Davis was born in New York City and studied at t ...

. Architect and Chanler family friend

Stanford White Stanford White (November 9, 1853 – June 25, 1906) was an American architect. He was also a partner in the architectural firm McKim, Mead & White, one of the most significant Beaux-Arts firms. He designed many houses for the rich, in additio ...

was hired to enlarge the west drawing room and to install the clerestory in 1895. A

sun porch A sunroom, also frequently called a solarium (and sometimes a "Florida room", "garden conservatory", "garden room", "patio room", "sun parlor", "sun porch", "three season room" or "winter garden"), is a room that permits abundant daylight and v ...

was added in the 1920s."Inside Rokeby House," ''The New York Times,'' July 22, 2010, p. D1.
/ref> The landscaping was improved about 1846 by Hans Jacob Ehlers, who removed a nearby hill to permit a view of the Hudson River. In 1911 the

Olmsted Brothers The Olmsted Brothers company was a landscape architectural firm in the United States, established in 1898 by brothers John Charles Olmsted (1852–1920) and Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. (1870–1957), sons of the landscape architect Frederick Law ...

enlarged the flower gardens and planted an apple orchard. The property also includes a pair of clapboarded wood-frame barns, additional stables (built about 1850 and destroyed by fire), greenhouse (converted to a garage in 1910, then to a residence in 1965), the square brick gardener's cottage, and a -story

gatehouse A gatehouse is a type of fortified gateway, an entry control point building, enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a town, religious house, castle, manor house, or other fortification building of importance. Gatehouses are typically the mos ...

. Additionally, there is a brick stable designed by

McKim, Mead & White McKim, Mead & White was an American architectural firm that came to define architectural practice, urbanism, and the ideals of the American Renaissance in fin de siècle New York. The firm's founding partners Charles Follen McKim (1847–1909), Wil ...

, and a private docking facility. ''See also:''

Residents

John Armstrong Jr. lived at Rokeby following his retirement in 1814 until his death at home in 1843, and is buried in the cemetery in Rhinebeck. William and Rebecca Astor's daughter Emily married

Samuel Cutler Ward Samuel Cutler "Sam" Ward (January 27, 1814 — May 19, 1884), was an American poet, politician, author, and gourmet, and in the years after the Civil War he was widely known as the "King of the Lobby." He combined delicious food, fine wines, and ...

, brother of

Julia Ward Howe Julia Ward Howe (; May 27, 1819 – October 17, 1910) was an American author and poet, known for writing the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and the original 1870 pacifist Mother's Day Proclamation. She was also an advocate for abolitionism ...

. Their daughter, Margaret Astor Ward (1838-1875) married

John Winthrop Chanler John Winthrop Chanler (September 14, 1826 – October 19, 1877) was a prominent New York lawyer and a U.S. Representative from New York. He was a member of the Dudley–Winthrop family and married Margaret Astor Ward, a member of the Astor family. ...

(1826-1877). The house was later home to the Astor Orphans, the children of John and Margaret, both of whom died of pneumonia. They left instructions that their ten children were to be raised at Rokeby. Most of them grew up to become well known in politics or the arts. John Winthrop Chanler's will provided $20,000 a year for each child for life (equivalent to $470,563 in 2018 dollars), enough to live comfortably by the standards of the time. They included: * John Armstrong "Archie" Chanler (1862-1935), who married and later divorced novelist

Amélie Louise Rives ''Amélie'' (also known as ''Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain''; ; en, The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain, italic=yes) is a 2001 French-language romantic comedy film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Written by Jeunet with Guillaume La ...

Donna M. Lucey, ''Archie and Amélie: Love and Madness in the Gilded Age''. New York: Harmony Books, 2007.
. *

Winthrop Astor Chanler Winthrop Astor Chanler (October 14, 1863 – August 24, 1926) was an American sportsman and soldier who fought in the Spanish–American War and World War I. Chanler, a descendant of many prominent American families including the Dudley–Winthr ...

(1863-1926), who served in the

Rough Riders The Rough Riders was a nickname given to the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, one of three such regiments raised in 1898 for the Spanish–American War and the only one to see combat. The United States Army was small, understaffed, and diso ...

in Cuba Rice, Wallace, editor. ''Heroic Deeds in Our War with Spain: An Episodic History of the Fighting of 1898 on Sea and Shore'', G.M. Hill, 1898.
/ref> and was wounded at the

Battle of Tayacoba The Battle of Tayacoba, June 30, 1898, (also spelled Tayabacao) was an American special operations effort to land supplies and reinforcements to Cuban rebels fighting for their independence in the Spanish–American War. Background On June 25 ...

*Emily Astor Chanler (1864-1872), who died of

scarlet fever Scarlet fever, also known as Scarlatina, is an infectious disease caused by ''Streptococcus pyogenes'' a Group A streptococcus (GAS). The infection is a type of Group A streptococcal infection (Group A strep). It most commonly affects childr ...

Elizabeth Astor Winthrop Chanler Elizabeth Astor Winthrop Chanler Chapman (February 23, 1866 – June 5, 1937) was an American heiress and socialite during the Gilded Age. Early life and family Elizabeth, or "Bessie", was the eldest surviving daughter born to U.S. Representative ...

(1866-1937), who married author

John Jay Chapman John Jay Chapman (March 2, 1862 – November 4, 1933) was an American author. Early life Chapman was born in New York City on March 2, 1862. He was a son of Henry Grafton Chapman Jr. (1833–1883), a broker who became president of the New York S ...

* William Astor Chanler (1867-1934), soldier, politician and explorer who married actress Minnie Ashley. *Marion Ward Chanler (1868-1883), who died of pneumonia *

Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler (September 24, 1869 in Newport, Rhode Island – February 28, 1942 in New York City) was an American lawyer and politician who served as Lieutenant Governor of New York from 1907 to 1908. Early life He was the fifth ...

(1869-1942), politician who married

Julia Lynch Olin Julia Lynch Olin (October 21, 1882 – March 11, 1961) was an American author and Baháʼí who co-founded the New History Society in New York City, and was later expelled from the religion by Shoghi Effendi around 1939. Through marriage, she ...

(1882–1961). *

Margaret Livingston Chanler Margaret Livingston Chanler Aldrich (1870–1963) was an American philanthropist, poet, nurse, and woman's suffrage advocate. She served as a nurse with the American Red Cross during the Spanish–American War and Philippine–American War, t ...

(1870-1963), who served as a nurse with the

American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desi ...

during the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

and who married Richard Aldrich (1863–1937) *

Robert Winthrop Chanler Robert Winthrop Chanler (February 22, 1872 – October 24, 1930) was an American artist and member of the Astor and Dudley–Winthrop families. A designer and muralist, Chanler received much of his art training in France at the École des Beaux- ...

(1872-1930), artist who married and later divorced Natalina "Lina" Cavalieri (1874–1944) *Alida Beekman Chanler (1873-1969) who married

Christopher Temple Emmet Christopher Temple Emmet (1761 – February 1788) was an Irish barrister and poet. Early life Emmet was born at Cork in 1761. He was the eldest son of Elizabeth (née Mason) Emmet (1740–1803) and Robert Emmet, M.D. (1729–1802), a state phys ...

. * Egerton White Chanler (1874–1882), who died of a brain tumor As the eldest son, John Armstrong Chanler inherited the property with all its stock, books, pictures, furniture, and personal property, on his twenty-first birthday in 1883, along with $100,000 (equivalent to $2,352,813 in 2018 dollars) for its maintenance, however after his marriage began to disintegrate, he moved to

Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina Roanoke Rapids () is a city in Halifax County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 15,754 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Roanoke Rapids Micropolitan Statistical Area, and is also an anchor city of the Rocky Mou ...

. By agreement of the siblings, Margaret Livingston Chanler bought their shares in the estate during the 1890s. Her grandson Richard Aldrich inherited the estate upon her death in 1963. It is currently owned by the Aldrich family. In 2013, former resident and Astor heiress Alexandra Aldrich (great-granddaughter of Margaret Livingston Chanler) published '' The Astor Orphan'', a memoir set at Rokeby.The Astor Orphan: A Memoir
''Publishers Weekly'', 12/24/2012 The house is currently the home to various artists and writers, including

Processional Arts Workshop Processional Arts Workshop (PAW) is an ensemble of performing artists and theatrical technicians founded in 1998, devoted to pageant puppetry and processional art. They are also known by the name Superior Concept Monsters (SCM). They are best known ...

. Ragnar Kjartansson's ''The Visitors'' (2012), an approximately hour-long video-performance, was filmed on location. It is also the site of the Shoving Leopard organic farm.Shoving Leopard Organic Farm
/ref>

Heritage significance

It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1975.

Gallery

Photos of La Bergerie by Mark Zeek, 1979. File:SOUTHWEST (FRONT) FACADE, LOOKING NORTH - La Bergerie, River Road, Barrytown, Dutchess County, NY HABS NY,14-BARTO.V,2-8.tif, Front facade of the house, facing north File:NORTHEAST FRONT FACADE - La Bergerie, River Road, Barrytown, Dutchess County, NY HABS NY,14-BARTO.V,2-12.tif, Northeast facade File:La Bergerie, River Road, Barrytown, Dutchess County, NY HABS NY,14-BARTO.V,2- (sheet 8 of 11).tif, The house received a library with tower, mansard roof and service wing in 1857–1858. File:TOWER DETAIL - La Bergerie, River Road, Barrytown, Dutchess County, NY HABS NY,14-BARTO.V,2-13.tif, Library tower File:ASTOR LIBRARY (TOWER) LOOKING NORTHEAST ACROSS ROOM - La Bergerie, River Road, Barrytown, Dutchess County, NY HABS NY,14-BARTO.V,2-44.tif, Library interior File:ASTOR LIBRARY (TOWER) CEILING, LOOKING NORTHEAST - La Bergerie, River Road, Barrytown, Dutchess County, NY HABS NY,14-BARTO.V,2-43.tif, Library tower ceiling. File:DRAWING ROOM, NORTHEAST VIEW - La Bergerie, River Road, Barrytown, Dutchess County, NY HABS NY,14-BARTO.V,2-27.tif, Drawing Room, northeast view. File:DINING ROOM, LOOKING SOUTHEAST - La Bergerie, River Road, Barrytown, Dutchess County, NY HABS NY,14-BARTO.V,2-30.tif, Dining Room, looking southeast. File:FIRST FLOOR STAIR HALL, ENTRANCE - La Bergerie, River Road, Barrytown, Dutchess County, NY HABS NY,14-BARTO.V,2-20.tif, First floor stair hallway entrance. File:La Bergerie, River Road, Barrytown, Dutchess County, NY HABS NY,14-BARTO.V,2- (sheet 1 of 11).tif File:LIGHT MONITOR, SECOND FLOOR, OVER STAIR - La Bergerie, River Road, Barrytown, Dutchess County, NY HABS NY,14-BARTO.V,2-22.tif,

Clerestory In architecture, a clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey) is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both. Historically, ''clerestory'' denoted an upper l ...

over the second floor stairway

References

External links

Slideshow showing Rokeby and its residents in 2010.

Aerial views of Rokeby and the estate grounds

Interior Pictures: La Bergerie/Rokeby Mansion Barrytown New York

Life Inside Astor Family's Crumbling Country Manor

Hudson River Shorts: A brief video tour of Rokeby Farm in Barrytown, NY.
{{National Register of Historic Places in New York Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) National Register of Historic Places in Dutchess County, New York Historic districts in Dutchess County, New York Houses in Red Hook, New York Astor family residences Chanler family