Landscape Information
Situated on 450 acres of woodlands on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, this estate spans Columbia and Dutchess Counties and was home to the Livingston family for seven generations beginning in 1686. Originally 160,000 acres, the property was named for its westward views of the Catskill Mountains across the Hudson River. The Georgian mansion was constructed in the early eighteenth century (rebuilt after a fire in the late-eighteenth century and remodeled in 1920), facing the river approximately 250 feet from the shore. A semicircular flagstone terrace meets the rear of the mansion affording panoramic views of the river and the Catskill Mountains beyond.
Over time the Livingston family developed portions of the rolling woodland into several gardens. In the 1820s Edward P. Livingston planted the Lilac Walk, and in the early twentieth century Alice Delafield Clarkson Livingston designed and planted several more gardens that spanned approximately half an acre east of the home including the Wilderness Garden, Cutting Garden, Walled Garden, Children's Garden, and South Spring Garden. The Wilderness Garden features a lily pond surrounded by trees, shrubs, and perennials (including crocuses, daffodils, and trilliums). The gardens are connected by flagstone steps and pathways that frame an expansive lawn.
The remaining grounds are composed of woodlands, wetlands, meadows, and streams that meet the eastern lawn as it descends to the river. Six walking trails facilitate circulation throughout the estate. The surrounding woodlands include old-growth native trees but is predominantly secondary growth forest (including maple, birch, pine, black locust, and oak trees).
In 1962 Alice Delafield Clarkson Livingston deeded the estate to the State of New York. Clermont was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and designated a National Historic Landmark the following year. It is also part of both the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area and the Hudson River National Landmark District.
