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.

1876 Centennial Exposition, Image: Smithsonian Libraries,  Earl Shinn, Walter Smith & Joseph M. Wilson: Masterpieces of the Centennial International Exhibition Illustrated (Philadelphia: Gebbie & Barrie, 1876-78) vol. 3, p. lxxxix

Ruth Livingston Mills was born over 80 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but she was a young woman of 20 when the nation celebrated its centennial in 1876. There was a national celebration of America’s 100th birthday in the form of the Centennial Exposition, the country’s first world’s fair, in Philadelphia, as well as many other local and regional celebrations. The Centennial Exposition sought to showcase American innovation and ingenuity. Some of the highlights included a 50-foot-tall steam engine that powered the building as well as the first public demonstration of Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone.1 When the fair closed in November 1876, 10 million people had visited, but we don’t know if Ruth and Ogden Mills were among them. We do know, however, that the exposition largely excluded Native Americans, immigrants, and Black Americans from the exhibitions and displays. Women were included, but suffragists were officially barred from participating. Post-reconstruction America was a time when racial prejudices were becoming further entrenched and the celebration of America was a celebration of White Christian Americans with a European background. This prejudice against poor immigrants coming to labor in the United States was part of the reason that Ruth was so keen to showcase her heritage. Showing that her family had been in the country for generations was important because it was valued by a society that was often prejudiced against recent immigrants.

Staatsburgh facing East, ca. 1897-1899

In Ruth Mills’ family, several maternal and paternal ancestors were influential figures during the Revolutionary War era. Staatsburgh, the estate, came into being shortly after the creation of the nation. It was 1792 when Morgan Lewis purchased the land and built the first home on the property to serve as his country home. Lewis volunteered for the Continental Army in 1774 and ultimately became a colonel and the Quartermaster General for the Northern Department. His father Francis had also played an integral role in supporting the rebellion against the English crown. Francis Lewis was a delegate to the Second Continental Congress and notably signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

P. Lodet, 1806 drawing from the Hudson River Sketchbook, Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Hyde Park, NY

The first Staatsburgh was a two-story brick house with a cupola. The only image that remains is a sketch done in 1806 by P. Lodet while viewing the house from a boat on the Hudson. This home was destroyed in 1832 by a fire and the same year, the Lewis family rebuilt the house into a larger, 25-room, Greek Revival-style structure complete with a portico. Ruth inherited the house in 1890 and wasted no time planning to remodel and enlarge the house. Although no interior photographs of the 1832 house remain, the remodel was extensive and the much of the interior design of the house was done in a French aristocratic style using original 18th-century French furniture and reproductions. The remodel was completed in 1896 and in many ways the interior of the house now resembled a French chateau as well as an English country home. Yet there were distinctly American touches throughout the house including countless nods to Ruth’s Revolutionary War ancestry.

Staatsburgh circa 1890 before it was remodeled by Ruth & Ogden Mills 

There are many images of Revolutionary War military leaders throughout the house, but this essay will focus on the library where there is the greatest concentration of prints, documents, portraits, and even a bust that relate to this period in American history. The library is a grand space which measures 30 by 50 feet with 18’ ceilings. It was designed in the Louis XIV style complete with gilding, pilasters, and iconography including the Greek sun god Apollo, which was the personal emblem of France’s King Louis XIV. At the same time, the room was filled with paintings, prints, and documents that featured Ruth’s family and her family’s connections to the Revolution on the walls of the library. Did Ruth realize the irony that she was promoting her family members who fought to overthrow the European aristocracy, while decorating the room in the style of the European aristocracy? On the other hand, the use of the Louis XIV, XV, and XIV style and furniture in Gilded Age mansions was common so perhaps Staatsburgh was showcasing a new American style that congealed elements that were both European and American. We may never know the intent behind the decor, but it does show that Americans in the late nineteenth century were borrowing the look of institutions that had been leading European countries for centuries as a way to claim their own legitimacy as the ruling class and social leaders of this much younger (nascent) country.

 

Portraits of Ruth’s Family

Morgan Lewis, This portrait hangs on the south wall of Staatsburgh's library.  It is a copy of 1808 portrait by John Trumbull

Dominating the room on the north and south walls are two large portraits of Ruth’s ancestors who both played leading roles in the Revolutionary War and the early United States government. On the south wall is a copy of John Trumbull’s 1808 portrait of Governor Morgan Lewis (1754-1844). The original hangs at the New York City Hall, and the portrait depicts Lewis in military uniform. Lewis was Ruth’s great-grandfather and he founded the Staatsburgh estate in the 18th century. During the Revolutionary War, Lewis served as a colonel and the Quartermaster General for the Northern Department. In 1804, Lewis was elected Governor of New York State defeating Aaron Burr. Later, when he retired from public life, he spent more time at his country estate, Staatsburgh, living the life of a gentleman farmer.

Even though Lewis was actively involved in the fight for freedom and liberty from the English monarchy, he enslaved people to work on his estate.  The 1810 census shows that there were nine enslaved Black men and women who were working for him at Staatsburgh.  For more information about the enslaved individuals that labored at Staatsburgh, read these blog essays. 

Benjamin Lincoln, This portrait hangs on the north wall of Staatsburgh’s library. It is a copy in the style of Henry Sargent (1770-1845) and the original (c.1806) is in the collection of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.  The original is much smaller than Staatsburgh’s copy (17” x 15.5” versus 49” x 59.5”) 

On the north wall of the library is a portrait of General Benjamin Lincoln (1733-1810) who was Ruth’s great-great grandfather on her mother’s side of the family. He was born in Hingham, Massachusetts and was active in his county’s militia. In January 1776 he was appointed Major General of the Massachusetts militia. By February 1777 he was commissioned as a Major General in the Continental Army and he commanded troops in many battles including Saratoga where he was wounded.

He served directly under George Washington and is perhaps most remembered for his acceptance of the formal British surrender at Yorktown. General George Washington and General Charles Cornwallis were the commanding officers for the Americans and British forces respectively, but Cornwallis claimed illness and sent his second-in-command. Washington refused to accept Cornwallis’ sword from him and directed Lincoln to accept it. After the war, Lincoln served in the newly formed government as the first Secretary at War from 1781-1783 and remained active in public life until his death in 1810.

Ruth positioned her great-grandfather and great-great grandfather to flank the room in their military uniforms, which makes a powerful statement about her family and their role in independence from England, which led to the foundation of the United States.

Revolutionary War Generals

There are also several prints as well as a watercolor of Revolutionary War generals in the library who fought for both the Continental Army and the British Army!   

Watercolor of the Marquis de Lafayette, A small handwritten inscription reads Mr. D. Lafayette dessine par Valliere ex dragon du Colonel General en 1789 (Monsieur de Lafayette drawn by Valliere formerly dragoon of the Colonel General in 1789).

There is a watercolor from 1789 of the Marquis de La Fayette (1757-1834) on the North wall, which depicts the distinguished French general in a blue uniform with a high stiff red collar and gold epaulets. Lafayette, as he was known in the United States, was a French military general who volunteered to join the Continental Army because he supported the American Revolutionary cause and found it noble. He was involved in many battles including the siege of Yorktown. He also traveled back to France in the middle of the war to garner more French support and funds for the American Revolutionary cause. He became a celebrated figure in the United States due to his efforts in the war.

The watercolor of Lafayette is noteworthy because he visited Morgan Lewis at Staatsburgh in 1824.  According to the Biographies of Francis Lewis and Morgan Lewis by Julia Delafield, “In 1824 the Marquis de Lafayette made his triumphal journey through the United States. A steamboat was taken off the line and placed at his disposition in New York, and he and his suite proceeded immediately up the Hudson and paid General Lewis a visit at Staatsburgh.”²  According to Delafield, he visited for a few hours and then boarded his steamboat to travel to Clermont for a visit. It is unclear when this watercolor was obtained, but Lafayette’s visit to Staatsburgh may have been a source of pride for Ruth. It shows that Staatsburgh had been welcoming illustrious guests for a century. 

Print of General Charles Cornwallis (1738-1805) It reads, “The Most Noble Charles Marquis Cornwallis, Master General of the Ordnance, Lieut. General & General Governor of his Majesty’s Kingdom of Ireland.” The print is based on the 1795 portrait by John Singleton Copely located at the Guildhall Art Gallery.

The prints of British generals that appear in the library depict General John Burgoyne and General Charles Cornwallis. The General Cornwallis connection is noteworthy because he was the commanding British officer who surrendered to General Washington in Yorktown to end the war in October 1781. Cornwallis’s second-in-command, Brigadier General Charles O’Hara, presented the sword of surrender to Ruth’s great-great grandfather Benjamin Lincoln who was previously mentioned. Lincoln’s portrait lords over Cornwallis in a much higher, larger, and more prominent space in the library, but it is noteworthy that Ruth included the surrendering general in the room’s decor.

There are two framed prints of British General John Burgoyne (1722-1792) who appears in the library on the east wall flanked by Revolutionary War documents and also on the south wall.  His surrender at Saratoga was another important moment of defeat for the British forces during the war.   General Burgoyne engineered an invasion in 1777 that was meant to separate New England from the rest of the colonies, but he failed and ultimately surrendered his army in Saratoga. Many consider Burgoyne’s pivotal surrender at Saratoga to be the turning point of the war because it showed the Continental Army had promise and helped the Americans gain foreign assistance and funds to sustain their cause. 

Print of General John Burgoyne in Staatsburgh’s Library. It reads, “General Burgoyne, Governor of New York, North America.” The print was published February 24, 1784 by Fras. Haward Lambeth Marsh.”

Although, Cornwallis and Burgoyne represent major British defeats at the hands of Ruth’s ancestors, there is perhaps another reason that Burgoyne was chosen to adorn Staatsburgh’s library.  In addition to his service as a military leader, Burgoyne was also a well-known playwright.  His most popular plays included The Maid of the Oaks (1774) and The Heiress (1786).  His prowess and popularity as a playwright make the library the perfect place to display his likeness! 

Ben Franklin - "Wish not so much to live long as to live well"

Terra Cotta bust of Benjamin Franklin that is currently located in the northwest corner of Staatsburgh’s library. The back bears the inscription “Martin, F.” which may refer to the French sculptor Charles-Marie-Felix Martin (1844-1914)

The one, three-dimensional object that represents the Revolutionary Era is a bust of founding father, Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790). Franklin dabbled in so many things, it is hard to describe him with just a few phrases, but he was an author, inventor, statesman, diplomat, philosopher and much more. His work as a philosopher and author are fitting for the location of this bust in the family’s library. He was first a successful newspaper editor and printer in Philadelphia where he published the Pennsylvania Gazette before writing and publishing Poor Richard’s Almanak under a pseudonym. Franklin worked to repeal the very unpopular Stamp Act and while doing so became perhaps the main spokesperson for American interests in Europe where he frequently traveled. Franklin was the first American minister recognized by a foreign government and he spent many years as the center of American diplomacy in Europe and especially France. He was very respected in France and his connection to France may be another reason that he appears in this space.

Franklin was a delegate to the Second Continental Congress and was part of the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence. Also on the Committee of Five was Ruth’s great-great uncle, the Chancellor Robert Livingston of Clermont. It is possible that Ruth wanted to draw attention to her family’s association with perhaps the most illustrious founding father.

 

...And Several Historical Documents

Image: This letter dated March 21, 1779 was addressed to A. Mons and is signed by Benjamin Franklin. Franklin accepted an invitation for the following day.

The bust of Benjamin Franklin is not his only appearance in the library, there are also two framed historic documents hanging on the east wall that bear his signature. One is a 1786 voucher signed by Franklin and the other is a letter he wrote accepting an invitation in 1779. Other documents hanging near these two include a purchase order signed by George Washington, a pass for Mrs. Lewis to travel to Philadelphia in May 1777, and three documents hung together that all bear the signature of Francis Lewis. The Francis Lewis documents include a signed customs clearance, a 1779 letter concerning clothing for the army during the war, and a 1776 receipt for an appropriation from Congress to New York. We can’t know for certain that Ruth was the individual who chose to hang these documents on the walls of Staatsburgh’s library, but they were here when the house was donated to the state in 1938. No matter by whom or when the documents were hung, they made a clear statement about the family’s history and the direct connection between the Mills family and the Declaration of Independence. Two signatures that appear on the Declaration also appear on the walls of Staatsburgh’s library and they connect this family to this country’s most foundational document.

This receipt from Philadelphia is dated November 6, 1776 and reads “Rec’d the sum of 748. Dollars say Seven Hundred & Forty Eight Dollars being part of the sum of 6700. Dollars advanced by Congress to the State of N. York for which I am to ? with the Constitution of that state. -Fran. Lewis

Ruth’s Great-great grandfather and Declaration of Independence signer, Francis Lewis  

In 2026, on the 250^th anniversary of the document declaring independence from Britain, the public can still view these signatures when they tour Staatsburgh.  These documents not only inform about the Revolutionary War era, they show how Ruth Livingston Mills utilized her family’s connection to the Revolution and the Declaration of Independence over 100 years later. While she entertained guests at Staatsburgh and vied to become the next leader of Gilded Age high society, the walls of her family’s ancestral home loudly clearly proclaimed her connection to the country’s founding moments and leaders. The library was one space that communicated her heritage to all guests and visitors and built a contemporary story using the past. 

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1 Leslie Kennedy, How Americans Celebrated the Centennial in 1876, https://www.history.com/articles/american-centennial-1876-celebrations 

2 Julia Delafield, Biographies of Francis Lewis and Morgan Lewis, New York: Anson D.F. Randolph & Company, 1877, p.147-148.