"We began the massive restoration project," explains Lyndhurst Director Susanne Pandich, "because the mansion's mechanical systems needed to be upgraded. Lyndhurst is the foremost example of Gothic Revival architecture in America and contains an irreplaceable collection of art and furnishings. The infrastructure needed to be brought into the 21st century in order to preserve the building and collections for future generations."

Thanks to grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Save America's Treasures, nearly $2 million was spent on improvements to the 1838 mansion's mechanical systems - restoring the ventilation system, installing air-conditioning and humidity controls, upgrading the electrical system, and installing a state-of-the-art fire suppression system.

The Perfect Time to Reinterpret the Mansion's Interior
"Knowing that the mansion was going to be torn apart presented us with an exciting opportunity," says Pandich. "We realized that it was the perfect time to reinterpret its interior."

Opened to the public as a museum in 1965, the collection of furnishings and artwork had showcased the tastes and furnishings of only two of the three families that lived there - that of financier and railroad tycoon Jay Gould and entrepreneur George Merritt. Now that the project is complete, Lyndhurst also reflects its first owner and occupant, former New York City mayor William Paulding. Paulding collaborated with architect Alexander Jackson (A.J.) Davis in designing his country residence, then known as "Paulding's Knoll."

"Lyndhurst offers a unique interpretive approach compared to the other house museums in Westchester," explains Pandich. "Instead of choosing a single moment in time and exhibiting art and furnishings exclusively from that period, Lyndhurst shows different rooms as they would have looked when they were inhabited by the three families who lived here, starting with the earliest residents and progressing to 1961, when the house was willed to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. We are very lucky that the collection included furnishings from all three families, which enabled us to authentically recreate the interiors."

Creating the Oldest and the Newest Rooms
The rooms that underwent the most significant transformations provide visitors with a glimpse into the lives of both the earliest and the latest Lyndhurst residents. The Drawing Room has been interpreted to look as it did when William Paulding's family lived there in 1840, shortly after the mansion was built. This room will still be under renovation on May 1st. Chandeliers and mirrors are in the process of being constructed and furniture is currently undergoing re-upholstering.

At the opposite end of the continuum is a bedroom that is now presented as Helen Gould's office in the 1930's. Helen Gould, daughter of Jay Gould, was one of the nation's first true philanthropists, and ran her "philanthropic business" from this room in the house. While the changes in these two rooms are significant, such dramatic changes were not needed in every room to achieve the site's interpretive goals.

The reinterpretation of the mansion was overseen by the Lyndhurst staff, along with a team of experts from the fields of art history and architecture, who developed and implemented a comprehensive reinterpretation plan.

Ready and Eager for Visitors
"The mansion is now back together again and looking better than ever," says Pandich. "The entire staff at Lyndhurst is grateful for the patience and understanding that visitors and supporters have shown during the two years of reconstruction. We are ready and eager to guide visitors, bus tours, and school groups through the mansion once again."

Lyndhurst is a not-for-profit museum property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation situated at 635 South Broadway in Tarrytown. For information about Lyndhurst or to arrange for a group tour, please call 914.631.4481 or visit www.lyndhurst.org.