Wilderstein Collections

Wilderstein, home of the Suckley family for 140 years, is filled with the furniture, art, tools, books, photographs, business records, and personal papers they collected. The house also became the repository of family history for generations of ancestors and extended family.

The collections provide a detailed history of the Suckley Family and more generally document life in the Hudson Valley during the 18^th, 19^th, and 20^th centuries. The material is particularly strong for topics that characterize the US in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries such as the concentration of wealth, advances in transportation and technology, and the growth of mass media and communications. Of particular interest are materials relating to farming in the Hudson Valley, real estate and retail business in Rhinebeck, New York City, and New Jersey, the United States’ early involvement in World War I, and the friendship between Margaret (Daisy) Suckley and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

For examples of how Wilderstein’s collections are being used for current projects, see our Interactive Timeline or the series of articles that appeared in Living Rhinebeck magazine.

Access

Many of the materials are described or are accessible online via Wilderstein’s Digital Catalog. The catalog includes photographs, maps, architectural drawings, publications, and objects as well as detailed descriptions of archival and manuscript collections. Researchers wishing to schedule an in-person visit should contact the Wilderstein Curator.

Contact Information:
Curator, Wilderstein Historic Site
PO Box 383
Rhinebeck, NY 12572
845-876-5911 / curator@wilderstein.org