Bard Press Releases

Montgomery Place.

Bard College Awarded $750,000 from National Park Service for Restoration of Montgomery Place Mansion

ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, NY — The National Parks Service (NPS) has announced that Bard College has been chosen as a recipient of a $750,000 Save America’s Treasures grant through the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF). This prestigious award will help support the restoration of the Montgomery Place Mansion, a National Historic Landmark owned by Bard College. The grant funding will support structural repairs to the exterior of the building in order to restore its integrity and resiliency for future preservation.

“As stewards of this historic property, we’re gratified that the National Park Service has recognized the importance of Montgomery Place and awarded us this generous grant to support its ongoing restoration and conservation,” said Bard College President Leon Botstein.

The work at Montgomery Place Mansion will include a comprehensive assessment of the structural conditions and will help secure the long-term preservation of the building, its finishes, and its collections. Following completion of the structural assessment and a comprehensive onsite evaluation of the building envelope, restoration work will begin focusing on the mansion roof, drainage, north- and east-facing porches, as well as exterior paint.

Montgomery Place, a 380-acre estate adjacent to the main Bard College campus and overlooking the Hudson River, is a designated National Historic Landmark set amid rolling lawns, woodlands, and gardens, against the spectacular backdrop of the Catskill Mountains. The mansion is part of the Hudson River Historic District and plays a crucial role in defining the region’s unique cultural landscape, and the estate site functions as a microcosm of American landscape history, evolving through the centuries to its latest reincarnation as an integrated part of the Bard College campus. Bard is committed to conserving the Montgomery Place Mansion and its significant historic and cultural collection, along with the landscape, farm, and public access to this unique and extraordinary site.

Established in 1977, the Historic Preservation Fund has provided more than $2 billion in historic preservation grants to states, Tribes, local governments and non-profit organizations. Administered by the NPS, Congress appropriates from the HPF to support a variety of historic preservation projects to help preserve the nation’s cultural resources and history.

About Bard College
Founded in 1860, Bard College is a four-year, residential college of the liberal arts and sciences located 90 miles north of New York City. With the addition of the Montgomery Place estate, Bard’s campus consists of nearly 1,000 parklike acres in the Hudson River Valley. It offers bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, and bachelor of music degrees, with majors in more than 40 academic programs; graduate degrees in 13 programs; eight early colleges; and numerous dual-degree programs nationally and internationally. Building on its 163-year history as a competitive and innovative undergraduate institution, Bard College has expanded its mission as a private institution acting in the public interest across the country and around the world to meet broader student needs and increase access to liberal arts education. The undergraduate program at our main campus in upstate New York has a reputation for scholarly excellence, a focus on the arts, and civic engagement. Bard is committed to enriching culture, public life, and democratic discourse by training tomorrow’s thought leaders. For more information about Bard College, visit bard.edu.

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This event was last updated on 09-18-2023

Bard Press Contact:

Ania Bartkowiak
845-758-7688
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