The Vanderbilts were apparently good to their staff by standards of the day but the basement is still the basement so a bit hard to imagine what it might have been like is this section of the house in preparation for a houseful of guests at a supper or party upstairs.
 
The Vanderbilt Mansion is located on the east side of the Hudson River and offers nice views of the river and the hills and valleys beyond and, with its multi-columned porticoes and hexa-style collonades providing shelter from the weather, I’m certain that the Vanderbilt’s and their guests would have spent many hours enjoying the scenery and the sunsets from the sides or rear of the mansion.
Just had to add in the fire hydrant’s point of view of all of this fine architecture :-).
I bet you never wondered how a fire hydrant might get an invitation to one of the Vanderbilt parties. At a minimum, perhaps getting a fresh coat of paint and learning how to wear a tie might help :-).
 
Having completed these last shots of the fire hydrants near the Vanderbilt Mansion, we had to put my camera away and head off up into the hills and beyond hoping to find a camping spot for the night in the Catskill Mountains.
Want more information about this National Historic Site? Visit the National Park Service website at: NPS Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site.
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