These Mysterious Hudson Valley Ruins Hide a Tragic Love Story

Have you ever heard of a love story while hiking on a trail? This was my experience when I visited these beautiful grounds a few years back with my sister. Located in Cold Spring, The Cornish Estate also known as Northgate, was one of my favorite trails to visit thus far. The story behind it stands out the most.

The couple, Edward J. Cornish and Selina had a 650-acre estate dating back to the 1900s after they moved out of New York City to the Hudson Valley. Edward Cornish was the president of a National Lead Company. It was said that the two of them enjoyed hosting parties and entertaining close friends. The estate was built by Sigmund Stern a decade before the Cornish family lived there. The shocking part of this story was that Edward and Selina passed away within two weeks of each other. After research online and on-site, it seemed as if they could hardly live without each other. After this, the mansion was then left for Edward’s nephew until the mansion was destroyed by a fire in the mid-1900s.

The path leading up to the mansion was mysterious, almost like a long gravel road as you anticipate seeing more. Upon arriving at the mansion on the trail, I fell in love. There were stone walls leading up to the mansion, which was still so elegant even after the fire. It was interesting to see fireplaces that were stacked around, and the once was a pool on site. It made me almost able to imagine the life that Edward and Selina lived there. I felt so much love and happiness.

I loved seeing the old garage and greenhouse. There are different paths to take around the property while in the middle of the mansion. There is the path to Bull Hill which holds another piece of the estate.

If you are wondering who owns the property now, that is a good question. Like most stories behind state parks and grounds, the Central Hudson Gas and Electric did buy the property back in the 1960s. Thankfully, this estate became part of the Hudson Highlands State Park and is now preserved and can continue to be a part of Hudson Valley history.

This hike is about four miles with a lot of history to see along the way.

Will you visit here? Check out the directions and address here.