Taconic Farm Estate

In 1856 Taconic Lodge was built by William C. Allen of New York City. He died on December 24, 1873. His heirs kept the property until it was sold in 1882 to Henry C. Valentine
In 1882 Henry C. Valentine, a varnish manufacturing tycoon from New York, purchased the Taconic Farm Estate. It was situated on 385 acres on the lake, and included all of the south shore.
In 1908 Mr and Mrs. Warren Salisbury, owner of Kimball Piano & Organ Co. of Chicago, purchased the property.
In 1909 the Salisbury's demolished the Taconic Lodge aka Valentine Lodge and built a new mansion.
In April of 1911, Mr. And Mrs. Salisbury announced the new name of their estate,
Tor Court, the “Tor”, being an old English word which means a hill overlooking a lake. Tor Court has an Onota Lake frontage of 4200 feet, about 3/5 of a mile. At that time the estate included 10 acres of lawns. There were five greenhouses connected by tunnels, 15 head of cattle, 2,000 chickens, plum, apple, and pear orchards, formal gardens and a profusion of white lilacs. Adjoining it on the North is Burbank Park, a legacy to the town in 1882 from Abraham Burbank.Across the lake was Blythewood Farm
Mrs Salisbury died in 1945, and the mansion was never reopened, although the family kept it maintained in perfect condition.
In 1948 Hillcrest Hospital purchased the property.
Until 1971 the mansion was used for patient rooms. When the new addition was opened, the staunch old building became offices and administration building.
In 1981 a full scale clean up of the gazebo was organized.
In 1984 while workmen were grading and landscaping near the restored gazebo the ground gave way to reveal a chamber below and a galley running the whole length of the promenade. Construction workers speculate that the subterranean chambers were actually foundations to prevent the gazebo from heaving from the frost.
The gazebo, situated on rolling lawns behind the stately house and overlooking the lake, was the scene of many turn of the century social events.
(Taken from geocaching.com)