Clermont’s fame rose with that of Chancellor Livingston. In 1781 he was appointed the first United States Minister of Foreign Affairs and later served as Minister to France, negotiating with Napoleon for the Louisiana Purchase.
Chancellor Livingston originally shared Clermont with his mother, Margaret Beekman Livingston, but he eventually built a new house nearby which was completed in 1794. A French-inspired building, it became a showplace on the Hudson. Destroyed by fire in 1909, the ruins of its remaining walls indicate its size and grandeur.
In addition to his public duties, the Chancellor was involved in experiments to improve his breeds of sheep and to increase the yield of crops on his land while retaining the fertility of the soil. His fascination for mechanical developments drew him to Robert Fulton with whom he compared experiments with steam engines. Their partnership resulted in the first successful steamship, The North River Steamboat. Later known as the Clermont, it stopped at the Chancellor’s dock on its maiden voyage up the Hudson River in 1807.
The mansion rebuilt after the fire of 1777 continued as a residence for members of the Livingston family. A north wing built in 1802 contained a new kitchen and an office where tenants paid their rent. A south wing, constructed in 1830 for additional bedrooms, was enlarged in 1893. A steeply pitched slate roof, added in 1874, greatly altered the appearance of the mansion.
From 1813, when the Chancellor died, until it was acquired by the State of New York in 1962, Clermont never passed out of the Livingston family. The mansion, with its furnishings and spacious grounds, reflects the lives of many generations of Livingstons, one of the New York’s most influential families.
Clermont, as illustrated in History of Columbia County, 1878.
TACONIC STATE PARK & RECREATION COMMISSION
The Taconic State Park Region lies east of the Hudson River and extends from New York City to just south of Albany. Official State Historic Sites, set among the picturesque rolling hills and majestic rocky slopes of the Taconic Mountains, are homes reflecting various eras and life styles.
Castle-like Olana was the home of famed painter Frederic Edwin Church. Clermont was the homestead of many generations of Livingstons, a family active in the development of the state and national governments. Imposing Mills Mansion reflects the grand living of the early twentieth century, while Clinton House is a simple home of the eighteenth century. Famed statesman and Chief Justice John Jay retired to John Jay Homestead after many years of service to his country. Philipse Manor Hall was once the family seat of the vast Manor of Philipsburg.