Wave Hill is a 28-acre (11 ha) estate in the Hudson Hill section of Riverdale in the Bronx, New York City. Wave Hill currently consists of public horticultural gardens and a cultural center, all situated on the slopes overlooking the Hudson River, with expansive views across the river to the New Jersey Palisades. The estate includes two houses and a botanical garden. The oldest part of the main house, Wave Hill House, dates to 1843; Glyndor House dates from 1927 and contains a multi-room art gallery. Perkins Visitor Center, which was originally a garage, contains a gift shop and an information desk.
During the late 19th century and early 20th century, numerous highly notable people resided in Wave Hill, either because they owned it, leased it, or stayed there as guests. In 1960, the estate was given to the City of New York, and Wave Hill is now a cultural center as well as a garden. In addition to visual arts exhibits, paid-ticket concert series take place on some Sunday afternoons in Armor Hall. Wave Hill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a New York City designated landmark.
History
The original Wave Hill House was a gray fieldstone mansion built in 1843 by lawyer William Lewis Morris.[2] It was owned from 1866 to 1903 by publisher William Henry Appleton, who enlarged the house in between 1866 and 1869 and again in 1890, and added greenhouses and gardens to the grounds.[2] During these years, the house was visited by Thomas Henry Huxley, who helped Charles Darwin bring evolution by natural selection to the public's attention. Theodore Roosevelt's family rented Wave Hill during the summers of 1870 and 1871, and Mark Twain leased it from 1901 to 1903.[3]
The house was purchased in 1903 by George Walbridge Perkins, a partner of J. P. Morgan, along with adjacent property, including Glyndor, a house built by the Harriman family in 1888, which later burned down and was rebuilt in 1927.[2] In 1910, Perkins added an underground building for recreation which included a bowling alley.[2] Perkins performed extensive landscaping on the site and leased Wave Hill House to an eminent ichthyologist, Bashford Dean of the American Museum of Natural History, who built a stone addition to the building as a private museum, Armor Hall.
Other famous residents of the estate included the conductor Arturo Toscanini (1942–1945) and chief members of the British Delegation to the United Nations (1950–1956).[2] In 1960, at the suggestion of Robert Moses, the Perkins-Freeman family deeded Wave Hill to the City of New York.[2] In 1983, the estate was added to the roster of the National Register of Historic Places.[1] Before 1987, the estate was known as Perkins Garden. During that year Parks Commissioner Henry Stern renamed it Wave Hill.[4]
In 2005, Wave Hill was among 406 New York City arts and social service institutions to receive part of a $20 million grant from the Carnegie Corporation, which was made possible through a donation by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.[5][6]
On an annual basis, about 65,000 people visit Wave Hill, making it one of the most popular sites in Riverdale.[4][7]
Gardens
View of Wave Hill's Pergola
Wave Hill's formal gardens feature a variety of plants, usually based on type. Garden areas include:
The T. H. Everett Alpine House, named for Thomas H. Everett, who advocated for the preservation and restoration of Wave Hill as a New York City Landmark[8] and who was mentor to its founding Director of Horticulture, Marco Polo Stufano[9]
The Herbert & Hyonja Abrons Woodland, 10 acres (40,000 m2) of native second-growth forest, with a woodland path that stretches around the perimeter of the property
The Marco Polo Stufano Conservatory—including a cactus room, a tropical room, and a palm roomConservatory interior
Special Collections, including the Shade Border, Elliptical Garden and Conifer Slope
Wild Garden
Additionally, Wave Hill's gardens is a hotspot for birding in New York City, with 127 species to date — including ruby-throated hummingbirds, great blue herons, and bald eagles.[10]
Wave Hill offers a variety of programming around horticulture, the arts, and education.
Shop
The Shop[11] contains gifts from local artists as well as nature-themed and handmade items. The Shop is located in the Perkins Visitors Center.
Cafe and Terrace
The Cafe [12] is located in the Wave Hill House and offers a variety of hot and cold foods. The Cafe includes indoor eating areas and access to the Kate French Terrace located behind the Wave Hill House.
Gallery
The cactus and succulent collection
Part of the Abrons Woodland path
A view with carnivorous plants in the foreground
Glyndor House
Wave Hill's Pergola overlooking the Hudson River
Wave Hill's Woodlands in the spring, with chionodoxa blooming.
