Wilderstein Mansion

Thomas Suckley and his wife Catherine Murray Bowne wanted a building site endowed with striking natural features in the best traditions of the picturesque aesthetic. The landscape setting for Wilderstein fulfilled this criteria by virtue of its varied terrain and the scenic views it afforded of the river and distant mountains – the vistas framed by tall cedars and evergreens. Suckley named the property “Wilderstein” (wild man’s stone) in reference to a nearby Indian petroglyph, an allusive reminder of a cultural heritage that preceded European settlements in the