Updated 1907 landscape plan
Transforming a former hat factory into affordable housing
Merestead is a Georgian mansion and gardens on 130 acres in the Towns of Bedford and New Castle, New York, and deeded to Westchester County in the early-1980s. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. AKRF prepared a Cultural Landscape Report as part of the County’s proposal to rehabilitate and adapt the main house for public use. We researched and documented the estate’s historic landscape, analyzed existing conditions, and provided recommendations for treatment and management of the landscape. AKRF established a preservation philosophy for the project with clearly defined goals based on research and analysis in order to ensure a successful balance between historic preservation and innovative change to ensure the site’s continued historic relevance.