8 9 5 ▁from ▁Lang don ' s ▁he irs . ▁Att ract ed ▁to ▁the ▁Hudson ▁Valley ▁and ▁the ▁land ▁on ▁the ▁east ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁Hudson ▁River , ▁Frederick ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁settled ▁into ▁their ▁ ▁estate . ▁The ▁location ▁offered ▁quick ▁and ▁easy ▁access ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁on ▁the ▁V ander b ilt ' s ▁own ▁New ▁York ▁Central ▁Rail road . ▁The ▁house ▁was ▁designed ▁and ▁built ▁between ▁ 1 8 9 6 – 1 8 9 9 , ▁and ▁was ▁primarily ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁vac ation ▁home ▁for ▁Frederick ▁V ander b ilt ' s ▁family . ▁The ▁previous ▁own ers ▁of ▁the ▁estate ▁had ▁made ▁it ▁well ▁known ▁for ▁its ▁grand ▁landscape ▁and ▁array ▁of ▁different ▁plants ▁and ▁trees ▁throughout ▁the ▁property . ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁described ▁the ▁V ander b ilt ' s ▁estate ▁as ▁" the ▁fin est ▁place ▁on ▁the ▁Hudson ▁between ▁New ▁York ▁and ▁Alb any ." ▁ ▁Their ▁nie ce , ▁Margaret ▁" D ais y " ▁Van ▁Al en , ▁inherited ▁the ▁property ▁when ▁Frederick ▁V ander b ilt ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 8 . ▁Enc ou rag ed ▁by ▁President ▁Franklin ▁D . ▁Ro ose vel t ▁( who ▁owned ▁an ▁estate ▁nearby ), ▁Van ▁Al en ▁don ated ▁a ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁estate , ▁including ▁the ▁residence ▁with ▁most ▁of ▁its ▁original ▁furn ish ings , ▁to ▁the ▁National ▁Park ▁Service ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 . ▁From ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁to