CAZENOVIA – Central New York may be quieter and draw fewer tourists than big attractions such as Niagara Falls or major centers such as New York City or Boston, but there are numerous spots that are rich with history and cultural interest.
One such spot is the Lorenzo State Historic Site, located on 17 Rippleton Road in Cazenovia. Recently closed for the installation of a new boiler and ventilation system, the Lorenzo Mansion reopened its doors to the public on Friday, July 18.
Visitors are welcome to tour the historic house, surrounding buildings, and gardens for a small admission fee. Beyond its reopening, the site is also celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Ellen Biddle Shipman Garden. Featuring a gravel walk on the back side of the mansion, the garden was designed to follow the trajectory of the main hallway of the building. It’s lined on either side with a variety of vibrant flowers and plants, and ends with a circular walk that has a sundial in its center. The garden, with all its lusciousness and bright colors, is reminiscent of traditional gardens that are found throughout Europe and invites a quiet stroll. According to the Lorenzo website, Shipman was a woman pioneer in landscape design and an avid horticulturist from Cornish, New Hampshire.
While Shipman’s garden design is a living reminder of the site’s history, the mansion and outlying buildings speak to an even older time period. Lorenzo was established in 1807, to serve as the home of John Lincklaen – founder of the Village of Cazenovia and native of Holland. Five generations of the Lincklaen and Ledyard family resided in the mansion, which spanned a course of more than 160 years. Registered in the National Register of Historic Places, the mansion and other buildings appear much as they would have during the third era of the family’s residence.
“All of the collections are from the family except for a few pieces,” said Director Barbara Bartlett. “There are great historical collections as well.”
A tour allows one to explore a number of rooms from the formal drawing room and stately bedrooms to the kitchen and servants’quarters. Great care, money and time have been spent to ensure that the historical collections are maintained and accurately represent what the mansion and grounds would have looked like during that time period.
