Great River in Suffolk County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Country Home
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 8, 2017
1. The Country Home Marker
This magnificent 68-room mansion, called Westbrook, was the country home of William Bayard Cutting (1850-1912) and his beloved wife Olivia (1855-1949). Their main residence was in New York City. W. B. Cutting was an industrialist involved in railroads, banking, insurance, real estate, and sugar refineries. He married Olivia Peyton Murray in 1877. They had four children: William Bayard Jr., Justine Bayard, Bronson Murray Bayard, and Olivia Bayard, and one grandchild named Iris. Mr. Cutting died in 1912; Mrs. Cutting continued to live at Westbrook until her death in 1949.
William Bayard Cutting
Mr. Cutting was a philanthropist who put his talent and money to work supporting many charitable and cultural institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New York Botanical Garden, and the Metropolitan Opera Company.
Olivia Murray Cutting
After her husband's death, Mrs. Cutting carried on his philanthropic and civic activities.
Frederick Law Olmsted
The landscape of the estate was designed by the firm of Frederick Law Olmsted.
Louis Comfort Tiffany
Stained-glass windows and the fireplace in the breakfast room arc by Louis Comfort Tiffany.
Westbrook
Charles Haight, Westbrook's architect, designed the house in a style that was primarily Tudor, but included some Queen Anne features. Some interior features, such as fireplaces and woodwork, were imported from Europe and are much older than the building.
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce.
Location. 40° 44.142′ N, 73° 9.75′ W. Marker is in Great River, New York, in Suffolk County. Marker can be reached from Ruland Road south of Montauk Highway (New York State Route 27A) when traveling south. Marker is located inside Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park, directly in front of the subject building, "Westbrook," just right of the entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 440 Montauk Highway, Great River NY 11739, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Sickle Bar Mower (approx. 0.4 miles away); Manure Spreader (approx. 0.4 miles away); Hay Rake (approx. 0.4 miles away); Oliver Farm Plow (approx. 0.4 miles away); Spike Tooth Harrow (approx. 0.4 miles away); Great River Depot (approx. half a mile away); Neighbor Across the Way (approx. half a mile away); Locust Bridge (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Great River.
Regarding The Country Home. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1973), "Westbrook" now serves as the visitor center and café for the State Park, with indoor and outdoor tours available.
Also see . . .
1. William Bayard Cutting. Bayard Cutting Arboretum website homepage:
Educated in a private school in New York, he graduated from Columbia College at the age of nineteen, and from the Columbia Law School in 1871,
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 8, 2017
2. The Country Home Marker (wide view; "Westbrook" in background)
2. Westbrook, Suffolk County, New York. Wikipedia entry:
Westbrook was designed in 1886 for William Bayard Cutting by the architect Charles C. Haight in the Tudor style. Cutting had bought the estate it was to sit on from George L. Lorillard in 1884. Scottish heather was shipped to provide thatch for the gate house. In 1895 Cutting and his brother laid out a golf course at Westbrook, known to be the first private golf course in the United States. (Submitted on March 7, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
3. William Bayard Cutting. Friends of Connetquot website entry:
Cutting and his brother, Fulton, started the sugar beet industry in the United States in 1888. He was a builder of railroads, operated the ferries of New York City, and developed part of the south Brooklyn waterfront, Red Hook. He was an outdoorsman and a gardener of great ability. His grandfather, Robert Cutting, was Robert Fulton's partner in the ferry from Brooklyn to New York, and Bayard Cutting continued to operate the ferry system of New York City and the city of Brooklyn. (Submitted on March 7, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 8, 2017
3. Tiffany Stained Glass Windows
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 8, 2017
4. Carved Wooden Staircase
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 8, 2017
5. Marble Fireplace
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 8, 2017
6. Dining Room
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 8, 2017
7. Cornerstone
via Friends of Connetquot, unknown
8. William Bayard Cutting
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 8, 2017
9. Westbrook (wide view from near marker)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 8, 2017
10. Westbrook (wide view of front)
Credits. This page was last revised on April 16, 2021. It was originally submitted on March 7, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 342 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on March 7, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 6, 7. submitted on March 11, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 8. submitted on January 28, 2021, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 9. submitted on March 11, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 10. submitted on March 7, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
