Mills Mansion; Staasburg, NY

I had recently come across information about the Mills Mansion in Staatsburg, NY, and thought “huh – I wonder why I’ve never been there…?” I figured it must have just been further away than what was convenient – after all, we probably went to Vanderbilt’s and Roosevelt’s at least a couple times a year.

After we had been to Vanderbilt’s, I asked my dad about the Mills Mansion and he asked if I wanted to go. I just said no – it was too far away. He said it was just a few miles away. Say whaaaa? Sure enough – a mere FOUR MILES north. Mom – why didn’t you ever take us up there?

Anyway, this house was particularly exciting because it was all new to me! It’s quite grand!

I don’t really know much about the Mills…I don’t really think they were known for much more than simply having money. Well – I’m sure that’s not completely true, but I don’t know where any of it came from…

We took the tour, however; while seemingly knowledgeable, our guide seemed a bit socially awkward. Additionally, while we were only on the tour with five other people, you would have thought these five individuals, each well into their seventies or older, were all twelve year-olds required to turn in a written report on their experience. I’m not kidding. They had paper…notepads…pens. “And Ruth Livingston Mills was the daughter of….” “Now if he was her uncle…was he also the one who was born on April 16, 1921?” “Is he the one in this picture over here on the wall?” “Were the two brothers…?” I would have paid $50 if there had been a “Mills Family Tree” within reach that I could have just handed them. It was weird.

(rear of the house)

(if you look closely, at the lower right corner of the house, you can see Sir Asks A Lot and friend)