America’s First Poet’s Roslyn, NY Home - Cedarmere

House Museum

Apr 7

Cedarmere is the historic home of William Cullen Bryant on seven Roslyn Harbor acres. Bryant was a prominent nineteenth century American poet, newspaper editor, civic leader and leading figure in the fight against slavery. He named the estate after the cedar trees which ringed the mere, or lake. Bryant regarded the house, originally built in 1787, as his primary residence for the rest of his life. Bryant greatly enlarged the original farmhouse on the property and added the Gothic Revival mill, ice house, boathouse and over the tears planted numerous exotic trees and flowers creating a horticultural showplace.

Upon Bryant’s death in 1878, Cedarmere passed to his youngest daughter Julia. She then sold it to her sister’s son, Harold Godwin. Godwin rebuilt the house after a 1902 fire making it look just as it did before only adding a larger living room. A stone bridge, and sunken gardens were added to the landscaping. and added a bridge. Goodwin’s daughter, Elizabeth, was left the house and in 1975, she left it to Nassau County for preservation, education, recreation and a memorial to William Cullen Bryant.

This is what caught my eye, I hope you enjoy!

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Rocking chairs on the porch overlooking the formal gardens and Hempstead Harbor

One of the estate’s outbuildings

The lake boathouse

The boathouse, lake, mill and Hempstead Harbor

WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT: Complete Poetical Works

By Bryant, William Cullen

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William Cullen Bryant: An American Voice

By Bryant, William Cullen

The view of the house from Bryant Avenue

A reflection of the house in the lake

A stained glass window on an entrance door

The stone bridge

The parlor

The fireplace in the parlor

Detail of the tile surrounding the parlor fireplace

In the parlor hangs a copy of ‘Kindred Spirits’ by Asher Brown Durand, a member of the Hudson River School. It depicts the painter Thomas Cole and William Cullen Bryant in the Catskill Mountains.

A copy of a portrait of William Cullen Bryant in the parlor

At the top are a copies of artwork given to Bryant by artists of the Hudson Rover School. Below that are some of the watercolor art, by Harold Godwin, installed in the dining room. Below hat are copies of portraits of Bryant.

Interesting built-ins on either side of the fireplace in the dining room

This library contains books bought by or given to Bryant. The oldest volume in the collection was published in 1609. There were a dozen or so published in the 1700’s, but the bulk were from 1800 to 1878.

Another view of the library

The library

One of four curved doors in the home

The wall of windows that greets you as you enter the large living room

One of two pianos in the newer living room

The second piano and fireplace in the living room

The living room fireplace in the living room

The tile detail of the living room fireplace

The view from the living room looking towards the front entry hall

The living room with beautiful wood paneling and decorative plaster ceiling.

A fountain, now on the open porch, was installed when this porch was an enclosed solarium, which no longer exists.

Part of the front facade of Cedarmere

A view of the sunken gardens and Hempstead Harbor

The original ice house which was converted into a garage

The house and a view of the harbor

The sunken garden

A view of the house from the sunken garden

Looking from the boxwood-edged Parterre Garden to the lake

Formal garden looking back at the house

The restored greenhouse

The lake and the house

The Gothic Cottage mill built in 1860 is undergoing restoration of the waterwheel operation.

The entrance doors to the mill

Arched windows in the mill

The fireplace in the large room in the mill

A smaller room in the mill

The barn doors used to enter the basement of the mill

Remnant mill equipment in the basement

Another view of the mill interior

The next couple of images are of the Jerusha Dewey Cottage was commissioned by Bryant in 1862 as a guest cottage for his friend Jerusha Dewey and her brother Orville.

This cottage is across Bryant Avenue from Cedarmere, on property bought by Lloyd Stevens Bryce to build his estate Clayton (now the Nassau County Museum of Art).

Our tour guide was awesome and very knowledgeable.

What you should know: