Astor family biography services hyde park ny

In , Resolved Waldron () was one of five men granted the patent of New Harlem on the upper east side of Manhattan. The part known as Hellgate (also spelt 'Hell Gate') or Horne's Hook remained in the Waldron family for over an hundred years. In , Joseph Young purchased acres of that tract of land from the estate of the late Abraham Duryée (). In , Duryée's widow, Elizabeth Low (b), gave Young permission to sell the same parcel of land to a young fur trader, Astor, for $9,

"Hellgate" is often incorrectly assumed to have derived its name from the turbulent confluence of waters found at that part of the East River on the island of Manhattan. But, in fact, it stems from the Dutch word Hellegat - "bright strait" or "clear opening" - which over time was corrupted by the English to "Hellgate" or "Hell Gate".

Coming in from the Wild

In , Astor arri

These circumstances created an ideal environment for gifted designers like Stanford White, with results that are visible at the Hyde Park. In the first five years of their ownership, Frederick and Louise oversaw the replacement of nearly every structure on the property. In addition to the mansion, described as a Beaux-Arts interpretation of the Italian Renaissance, they added perimeter walls, gate houses, a coach house, and tree plantations, and erected several secondary residences. Whereas the Commodore had become a boatman to escape the drudgery of farm work, his grandson Frederick rebuilt the farm complex, strove to operate it efficiently, and took pride in the awards his farm received. Despite the massive reconstruction, the Vanderbilts retained the overall organization of the landscape dating back to Parmentier, including the farm/park division, the location of the formal gardens, specimen trees, drives, lawns, and views. In , Frederick Vanderbilt acquired the acre Sexton Tract, including Bard Rock, thus reestablishing the extent of the park as it existed under Bard and Hosack ownership. All of the remaining Sexton buildings were removed except for the boathouse (the mansion had burned down in ), and the main drive was restored to the alignment Parmentier had designed.

Hyde Park was one of a number of lavish country places constructed by Vanderbilt heirs, and there was undoubtedly an element of competition among them. Moreover, each family usually owned more than one residence, so that an estate like Hyde Park was occupied only a few months out of the year. Despite his reticence, Frederick undoubtedly relished the prestige gained by owning one of the renowned Hudson River estates and having a private station along the railroad line that was the wellspring of his family’s fortune.

Astor Services for Children & Families — originally the Astor Home for Boys and later the Astor Home for Children — was established in in response to an initiative of the New York State Department of Mental Hygiene to create children’s residential treatment programs that would reduce the need for psychiatric hospitalization of children.

The Astor Home For Children

Its first home — now the agency’s administrative offices and its residential treatment center — was located in Rhinebeck, NY on property donated by Vincent Astor to the Archdiocese of New York. At its inception, The Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul assumed administrative responsibility for the agency. Later, administration of the Astor agency passed to a staff of committed and innovative professionals who are responsible for the wide range of services and programs which today constitute Astor Services for Children & Families.

Growth of Community-based Services

In , Astor opened its first outpatient mental health clinic in Rhinebeck, the first of what would become a wide range of community-based behavioral health treatment programs intended to make it possible for emotionally disturbed youngsters to receive quality treatment and case management services while continuing to live at home and attend school in their communities.

Milestones

The ’s and 60’s marked the inception of Astor’s training programs in social work, child psychology and psychiatry. The ’s also marked the beginning of Astor’s expansion into the Bronx and the opening of the first of Astor’s group homes, among many milestones.

In , Astor was one of the first mental health facilities for children in the country to receive accreditation by the Joint Commission. Joint Commission accreditation and certification is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to meeting certain performance standards. Astor has been accredited f

American businessman (–)

William Backhouse Astor Jr. (July 12, – April 25, ) was an American businessman, racehorse owner/breeder, and yachtsman who was a member of the prominent Astor family. His wife, Caroline Schermerhorn Astor, served as the leader of New York society's "Four Hundred" during the Gilded Age.

Early years

William Backhouse Astor Jr. was born on July 12, , in New York City, New York. He was the middle son of real estate businessman William Backhouse Astor Sr. (–) and Margaret Rebecca (née Armstrong) Astor (–). His siblings included elder brother John Jacob Astor III, who married Charlotte Augusta Gibbes; Emily Astor, who married Samuel Cutler Ward; Laura Eugenia Astor, who married Franklin Hughes Delano; Mary Alida Astor, who married John Carey; Henry Astor, who married Malvina Dinehart; and Sarah Astor, who died in infancy.

Astor's paternal grandparents were fur-trader John Jacob Astor and Sarah Cox (née Todd) Astor. His maternal grandparents were U.S. SenatorJohn Armstrong Jr. and Alida (née Livingston) Armstrong of the Livingston family.

A well-liked man, Astor graduated from Columbia College in He was a member of Columbia's Philolexian Society.

Subsequent activity

He supported the abolition of slavery before the American Civil War, and during the war, he personally bore the cost to equip an entire Union Army regiment.

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