Ruth Livingston Mills and the Use of Revolutionary War Iconography in Staatsburgh’s Interior Decoration

When the mansion at Staatsburgh was remodeled by Ogden and Ruth Livingston Mills in 1895, it had been more than a century since the Revolutionary War and the formation of the United States. Yet the history of Staatsburgh was closely tied with the late 18th century and the early years of this nation. The estate was originally founded in the 1790s by Ruth’s great-grandfather, Morgan Lewis. Over 100 years later, when the mansion was remodeled and redecorated, the interior décor included countless nods to Ruth’s family and key figures who were involved in the Revolutionary War and the creation of the fledgling United States. Ruth Livingston Mills was a top society hostess during the Gilded Age. Most leaders of society had mansions decorated in the French aristocratic style, but Ruth also leaned on her Revolutionary War heritage to further cement her legitimacy as the potential next “Queen” of society.

As we celebrate the Semiquincentennial of the nation in 2026, this essay will explore the ways that Ruth Livingston Mills leveraged her Revolutionary War heritage in the interior decoration of Staatsburgh. This messaging appears throughout the entire mansion, but this essay will focus on the library, which has the largest and most varied concentration of Revolutionary War collections. Since Staatburgh was Ruth’s ancestral home, it was the ideal location to showcase her venerable pedigree and show her guests the importance of her illustrious heritage.

Gilded Age Love Stories: Chauncey Depew's Second Chance at Love

There were many sensational love stories and romances during the Gilded Age, and there is no need to look further than the Mills family and Staatsburgh’s guests to find some of the people who were part of them. As we research all of the approximately 150 individuals who signed Staatsburgh’s guestbook between 1899 and 1908, many interesting personalities and stories have emerged.  One of them involves Hudson Valley native and US Senator Chauncey Depew who found love in both his first and second marriages.  Many of Staatsburgh’s guests were involved in politics, but it is noteworthy to mention that Depew was the only sitting US Senator to sign Staatsburgh's guestbook when he visited in September 1900. Chauncey Depew was elected as a Senator from New York in 1899 and then re-elected in 1905.

Chauncey Depew (1834-1928), circa 1901
Image: Library of Congress

How Frank Became Francis: The Rediscovery of a Free Black Community in Staatsburg

Staatsburgh’s former Historic Site Assistant, Zachary Veith, published an essay in the Dutchess County History Society's 2025 Annual Yearbook, which is a compilation of work he did while at Staatsburgh, researching the African American residents of Staatsburg, Hyde Park and Rhinebeck.  His entire essay can be found HERE, but this blog essay includes excerpts from the article that are most closely related to the hamlet of Staatsburg.

The Dutchess County Historic Society is located in Rhinebeck, NY and the organization is committed to serving as archival repository, providing interpretation, and presenting the history of Dutchess County to the public. Image: Dutchess County Historical Society

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Gilded Age Travel: The Mills Family, Friends & Servants

During the 2025 holiday season, the mansion was decorated with a travel theme to recognize the importance of travel to the Mills family, their servants, and friends.  Rooms featured specific countries where family or friends traveled as well as countries reflecting the origins of collections within the house.  Ruth and Ogden Mills traveled to Europe nearly every spring.  They often went to visit family, but they also traveled to see landmarks, museums, and the natural beauty of other lands.  Technological advancements during the Gilded Age created the ability for wealthy Americans to travel for leisure purposes and as the era progressed, more middle class families also began to travel for vacations. 

World Map, Circa 1900

Eulabee Dix: Gilded Age Miniaturist

In 2023, the site received an amazing donation from a Mills family descendant, Dorothy Fell Farrelly, a granddaughter of Dorothy Fell Mills, widow of Ogden Livingston Mills. She and her husband Louis donated three miniature portraits of family members including Margaret Lewis Livingston, Darius Ogden Mills, and a painting never before seen by us, of Ruth Livingston Mills. After some research, we were able to find out that the artist who painted the portrait of Ruth was a woman named Eulabee Dix (1878-1961), an artist who specialized in miniature portraits.

"Mrs. Ogden Mills" by Eulabee Dix, 1907, Watercolor on Ivory