A COMPARISON TO THE TV SHOW DOWNTON ABBEY

AT STAATSBURGH STATE HISTORIC SITE

Saturdays, September 29 and October 6, 1:00 PM

Photo credit NYSOPRHP

 

 

STAATSBURG, N.Y. (9/11/18) —  Fans of the popular PBS television series can enjoy a Downton Abbey experiences at Staatsburgh State Historic Site (also known as Mills Mansion) this autumn.  Staatsburgh, the turn-of-the-century home of socialite Ruth Mills and her husband, industrialist Ogden Mills, was a real-life American version of Downton Abbey. 

 

In a tour called “America’s Elite in the Downton Abbey Era,” a costumed guide will highlight Staatsburgh’s real counterparts of the series’ fictional characters, noting the specialized role each servant played and how the house functioned during a busy weekend of entertaining. It will also touch on the marriage between the Millses’ daughter Beatrice and the 8th Earl of Granard, part of a period trend in which wealthy American girls—like Downton Abbey’s Cora—wed titled gentlemen across the ocean.

 

Just as viewers saw on Downton Abbey, Staatsburgh house parties featured lavish entertaining.  The Millses’ guests enjoyed leisure pursuits such as yachting, golf, tennis and horseback riding, followed by elaborate gourmet meals in the formal dining room. A full household staff served the family and their guests, and ensured everything in the house ran smoothly.

 

“America’s Elite in the Downton Abbey Era” will be offered on Saturdays September 29 and October 6 at 1pm.  Admission is $10; $8 for seniors and students; and free for children aged 12 and younger.  Reservations are required and can be made by calling (845) 889-8851, extension 300.  Visitors may also wish to stroll or picnic by the river, enjoy the fall foliage, or explore the woodland trails during their visit to this stunning site and park on the Hudson River.

 

Staatsburgh State Historic Site and the Ogden Mills & Ruth Livingston Mills Memorial State Park are located on Old Post Road in Staatsburg, off Route 9 between Rhinebeck and Hyde Park. The historic site is one of 6 sites and 15 parks administered by the Taconic Region of New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. For more information, call 845-889-8851, or visit Staatsburgh’s websites at https://parks.ny.gov/historic-sites/25/details.aspx, www.facebook.com/StaatsburghSHS. Staatsburgh’s events are listed at https://parks.ny.gov/events/event-results.aspx?hs=25

 

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, which are visited by 71 million people annually. A recent study found that New York State Parks generates $5 billion in park and visitor spending, which supports nearly 54,000 jobs. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit http://www.parks.ny.gov/, connect with us on Facebook ,or follow on Instagram and Twitter.

 

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