Collection ID: FA318

Collection context

Background

Scope and Content:

The Homes series documents the management of four of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.'s and John D. Rockefeller, Jr.'s estates and their New York City homes. The estates are Ormond Beach, Florida; Lakewood, New Jersey; Pocantico Hills, New York; and Seal Harbor, Maine. The New York City homes are 4, 10, and 12 West 54th Street and the apartment at 740 Park Avenue. There is also information regarding John D. Rockefeller 3rd's apartment at One Beekman Place. Most of the material deals with property purchases, employees, the construction of homes, out buildings, and private roads, relations with neighbors and local communities, the contents of the houses (particularly art collections), and the general maintenance and operation of the various homes. The correspondence is between members of the family and the family office on the one hand, and estate managers, employees, contractors, real estate agents, neighbors, members of the various communities, and art dealers on the other.

The Homes series is divided into twelve sections, nine concern the homes listed above, and three others concern Richford; Transfer of Property; and House Books. The Richford section contains information on the purchase of the site of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.'s birthplace and surrounding property in the 1920s to prevent its commercial exploitation. The Transfer of Property section concerns the transfer of ownership of the various estates from John D. Rockefeller, Sr. to his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and the distribution of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.'s personal effects after his death. The House Books are listings and descriptions of the contents of the various houses. These lists also include the contents of Bassett Hall at Williamsburg, Virginia, and John D. Rockefeller, Jr.'s office at Room 5600. Also included in these books are distributions of the personal effects of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, and Martha Baird Rockefeller after their respective deaths.

Aside from offering an insight into the management of the family estates and homes, this series also illustrates John D. Rockefeller, Jr.'s personal interests in the conservation of land and wildlife and in collecting Chinese porcelains and other art objects. The series also gives many examples of the attention he gave to the details in every affair he handled.

The collection measures 98 cubic feet. The material covers the years 1885-1961, and the family members who figure prominently in the papers are John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and John D. Rockefeller 3rd. John D. Rockefeller, Sr., Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, Nelson A. Rockefeller, Winthrop Rockefeller, Laurance S. Rockefeller, and David Rockefeller also appear. Of the Rockefeller family advisors who appear, Robert W. Gumbel and Charles O. Heydt are the most prominent.

Arrangement:

This series is arranged in thirteen subseries, as follows:

Transfer of Property, Florida Property, Lakewood Property, 740 Park Avenue Apartment, Richford Property, Pocantico Hills, Seal Harbor, 10 West 54th Street, 4 West 54th Street, 12 West 54th Street, One Beekman Place, Hills Realty Company, Inc., House Books. Some oversized material has been separated and placed at the end of the collection.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Online content

Access

RESTRICTIONS:

Open for research with select materials restricted as noted. Brittle or damaged items are available at the discretion of RAC. Material in the Rockefeller family collections that provides the names, correspondence, or activities of living members of the Rockefeller family, and/or documents the net wealth of any Rockefeller family members, is restricted. Researchers interested in accessing digital media (floppy disks, CDs, DVDs, etc.) or audiovisual material (audio cassettes, VHS, etc.) in this collection must use an access surrogate. The original items may not be accessed because of preservation concerns. To request an access surrogate be made, or if you are unsure if there is an access surrogate, please contact an archivist.

LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
15 Dayton Avenue
Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591, United States
CONTACT: