In 2008, a 319-to-320-acre parcel of the original Livingston Manor, owned by Edmund Livingston since 1948, was sold to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for $2.4 million through The Trust for Public Land.
The land became Livingston State Forest: the first legacy project of the 2009 Hudson Quadricentennial and a public-trust ending to more than three centuries of family landholding.
The Land
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Size | 319-320 acres |
| Location | Town of Livingston, Columbia County, New York, off Route 9G on Fox Creek Road |
| Coordinates | 42.181555°N, 73.842339°W |
| Origin | Part of the 160,000-acre royal patent granted to Robert Livingston the Elder in 1686 |
| Owner, 1948-2008 | Edmund Livingston |
| Current owner | New York State Department of Environmental Conservation |
| Current designation | Livingston State Forest |
Timeline
- 1686: Robert Livingston the Elder receives the royal patent that establishes Livingston Manor along the Hudson River.
- 1948: Edmund Livingston acquires a 320-acre remnant of the original patent in the Town of Livingston.
- 1948-2008: Edmund enrolls the land in a DEC-overseen forest management program and voluntarily allows public access for hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, and horseback riding.
- March 7, 2008: The Trust for Public Land announces the sale to the DEC for $2.4 million.
- Post-2008: The property is designated Livingston State Forest and managed for timber, watershed protection, wildlife habitat, and public recreation.
Why This Matters
Ten generations, one land grant
The parcel had been in Livingston family hands since the 1686 royal patent: more than 320 years of continuous family ownership.
Conservation by practice
Long before the sale, Edmund had already treated the parcel as a public landscape by managing it sustainably and allowing recreational access.
A broader conservation block
The State Forest now sits among thousands of acres of nearby protected public and private land in the Town of Livingston.
The Forest Today
Livingston State Forest is managed by DEC Region 4. It is open year-round and free of charge, with uses including hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, mountain biking, horseback riding, hunting, trapping, and primitive camping.
There are no designated trails. The forest is open for free exploration, and DEC continues to manage it for multiple public benefits rather than as a formal park.
Edmund's Connection to the Land
Edmund was born in New York and spent most of his career in British Columbia, yet he maintained ownership of this Hudson Valley parcel for six decades. The line runs through the Oak Hill branch: John Livingston, Herman Livingston, Herman Thong Livingston, Herman Thong Livingston, Edmund Pendleton Livingston, and Edmund Livingston.
The transfer did not erase the family story. It changed its form, turning a private remnant of the Manor into a public landscape that carries the name forward.
