Tuxedo Park

Tuxedo Park owes its existence to the vision and energy of Pierre Lorillard IV. His grandfather Peter acquired the property surrounding Tuxedo Lake from the Townsend family shortly after Solomon Townsend's death in 1813. After the Tuxedo property had been held by his family for more than 70 years, Pierre IV decided to develop it into an exclusive hunting and fishing club for wealthy members of New York society. Assisted by architect Bruce Price and engineers Trowbridge and Livingston, and with labor supplied by hundreds of Italian and Slovak immigrants, Lorillard built roads, a water and sewer system, a clubhouse and some 15 “cottages” within a gated community in a few months. Tuxedo's combination of rustic charm and easy rail access from New York City quickly attracted many of New York's elite, and as Tuxedo Park grew rapidly, it soon gained importance as a setting, especially during the summer, for events on the social calendar of prominent New Yorkers.