Near Germantown in Columbia County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

The Lilac Walk

Photographed By Steve Stoessel, May 19, 2018

1. The Lilac Walk Marker

Inscription.
The Lilac Walk, which connects the mansion with the Locust Avenue, was planted in the 1820s by Edward P. Livingston (1779–1843). A son-in-law of Chancellor Robert R. Livingston, he became Lt. Governor of New York State; his Jamaican birth prevented him from seeking higher office.

In the 1920s, Alice Delafield Clarkson Livingston (1872-1964) added heavily-scented French lilacs along the west side of the path. A talented and enthusiastic gardener, Alice created five other formal gardens between 1908 and the 1930s. These include the nearby South Spring Garden, as well as the Cutting Garden, the Children's Garden, the Walled Garden, and the Wilderness Garden to the northeast of the mansion. Largely restored, the gardens are an enduring expression of the Livingston's great love of landscape gardening and cultivation.

Upper Right Photo:
Alice's new lilacs expanded Clermont's spring floral display and complemented the early blooms in her favorite South Spring Garden, located below the lilacs and visible from Clermont's library windows.

Middle Portrait
Edward P. Livingston, the last family member to make a mark in politics, shared the family passion for gardening and was active in the Horticultural Society of the Hudson River Valley. Portrait by Samuel Waldo and William Jewett,

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ca. 1830.

Lower Left Photo:
Alice worked on Clermont's gardens from her arrival in 1908 until her death in 1964. Her talent, love of gardening, and appreciation of nature's beauty is evident throughout the Clermont grounds.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Horticulture & Forestry • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1908.

Location. 42° 5.092′ N, 73° 55.128′ W. Marker is near Germantown, New York, in Columbia County. Marker can be reached from Clermont Avenue. Marker is at Clermont State Historic Site. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Clermont Avenue, Germantown NY 12526, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Carriage Barn (within shouting distance of this marker); Robert R. Livingston (within shouting distance of this marker); A River Highway (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Locust Avenue (about 500 feet away); A Vast Estate on the Hudson (about 500 feet away); Burned by the British (about 500 feet away); Clermont (approx. 0.4 miles away); a different marker also named Clermont (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Germantown.

Regarding The Lilac Walk. Clermont was the family home of the Livingstons from the 1700's through the 1960's.

Best Boy Ted Walks Along The Lilac Walk image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Steve Stoessel, May 7, 2017

2. Best Boy Ted Walks Along The Lilac Walk

The Livingstons were a very influential family in New York because of their extensive land holdings ranging from the Vermont border to as far west as Margaretville in Delaware County. The formation of Vermont arose from fighting about Livingston lands in that area (The New Hampshire Grants). Local settlers opposed to the New York landlords organized into the Green Mountain Boys, led by Ethan Allen, to ward off the New York sheriffs. These same forces were able to seize Fort Ticonderoga in the opening moments of the American Revolution. The guns from the fort were used to drive the British out of Boston by March 1776. The seizure also checked an easy advance by British forces from Canada later in the war. Robert Livingston was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and on the committee that drafted the document. Later, in the 1800's, the Livingstons were of course involved in the Anti-Rent Wars.

Also see . . .
1. A Brief History of Clermont. (Submitted on May 1, 2020, by Steve Stoessel of Niskayuna, New York.)
2. Clermont - National Archives. National Register of Historic Places documentation (Submitted on January 17, 2024, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York.)

The Lilacs At Clermont image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Steve Stoessel, May 7, 2017

3. The Lilacs At Clermont

Clermont Manor image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Steve Stoessel, May 7, 2017

4. Clermont Manor

The marker is in front of the tree to the left of the manor house

The Lilac Walk One Year Later image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Steve Stoessel, May 19, 2018

5. The Lilac Walk One Year Later

Credits. This page was last revised on January 17, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 30, 2020, by Steve Stoessel of Niskayuna, New York. This page has been viewed 418 times since then and 70 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on April 30, 2020, by Steve Stoessel of Niskayuna, New York. • Michael Herrick was the editor who published this page.