Landscape Tour Preview

The large stone wall to the south of the mansion was built by James to enclose his enormous rose and vegetable gardens.

The two stone houses to the west are private residences for descendants of James and Mary’s youngest son, Amos Pinchot. One originally housed professors of the Yale School of Forestry summer school (1901-1926), and the other served as a carriage house.

Today the family continues to use half of the Walled Garden and the US Forest Service uses the other half, which includes the greenhouse and an acid rain monitoring station.

The Black Locust-lined allee was added by Cornelia Pinchot who wanted an entry way more fitting of a Governor’s mansion.

It changed the alignment of the original 19th Century carriageway, which is now a part of the pedestrian path from the parking lot.

Facing the mansion from the East Terrace, you can imagine when the family opened the French doors of the library to allow air to flow throughout the house.

The family would frequently pull furniture onto this lawn and under the awnings to enjoy the outdoors. In the niche you will see a bust of the Marquis de Lafayette, evidence of James’s pride in his French heritage.

Turn around and you will see why James chose this site for his family’s home. Enjoy the view of the Delaware Valley and New Jersey’s Kittatinny Mountains.

The land below was treeless so the family had an unobstructed view of the town and the Delaware River. The large trees flanking the Terrace are European Copper Beeches, Gifford Pinchot’s favorite tree.

Slow-growing estate trees, they remain living examples of his conservation principle of planting for the future.

Look below the stone wall of the Terrace and you will see a half moat, added by Cornelia Pinchot as one of several water features she included in her exterior design.

The Letter Box was built to store Governor Gifford Pinchot’s papers and provide office space for his secretaries when he was in residence.

Designed by architect Chester Aldrich, it has large commanding windows on the sides and rear, allowing for natural light to enter but providing privacy from the front.

The Letter Box also served as Governor Pinchot’s campaign headquarters and the place where he could meet with constituents.

Today it is used as our visitor center and gift shop. Visitors can ask questions, buy tickets, gifts and other items to remember their visit to Grey Towers National Historic Site.

Added in 1924, the Long Garden and Long Pool further extend the East Terrace and the expanse of a sculpted landscape.

The Long Garden borders the pool with lillies and grasses and creates a natural hallway effect, drawing the eye to the building at the far end, the Bait Box.

Boxwood and hemlocks frame the perennials, which change color and composition each season.

The Long Pool is narrower and deeper at the far end, creating the illusion that it is longer than its actual length of seventy-four feet.

The long, grassy slope to the east ends at a stage used by Gifford and Cornelia to entertain the community with music, animal acts and popular ice cream socials.

On September 24, 1963, President John F. Kennedy dedicated Grey Towers here, before a crowd estimated at 10,000.

The Bait Box, designed by Chester Aldrich, was constructed as a playhouse for Gifford and Cornelia’s only child, Gifford Bryce Pinchot. He would entertain his friends and escape from the steady stream of guests at the mansion. Its name is tied to the family’s love of fishing. A blacksmith forge beneath the building, provided Mr. Fish (Gifford Bryce's nickname) an opportunity to hone his iron-working skills; several pieces are on display in the mansion today.

Cornelia later used the Bait Box as a tearoom, for a change of scenery and the activity of the main house.

Currently, it is used to show our visitor films and rotating exhibits.

Step into the small courtyard to enjoy the view of the historic, sweet cherry tree, through the elliptical opening in the stone wall.

The most popular feature in the Grey Towers landscape, the Finger Bowl served as the Pinchots’ outdoor dining room.

Added in 1934, the unique water-filled table was the site of many lively discussions about politics, social issues and conservation efforts.

The food was floated on the water in wooden bowls and on balsa rafts. The opening in the wisteria-covered pergola permitted moonlight to radiate across the water.

The Marble Court connects the mansion to the outdoor dining room. Originally paved with marble, the half moon pool, granite wave design and the stone etching of “The Mary Pinchot,” Gifford’s 148' 3-masted schooner, must have evoked memories for the family of their 9-month voyage to the South Seas. Planted with mountain laurel, the courtyard is a natural hallway that leads to the next “room,” the Finger Bowl.

The large hydrangea-covered stone wall and grape arbor once surrounded the family swimming pool, which was an early addition to Cornelia’s landscape.

Water was supplied by the nearby Sawkill Creek and the terrace was planted with a variety of flowers to soften the stonework border.

Today, the tented area is used for public programs, meeting and conservation education space.