Lyndhurst is a notable Gothic Revival country house within its own 67-acre park beside the Hudson River, located approximately one-half mile south of the Tappan Zee Bridge on US Route 9. The house was designed in 1838 by Alexander Jackson Davis, and has been the home of former New York City mayor William Paulding, merchant George Merritt, and railroad tycoon Jay Gould, whose daughter donated it to the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1961. It is now open to the public. In Britain (and also in Ireland) the term country house generally refers to a large house which was built on an agricultural estate as the private residence of the landowner. ... View of the Hudson in the 1880s showing Jersey City The Hudson River, called Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk in Mahican, is a river running mainly through New York State but partly forming the boundary between the states of New York and New Jersey. ... The Tappan Zee Bridge from Nyack Pier The Tappan Zee Bridge is a cantilever bridge in New York over the Hudson River at its widest point, the Tappan Zee. ... The Federal Customs House (now Federal Hall, New York City, with Ithiel Town, 1833 – 42 Alexander Jackson Davis (A.J. Davis) (New York City July 24, 1803 – January 14, 1892) was the most successful and influential American architect of his generation. ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the United States, the most densely populated major city in North America, and is at the center of international finance, politics, entertainment, and culture. ... Jay Gould Jason Gould (May 27, 1836 – December 2, 1892), American financier, was born in Roxbury, New York. ... The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an American organization which was founded in 1949 to support preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods through a range of programs and activities. ...

When first built, the house was named "Knoll"; but critics immediately dubbed it "Paulding's Folly" because its extremely unusual design, including fanciful turrets and asymmetrical outline. The second owner, Merritt, doubled the house's size in 1864-65 and renamed it "Lyndenhurst" for the estate's linden trees. Robber baron Jay Gould purchased the home in 1880 for use as a country house until his death in 1892. Jay Gould Jason Gould (May 27, 1836 – December 2, 1892), American financier, was born in Roxbury, New York. ...

Lyndhurst's interior is strikingly unusual. Unlike later mansions along the Hudson River, rooms are few and relatively cramped, and strongly Gothic in character. Hallways are narrow, windows small and sharply arched, and ceilings are fantastically peaked, vaulted, and ornamented. The effect is at once gloomy, somber, and highly romantic; the large, double-height art gallery provides a welcome contrast of light and space. View of the Hudson in the 1880s showing Jersey City The Hudson River, called Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk in Mahican, is a river running mainly through New York State but partly forming the boundary between the states of New York and New Jersey. ...

The house sits within a very fine park, designed by Ferdinand Mangold in the English naturalistic style. This was the first such park along the Hudson River. It provides an outstanding example of 19th century landscape design, with rolling lawns accented with shrubs and specimen trees, a curving entrance drive that reveals "surprise" views, and a remarkably large steel-framed conservatory (the first in the United States).