Col. Oliver Hazard Payne Estate

The estate sits on 60 acres along the Hudson River with a Mediterranean palazzo of about 42,000 square feet featuring limestone facades and red tile roofs. The buildings are arranged symmetrically and surrounded by historic gardens and pathways that define the grounds.

The estate was constructed between 1909 and 1911, replacing an earlier Waldorf building that stood on the same site. Later it served as a school for boys and eventually became home to an institute for leadership education at a nearby college.

The mansion displays Italian design elements such as Ionic columns, frescoed loggias, and decorative balustrades that architects Carrère and Hastings carefully integrated throughout. Visitors can observe these details while walking through the rooms and terraces.

The property is accessible today through an educational institute that offers visitors tours and exploration of the historic rooms. Wear comfortable shoes, as the grounds are extensive and walking through the gardens and to various structures is part of the experience.

A stone boathouse along the Hudson shoreline is one of the few surviving structures of its kind in the region, bearing witness to the water transport heritage of the Gilded Age. This small building offers a rare glimpse into how waterways were once central to movement and leisure for estate residents.

Location: New York

Architects: Carrère and Hastings

Architectural style: Renaissance architecture

GPS coordinates: 41.80972,-73.95944

Latest update: December 8, 2025 20:02