Date published: 1/10/2004

MUCH HAS BEEN written over the past few years about Idlewild, the Fredericksburg landmark that was severely damaged by fire last April. Not as well-known is that the local Idlewild mansion--off State Route 3 just east of Interstate 95 near Home Depot--was named in honor of another Gothic Revival home built in Cornwall, N.Y., several years earlier.

Nathaniel Parker Willis was a popular writer and poet in the mid-19th century. He was a Yale graduate and wrote several volumes of verse at the beginning of his literary career. He served as European correspondent for the New York Mirror and wrote "American Scenery," illustrated with engravings by W.H. Bartlett. This volume introduced Europeans to the splendor of America's many scenic wonders.

Willis became an associate editor for the popular weekly The Home Journal. His articles spoke gloriously of the Cornwall area, praising the scenery and the healthfulness of the climate or the area.

Willis was very well-liked in his chosen town of Cornwall. He was considered a quiet, kindly man. His manner of dress, however, spoke more of a dandy. He had a unique style. His clothes were custom-made in styles that were not in keeping with those in vogue at the time and the colors were more exuberant than were the general fashion. He had a large collection of hats, as he had a habit of losing them and felt that it was better to have many "spares" than to waste time searching for the stray one.

Willis was of frail health and, on the advice of his doctor, spent the summer of 1851 in Cornwall. His health improved greatly during his stay there. He was immediately smitten by the rugged beauty of the Hudson highlands as well and thus became determined to settle there permanently.

Date published: 1/10/2004