Vanderbilt Museum

 Last week, on a rather hot day, my friend, Suzala and I took a trip to the Vanderbilt Museum, Mansion, and Planetarium in Centerport. It was my first visit there, and I hope not my last. It was the summer estate of William K. Vanderbilt and is called Eagle's Nest. The buildings are Spanish in style.

I started sketching this view of part of the mansion and along came a photographer and a wedding party for their wedding photos. We were asked to leave for a bit while that happened, and about an hour later we returned to finish our sketches.

When we were asked to relocate for a while, we went around the other side of the mansion, sat in the shade on the hillside, and sketched a different view of part of the building.

We didn't have the time (or the stamina) to see the entire property, so we are planning to go back when the weather isn't as hot.

 

Idle Hour House

There is an interesting area near Oakdale called Idle Hour. It was part of one of the Vanderbilt estates and later the main house was dontated to Dowling College for their main building. The remaining small buildings which a greenhouse, two guardhouses, stables, pens for animals, a hen houses, small barns, etc. Over the years they have been converted into small, very interesting buildings. At one time this was an art colony. I can't imagine how cramped they are inside and would love to have a peek into a few of them. This is one of the larger buildings in that area that is attached to another section that I believe is also part of the same house.