I had the pleasure of visiting this house back on July 23, 2011.
Rough Point Entrance
The house was built for Frederick William Vanderbilt. It is an English Manor House in style and it was designed by the architectural firm Peabody & Stearns. Construction began in 1887 and was completed 1892. In 1894, the Vanderbilts began renting Rough Point to summer guests (having moved to “Hyde Park”- now known as the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site.). The Leeds family rented the home in 1904 and 1905 and purchased the estate in 1906. In 1922 Mr. Leeds sold the mansion to the Duke family (of tobacco fame). It was home to Doris Duke until her death in 1993. It is now a museum.
Rough Point 15
The treasures inside and outside of the house are astounding and well worth the trip. Here is an outside treasure:
Detail - Entrance light
The manor in which the house is situated as to take advantage of the Atlantic view is also breathtaking.
Cliff walk bridge
I would never grow tired of looking at this…..
The gardens were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted’s firm.
Inside the Formal Garden 2
Tip: If you get a chance to visit, be sure to pick up a copy of the self-guided walking tour of the grounds.
For more photos of Rough Point visit my Flickr site.
