Rockefeller Playhouse and Family Properties Gifted to the National Trust for Historic Preservation

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Rockefeller Playhouse and Family Properties Gifted to the National Trust for Historic Preservation

The National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund(RBF) announced today the expansion of The Pocantico Center with the addition of the “Playhouse,” a large Tudor-style building built by John D. Rockefeller Jr. in 1927 as a venue for family recreation and events, as well as several Guest Houses and their surrounding land from the historic Rockefeller estate.

At the bequest of David Rockefeller, who passed away in March 2017 at the age of 101, the properties will be transferred to the ownership of the National Trust for Historic Preservation to join Kykuit—the historic home of John D. Rockefeller and one of the National Trust’s portfolio of 28 Historic Sites around the United States—and managed by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund as part of The Pocantico Center. In addition to Kykuit, the Center currently encompasses the Marcel Breuer House, the Coach Barn, the Orangerie, and the encircling gardens and landscapes under a similar agreement.

“Saving, using, and sharing historic properties like Kykuit and now the nearby Playhouse and Guest Houses help us to understand and appreciate the past, engage with the complex issues that define our present, and come together in a beautiful space to imagine and create a better future,” said Stephanie K. Meeks, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “With a 70-year reputation for excellence in stewardship, the National Trust is honored to protect these historic places and committed to the long-term sustainability and success of both these properties and the entire Historic Hudson Valley. We are deeply indebted to the Rockefeller family for this remarkable gift, just the latest in their exceptional multi-generational commitment to preserving America’s past.”

The Pocantico Center hosts philanthropic and public programs of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund that have local, national, and global impact. More than 32,000 visitors—many of them area residents and their guests—enjoy public tours of Kykuit and its extensive art collections each year. A regular calendar of community programs at Pocantico includes a biannual lecture forum, a dinner series, garden symposia, and other talks on the Center’s art and sculpture collections, as well as an actively cultivated school garden...

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