Wave Hill

:"This article is about Wave Hill in New York. For other uses, see Wave Hill (disambiguation).Infobox nrhp
name = Wave Hill
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caption = The main entrance to Wave Hill
location = 675 W. 252nd St.
Bronx, New York
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architecture = Colonial Revival; Greek Revival
added = September 9, 1983
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refnum = 83001646
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Wave Hill is a 28 acre (113,000 m²) estate, consisting of public gardens and a cultural center, in New York City, USA. It is situated on the slopes overlooking the Hudson River and the New Jersey Pallisades, within New York City's wealthy Riverdale neighborhood, which is part of the Bronx. More specifically, it is situated in the subsection of Riverdale known as Hudson Hill.

Wave Hill is an attraction for horticulturalists from all over the Northeastern US, and can be regarded as a botanical garden. The estate includes two houses, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The gardens are designed so that there is always something colorful and interesting to look at, even during the winter months. In addition there are plants in flower all year long, both indoors in the greenhouse, and outside in the garden. The views across the Hudson River are striking in both summer and winter.

The original Wave Hill House was built in 1843 by William Lewis Morris in Greek Revival style. It was owned from 1866-1903 by William Henry Appleton, who enlarged the house in 1866-69 and again in 1890. During these years, the house was visited by Thomas Henry Huxley, who helped Charles Darwin bring evolution 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 1901-1903.

The house was then purchased in 1903 by George Walbridge Perkins, a partner of J. P. Morgan, along with adjacent property. Perkins performed extensive landscaping on the site, and leased Wave Hill House itself to an eminent zoologist, Bashford Dean. Other famous residents included the conductor Arturo Toscanini (1942-1945) and chief members of the British Delegation to the United Nations (1950-1956).

In 1960, the Perkins-Freeman family deeded Wave Hill to the City of New York.

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. [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/06/nyregion/06donate.html?ex=1278302400&en=93a1beabd4ede5b8&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss] [http://carnegie.org/sub/news/anon2005.html]

Wave Hill's gardens

The gardens special features include:
* Perennial Flower Garden
* The Marco Polo Stufano Conservatory
* Pergola and vistas of the Hudson River and the New Jersey Palisades
* Wild Garden
* Aquatic & Monocot Garden
* Alpine House
* Woodland, 10 acres (40,000 m²) of native second-growth forest with a woodland path that stretches around the perimeter of the property
* Special Collections, including the Shade Border, Elliptical Garden and Conifer Slope
* Beekeeping

See also

* List of botanical gardens in the United States

External links

* [http://www.wavehill.org/ Wave Hill ]