Clermont
Germantown, Columbia County, New York · Est. 1730s
Overview
Clermont was the Hudson River estate of the "Lower Manor" branch of the Livingston family, established when Robert Livingston the Elder divided his vast holdings between his sons. The property's most celebrated resident was Chancellor Robert R. Livingston, who served on the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence, administered Washington's oath of office, and negotiated the Louisiana Purchase.
The original house was burned by the British in October 1777, part of a campaign to punish patriot families along the Hudson. The Livingstons rebuilt almost immediately, a defiant statement of their commitment to the revolutionary cause. The estate remained in the family for seven generations before becoming a New York State Historic Site in 1962.
Today, visitors can tour the restored mansion and its 500 acres of grounds overlooking the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains. The site preserves furniture, portraits, and documents spanning the full arc of the Clermont Livingstons' story.
Timeline
Robert Livingston of Clermont (1688–1775) inherits the 13,000-acre Lower Manor from his father.
The Clermont estate house is built overlooking the Hudson River.
British forces burn Clermont during the Revolutionary War; the family rebuilds.
Chancellor Robert R. Livingston administers Washington's oath and becomes Clermont's most famous resident.
The Chancellor negotiates the Louisiana Purchase from his post in Paris.
Clermont becomes a New York State Historic Site, open to the public.
Related People
Related Stories
Sources
George Dangerfield, Chancellor Robert R. Livingston of New York (1960)