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Residence Park is a historic community located in the city of New Rochelle, in Westchester County, New York. It holds the distinction of being one of the first planned residential parks, and garden city communities, in the United States. The area is located in the southern section of the city, bordered by Neptune Park on the west, Shore Road and Long Island Sound on the south, and Downtown New Rochelle on the north. ==History== Residence Park is situated on the former country estate of the wealthy 19th century New York City hotelier Simeon Leland. Leland, having traveled extensively throughout Europe studying the various hotel systems there, returned with a knowledge and experience that knowledge back to experience effected important changes in American hotel-keeping. The firm Simeon Leland & Company soon grew from a small scale family business with his brothers to a large financial enterprise, with such trophy properties as the Metropolitan Hotel in Manhattan. Smart entrepreneurs capitalized on the need for large, well-staffed and capably managed hotels. The Lelands were partially responsible for initiating and improving this minor revolution in American hotel operation. The sons of the Leland brothers continued the family trade and built a nationwide reputation. Leland purchased 40 acres overlooking New Rochelle Harbor as the site for his country home, eventually commissioning the architect William Thomas Beers to design a gothic revival castle in 1855. Actual construction of “Castle View” did not begin until 1856, when Leland’s increasing success as proprietor of the Metropolitan enabled him to afford the enormous cost of building and decorating his mansion. The sixty room residence Castleview took three years to complete (1856 -1859). Leland apparently was also interested in building up New Rochelle’s resort trade, for in 1861 he purchased David’s Island in Echo Bay, intending to build a hotel there. However, the Civil War intervened, and he leased the island to the Union Army for use as a military hospital. After the war the Lelands sold David’s Island to the government; later it became Fort Slocum. The Castle was Leland’s vacation home until 1872, when his lease on the Metropolitan Hotel expired. At that time the hotel’s new owner gave its lease to “Boss” William A. Tweed. Leland then retired permanently to New Rochelle and died shortly thereafter on August 3, 1872. Upon his death, Leland was deep in debt. His Castle had reportedly cost $35,000 to erect and was at one time valued at over $100,000. Sometime before his death he was forced to mortgage the entire property, and he died before the mortgage could be paid. Leland supposedly had requested that his wife use his $35,000 insurance policy to settle the mortgage, but for some reason she failed to do so, and the mortgage was foreclosed. Although the Castle was then owned by the Manhattan Life Insurance Company, Mrs. Leland continued to live there until March 1880.〔 (includes map) and (''Accompanying three photos, exterior and interior, from 1967, 1975, and 1970s'' )〕 In 1884, Adrian Iselin, Jr., the son of millionaire businessman Charles Oliver Iselin, bought Leland Castle, its 40 acres, and an adjacent farm with the purpose of developing the land into a residential park.〔(Historical and Landmarks Review Board - City of New Rochelle "Application for Nomination as a Local Historic District" )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Residence Park (New Rochelle, New York)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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