Bartow-Pell Mansion

The Bartow-Pell Mansion is the last remaining great country estates in the Bronx. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976, it was built between 1836-1842 by Robert Bartow. Today, it is a museum featuring 19th century furnishings and fine and decorative art. Visitors will learn about what life was like for the wealthy families that lived in Pelham Bay (there were more than 20 such estates in the area). The estate also features a terraced garden behind the house. The mansion was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Robert Bartow was a descendant of Thomas Bell, an Englishman who first settled on the estate in 1654 after purchasing land from the Siwanoy Indians. The house Bell built was burned down in the American Revolution. The estate was later bought by another family before being purchased by Bartow in 1836. It remained in the family until 1888 when it was sold to the State of New York in 1888. It remained vacant until 1914 when Zelia Krumbhaar Preston, wife of Charles Frederick Hoffman, bought it to become the home of The International Garden Club. The club raised funds to restore the mansion and gardens. The estate opened as a museum in 1946.  

http://www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org/about/throughTheYears.php. Retrieved 11-10-15. Carolyn Pitts. "Bartwo-Pell Mansion," National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form.