Lyndhurst exterior

photo by: Lyndhurst

April 20, 2020

Architectural Traditions: A Virtual Tour of Three National Trust Historic Sites

National Trust Historic Sites are open! We encourage you to check directly with each site for up-to-date information on available activities, ticketing, and guidelines if you are planning a visit.

Plan Your Visit

We hope you have been enjoying our virtual tours of National Trust Historic Sites. Taken together as a portfolio, our 27 historic sites help tell the full American story, and the places we visit today represent the architectural grandeur of homes built by the captains of industry and finance from the Colonial times through the Progressive Era.

First on tour is Cliveden. Constructed in Philadelphia between 1763 and 1767, it represents the earliest history of the United States as a nation. The home was occupied by the Chew family during a time of exploration, revolution, and establishing a new nation. It is important to note that much of the Chew family wealth created and sustained during the 18th and 19th centuries was founded on investments directly or indirectly connected to slavery.

Cliveden remained the Chew family home until 1972, when the National Trust became steward of the property.

Next up, we visit Lyndhurst, a Gothic Revival “castle” in Tarrytown, New York, built some 70 years after Cliveden. Lyndhurst was home first to New York city mayor William Paulding, then New York merchant George Merritt, and and finally railroad magnate Jay Gould.The home represents America’s growing economic strength during the Industrial Age.

And for the last site we'll visit as part of our Architectural Traditions tour, let's check out Lyndhurst's neighbor, Kykuit, just three miles away. This home was completed in 1913 for businessman and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, during what is now known as America’s Progressive Era—a time when people were reacting to the problems caused by industrialization through social activism and political reform.

Check out the rest of our virtual tours of National Trust Historic Sites, exploring places related to Commerce and Industry, Sacred Places, Garden Glory, Presidential Retreats, Modernism, and Southern History.

Donate Today to Help Save the Places Where Our History Happened.

Donate to the National Trust for Historic Preservation today and you'll help preserve places that tell our stories, reflect our culture, and shape our shared American experience.

Dennis Hockman

Dennis Hockman is editor in chief of Preservation magazine. He’s lived in historic apartments and houses all over the United States and knows that all old buildings have stories to tell if you care to find them.

Share your stories from Route 66! Whether a quirky roadside attraction, a treasured business, or a piece of family history, we are looking for your stories from this iconic highway.

Share Your Story