Van Cortlandt's home was in New York, and this first building was intended as a station for Indian traffic. Naturally it became his place of temporary residence when visiting his lands after his first purchase, either for business, pleasure, or the enjoyment of hunting and fishing. It is a tradition that Governor Dongan often visited this region for the latter purposes, as he was a sportsman in his tastes, a thorough gentleman and a great personal friend of van Cortlandt. Dongan was fond of flowers and fruit culture, and he introduced a kind of apple into this region still known in the Manor District as the " Dongan Apple." Subsequently the House was enlarged and became the still existing well known " Manor House of Cortlandt's Manor." From the days of Stephanus to the present hour it has ever continued to be the property and the residence of one of his family and his name, and ever the scene of a continued, and generous hospitality. The main part of the structure is built of reddish free-stone, with a high basement and walls nearly three feet thick. The roof is a rather low pitched one, in the Dutch style with dormer windows. A piazza of modern construction, extends along the entire front above the high basement. It stands on the brow of a declivity sloping to, and overlooking, the wide estuary of the Croton River, and commands a magnificent view, to the southwest of the wide Tappan Sea of the Hudson, and its striking, beautiful, bold, and almost mountainous scenery. It was originally pierced with T shaped openings for defence, in case of hostile attacks, and