Historic Carnwath Farms

Historic Carnwath Farms. . , Mr. William Henry Willis built Carnwath Manor Home in 1850 and called it Carnwath Farms. The name is derived from a Manor home set in Scotland. Just after the ending of the Civil War, General Barclay purchased the estate from Mr. Willis. In 1870, Mr. Francis Robert Rives who married the daughter of General Barclay, purchased Carnwath Farms. He added the east wing to the manor house, servant's quarters and the large rear kitchen. The formal Georgian appearance was changed to a less formal look which was preferred by late 19th century architects. In 1873, the Carriage House was built, modeled after French architecture, to hold Mr. Rives' horses. Years later his son, Reginald Rives, built the finest stable of harness and saddle horses in the county. , , In the early 1900's the property, then known as Rives Hill was purchased by a New York attorney named Untermeyer who was famous for defending William "Boss" Tweed. In 1925 the Order of the Brothers of Hermits purchased the property and built the imposing Chapel in 1950, and the dormitory building in 1958 (now known as the Frances Reese Cultural Center), which houses the Sports Museum of Dutchess County. , , In 1980 the property was sold to Greystone Programs, Inc. The Town of Wappinger purchased the property in 2000 for the purpose of keeping open space and to develop it into a cultural center. It has 99.7 acres of beautiful land overlooking the majestic Hudson River, with scenic views of the Catskills. , , Property consist of six buildings: Manor House, Chapel, Dormitory Building, Carriage House, Administration Building and "The Folly" Gazebo. The Greenway Trail is presently connected to the Carnwath trail network. , , It is a lovely walk!