Victoria Home May Be Torn Down

Historic Victoria Home May Be Torn Down

Miguel Hernandez

Victoria Home a senior care facility in Ossining has filed plans with the Ossining Village Planning Board to tear down its original building once called “Hillside House.” Once plans are approved it will be replaced with a cluster of several smaller modern buildings that will mimic the design of the historical structure that at time was the grand home of Major General Edwin Augustus McAlpin and his wife Anne Brandreth McAlpin, daughter of Benjamin Brandreth proprietor of the  “Brandreth Pill Works”. Many of the magnificent fireplaces, furnishings and fine woodwork  of Hillside House will be saved and incorporated into the new buildings.

"Hillside" was reported by the New York Times of October 30, 1895 to be '...one of the show places of the Hudson River section'. It consisted of 27 rooms on a landscaped plot of 6 acres the house had 10 baths, large stables, a garage, some greenhouses, and a commanding view of the Hudson River. The Times went on to describe the magnificent interior of the house with its 16 fireplaces, stain glass windows , gold and white painted parlor, mahogany paneled library, a 30 x 2 0 ft dining room with high paneling and a timbered ceiling. The Times marveled that the entire house was electrified and had a burglar alarm.    

The description of the house and grounds was contained within the above referenced Times article describing the 25th wedding anniversary party the McAlpins held on 28 October, 1895. The Times said that “ It was one of the most brilliant social functions of the season in Westchester.”  There were about two hundred people in attendance and many came up from New York City on a special train that General Mc Alpin had hired for the occasion. The train left Grand Central Terminal at 7:00 PM and returned from  the then Village of Sing Sing at 11:00 PM. Seventy-five carriages were also  hired to ferry guests between the Sing Sing Station and Hillside House.  The hallways and rooms on the ground floor were decorated with Crysanthemums, palms and other plants. Mrs Mc Alpin wore “ a rich gown of plain yellow satin from Paquin, Paris. A twelve-piece string band played music while refreshments and food  were served to the guest on the verandas of the house. The grounds were “brilliantly illuminated with lanterns which produced an enchanting scene.” The guest list include many socially prominent people including Mr. and Mrs .William Rockefeller and there were numerous congratulatory telegrams from those who could not attend such as, President and Mrs. Cleveland and former President William Henry Harrison.   The ordinary people of the Village were also part of the festivities. Mrs Mc alpin had arranged for food and refreshments for the children and adults of the Sunday Schools of Trinity and First Presbyterian. She also arranged for the entertainment services of “ Humorist Burdette”  gave of supper at the carriage house to the 75 coach men hired for the evening.  

McAlpin purchased the house in 1883 and his son, Colonel Benjamin Brandreth McAlpin sold it in February 1928 to the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire who had plans to use the property as a retirement home for their members who lived in the area . Victoria Home, as the home was and is known, opened on 24 November 1928 with 22 residents. In January, 1932 the Home completed a $92,000 expansion which provided room for a total of 41 residents.