On the cliffs of the Palisades in Alpine, New Jersey, lies the remains of a once-grand mansion and its beautiful garden. This place, Cliffdale Manor, was part of “Millionaires’ Row,” a group of luxurious estates built along the cliffs over 100 years ago.

Cliffdale Manor was built in 1911 using local stone for George Zabriskie, a successful businessman who worked for the Pillsbury Flour Mills Company. Before Zabriskie bought the property, it belonged to William C. Baker, who named it “Cliff Dale.” Baker was famous for inventing a way to hatch chicken eggs using steam.

Zabriskie turned it into a 15-room summer home, surrounded by elegant gardens, sculptures, and a manmade pond with a fancy railing. His permanent home was in New York City, near Central Park. For nearly 20 years, he spent his summers enjoying the mansion and its stunning views of the Hudson River.

In 1930, Zabriskie sold the estate to John D. Rockefeller Jr., son of the famous industrialist. Rockefeller had a vision to protect the natural beauty of the Palisades. He bought up properties in the area and donated them to the Palisades Interstate Park Commission in 1933, with one condition: the buildings had to be torn down to restore the land to its natural state.

While most mansions were demolished, Cliffdale Manor proved difficult to destroy. Its thick stone walls, built into the hillside and close to the cliff, were too strong and dangerous to take down fully. Today, parts of the mansion still stand, including the lower floors, pieces of the garden, part of the pond, and some patio pillars.

Visitors can hike less than a mile along the aqua-blazed trail in Palisades Interstate Park to see the ruins. The park stretches 12 miles along the cliffs and has over 30 miles of trails. As you walk, you’ll pass remnants of other structures and enjoy incredible views of the Hudson River and New York City across the water.

George Zabriskie, who loved history, later became president of the New York Historical Society. It’s a bit ironic that his beloved Cliffdale Manor was mostly destroyed. He passed away in 1954 at the age of 85.