In the early 1880s, tobacco heir Pierre Lorillard IV bought up land in Orange County, an area an hour north of New York City, to develop a planned community exclusively for the country’s upper classes. It was to be an exclusive place — a country getaway for its old and emerging rich, their wealth boosted by the economic boom which followed the American Civil War.
Tuxedo Park, as it was named, began as a hunting and fishing retreat for the affluent to enjoy country life, come together at the local members’ club, and host extravagant balls. It was considered a rustic utopia of exclusivity where notable New Yorkers would go to summer, or escape the city for the weekend. Over time, it filled with grand architectural homes that had opulent gardens and magnificent lake views.
Tuxedo Park came to epitomise the ‘Gilded Age’ — a term believed to have originated with author Mark Twain, referring to a period whose glittering surface concealed greed and corruption. Twain, not coincidentally, is thought to have been a resident of Tuxedo Park. Perhaps the village provided the source material for one of his searing satires about the era?
Today, Tuxedo Park looks and feels like it’s been frozen in time, thanks largely to the municipal by-laws which fiercely protect its architectural integrity and green space. The town has a timeless quality to it, as if it remains successfully removed from the modernity of the 21st century.
