New York City is a pretty magical place. A forerunner in art, music, fashion, science, and technology, these five boroughs have nearly everything you could ever want. But sometimes I'm looking for a different type of magic, the type that's a little more old school, the type that’s from a storybook. So, last weekend I headed up to Lyndhurst Castle in Tarrytown with my friend Jack, to experience the closest we could get to a fairytale.
Just an hour train ride north of the city, Lyndhurst Castle is a Gothic Revival mansion that was designed by the architect Alexander Jackson Davis in 1838. Since the year of its inception, the castle has been inhabited by three different families, the most notable of the bunch being that of railroad tycoon Jay Gould, who occupied it from 1880 to 1892. With a view of the Hudson River and the Tappan Zee Bridge, the mansion sits upon a sprawling 67 acres of land and features a bowling alley, a rose garden, and a greenhouse.
As an art history major with a penchant for Gothic architecture, I found the design of Lyndhurst Castle particularly significant. Like a typical Gothic structure, the exterior of the building comes across as intimidating, particularly on a gloomy night, but the interior contrasts directly with its vaulted ceilings and large, pointed-arch windows that let light teem into the rooms. Gilded from floor to ceiling, the design aesthetic contains Baroque elements with angels and cherubs painted on surfaces and a giant gallery room filled with exclusively gold-framed paintings. The Tiffany-stained glass windows seen throughout the house produce colorful shadows into the rooms as the sun passes through.
Lyndhurst Castle is a little Cinderella and a little spooky—the perfect fall getaway from New York City.
Lyndhurst Castle
635 S Broadway
Tarrytown, NY 10591
Map
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The mansion was built in 1838 by architect Alexander Jackson Davis in the Gothic Revival style. Frames are Mykita + Maison Martin MargielaEssential 001 Sunglasses in gold. All photos by Shriya Samavai
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Lyndhurst Castle has been inhabited by three different families, the most notable of the bunch being that of railroad tycoon Jay Gould, who occupied it from 1880 to 1892. Jack wears Opening Ceremony Dart Sunglasses in blue/black tortoise.![]()
Lyndhurst Castle in Tarrytown, NY is a little Cinderella and a little spooky. ![]()
The mansion is surrounded by 67 acres of land. Jack stands inside a weeping pine tree wearing Barton Perreira Flaneur Matte Opticals in champagne/torasel. ![]()
Just an hour train ride north of the city, Lyndhurst Castle is a Gothic Revival mansion that was designed by the architect Alexander Jackson Davis in 1838. Since the year of its inception, the castle has been inhabited by three different families, the most notable of the bunch being that of railroad tycoon Jay Gould, who occupied it from 1880 to 1892. With a view of the Hudson River and the Tappan Zee Bridge, the mansion sits upon a sprawling 67 acres of land and features a bowling alley, a rose garden, and a greenhouse.
As an art history major with a penchant for Gothic architecture, I found the design of Lyndhurst Castle particularly significant. Like a typical Gothic structure, the exterior of the building comes across as intimidating, particularly on a gloomy night, but the interior contrasts directly with its vaulted ceilings and large, pointed-arch windows that let light teem into the rooms. Gilded from floor to ceiling, the design aesthetic contains Baroque elements with angels and cherubs painted on surfaces and a giant gallery room filled with exclusively gold-framed paintings. The Tiffany-stained glass windows seen throughout the house produce colorful shadows into the rooms as the sun passes through.
Lyndhurst Castle is a little Cinderella and a little spooky—the perfect fall getaway from New York City.
Lyndhurst Castle
635 S Broadway
Tarrytown, NY 10591
Map
The mansion was built in 1838 by architect Alexander Jackson Davis in the Gothic Revival style. Frames are Mykita + Maison Martin MargielaEssential 001 Sunglasses in gold. All photos by Shriya Samavai
Lyndhurst Castle has been inhabited by three different families, the most notable of the bunch being that of railroad tycoon Jay Gould, who occupied it from 1880 to 1892. Jack wears Opening Ceremony Dart Sunglasses in blue/black tortoise.
Lyndhurst Castle in Tarrytown, NY is a little Cinderella and a little spooky. 
The mansion is surrounded by 67 acres of land. Jack stands inside a weeping pine tree wearing Barton Perreira Flaneur Matte Opticals in champagne/torasel. 