Bill and Ted

Re: A Westchester County Country House. I lived on this estate throughout my childhood. I lived in what was called the “red cottage” the gardener’s cottage on the estate The photo is the main house and was the home of James Stillman and Anne Stillman McCormick, no Rockefeller lived here although they were neighbors. The photo represents just one third of the house. It had 40 rooms and was unoccupied when I was little. It was an amazing place to roam around in. Alas the entire structure was torn down in 1971- by the Rockefellers who by then owned the land. James and Anne Stillman went through an internationally scandalous divorce in the 1920’s. The entire estate was built in 1907. The “red cottage”was the first house to be built and one of the wings was built around an old apple tree- the branches went through the roof. This was Anne’s idea. In fact the estate was called “Mondanne” or “Anne’s World”. The red cottage is still occupied my family.

Time magazine May 30, 1932

Mondanne, the Stillman 55-room chalet at Pocantico Hills, N. Y. which was being opened for Dr. Stillman & family’s summer occupancy, burned to the ground last week. The private fire brigade from the Rockefeller estate just to the south was handicapped by lack of fire hydrants.