Manitoga

	Manitoga (Russel Wright Home)
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	U.S. National Historic Landmark
	Dragon Rock at Manitoga, 2018
Location	Garrison, New York
Nearest city	Peekskill, New York
Coordinates	41°20′55″N 73°57′04″W / 41.34861°N 73.95111°W
Area	75 acres (30 ha)
Built	1941-1961
Architect	Russel and Mary Wright; David L. Leavitt
Architectural style	Modernist
NRHP reference No.	96001269
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	1996
Designated NHL	2006

Manitoga was the estate and modernist home of industrial designer Russel Wright (1904–1976) and his wife Mary Small Einstein Wright. It is located along New York State Route 9D south of Garrison, New York, a short distance north of the Bear Mountain Bridge.

Wright named his masterful synthesis of architecture and nature Manitoga after Algonquin words meaning "place of great spirit". Today, the home, studio and surrounding woodland garden, together known as Dragon Rock, uniquely convey Wright's enduring ideas about good design and living in harmony with nature.

The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. In 2006 the Department of the Interior designated it a National Historic Landmark, the only one to date in Putnam County. Manitoga is a member of the National Trust's Historic Artists' Homes and Studios program and a 2012 World Monuments Watch Site. It is one of the few modern homes open to the public in New York State.^{[citation needed]}

History

Wright and his wife Mary Small Einstein Wright acquired the property in 1942.^[3] The 75 acres (30 ha) had been devastated by previous logging and quarrying, common in the Hudson Highlands in the early 20th century. The couple designed the property with sustainability in mind, a concept not widely applied at the time. In his reclamation efforts, Wright redirected a mountain stream and designed a 30-foot (9.1 m) multi-level waterfall to transform an abandoned quarry pit into a swimming pond. In addition to trees, streams, boulders, moss and native plants, his woodland landscape design incorporated stone steps, terraces and bridges.^[4]

Following Mary's death in 1952, Wright built his experimental home and studio directly into the rock ledge of the quarry. In an effort to blend in with Nature, the structures have green roofs, built-in elements and expansive walls of glass, offering dramatic views of the waterfall and surrounding landscape.

Access

Manitoga includes 4 miles (6.4 km) of walking trails that Wright designed, with numerous plantings. The trails connect with the Appalachian Trail alongside the neighboring ridge of Canada Hill in Hudson Highlands State Park via the Osborne Loop. The outer trails are open to the public daily until sunset. Guided tours of the house and landscape are offered May through early November.^{[citation needed]}

Gallery

Dragon Rock studio overlooking the quarry pond
The house
The pond
The studio
American Modern pottery in chartreuse
Studio desk
Dining room
Kitchen

References

^ "Manitoga (Russel Wright Home)". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
^ Kathleen LaFrank (July 2005), National Historic Landmark Nomination: Manitoga (PDF), National Park Service
^ "Timeline". The Russel Wright Design Center. Manitoga. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
^ Brent, Frances (3 April 2018). "The Wright Stuff: Manitoga". Modern Magazine. Retrieved 31 October 2021.

"Russel Wright and Modern America", by James Zemaitis, in ArtNet Magazine - (Accessed 8/29/2007)

External links

[nhlsum-1] "Manitoga (Russel Wright Home)". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2007-09-23.

[nhlnom-2] Kathleen LaFrank (July 2005), National Historic Landmark Nomination: Manitoga (PDF), National Park Service

[timeline-3] "Timeline". The Russel Wright Design Center. Manitoga. Retrieved 29 October 2021.

[MM-4] Brent, Frances (3 April 2018). "The Wright Stuff: Manitoga". Modern Magazine. Retrieved 31 October 2021.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

v t e U.S. National Register of Historic Places in New York
Topics	Contributing property Keeper of the Register Historic district History of the National Register of Historic Places National Park Service Property types
Lists by county	Albany Allegany Bronx Broome Cattaraugus Cayuga Chautauqua Chemung Chenango Clinton Columbia Cortland Delaware Dutchess Erie Essex Franklin Fulton Genesee Greene Hamilton Herkimer Jefferson Kings (Brooklyn) Lewis Livingston Madison Monroe Montgomery Nassau New York (Manhattan) Niagara Oneida Onondaga Ontario Orange Orleans Oswego Otsego Putnam Queens Rensselaer Richmond (Staten Island) Rockland Saratoga Schenectady Schoharie Schuyler Seneca St. Lawrence Steuben Suffolk Sullivan Tioga Tompkins Ulster Warren Washington Wayne Westchester Northern Southern Wyoming Yates
Lists by city	Albany Buffalo New Rochelle New York City Bronx Brooklyn Queens Staten Island Manhattan Below 14th St. 14th–59th St. 59th–110th St. Above 110th St. Minor islands Niagara Falls Peekskill Poughkeepsie Rhinebeck Rochester Syracuse Yonkers
Other lists	Bridges and tunnels National Historic Landmarks New York City Outside New York City
Category List National Register of Historic Places Portal

Manitoga

History

Access

Gallery

See also

References

Further reading

External links