The Estate
In 1901, three decades after the
death of Samuel Morse, his
family sold the estate to
William and Martha Young, who
moved to the house with their
two children and a staff of
twelve servants. Mr. and Mrs.
Young instilled in their
children a great appreciation
for their family’s art
collection, which they carefully
preserved in Locust Grove’s 40
rooms. It was William and
Martha’s daughter, Annette Innis
Young, who created a private
foundation in 1975 to maintain
her family’s historic estate,
art collections, and 150 acres
of gardens and woodlands for, in
her words, “the enjoyment,
visitation, and enlightenment of
the public.”
The house has changed little
over the past century, and the
Young family’s original
collections of furniture,
paintings, and every-day
personal possessions fill every
room of the house. The
unusually well-preserved mansion
is an exciting time capsule of
Edwardian splendor. An
outstanding collection of New
York furniture in the
Chippendale, Federal, and Empire
styles complements artworks
including 18th-century
Dutch landscapes, 19th-century
Hudson River School paintings,
and 20th-century
prints and drawings. Throughout
the house, exquisite pieces of
European glass, English silver,
and porcelain from around the
world provide a glimpse into the
life of this prominent
Poughkeepsie family.
In the Visitor Center, the Morse
Exhibit Gallery features works
of art by Samuel Morse including
portraits, landscapes and
sculpture that demonstrate the
range of his artistic abilities.