The centerpiece of the estate is the historic Livingston family home. The first house at Clermont may have
been built in the late 17th century. By circa 1750 the Livingston's "manor house" had been enlarged and
remodeled in the Georgian style. This brick and stone house was burned by British troops in 1777 in
retaliation for the family's prominent role in the American Revolution. Margaret Beekman Livingston
rebuilt the home during the war according to the same plan, and upon the foundation, of the original
Georgian residence. By 1782 she was able to entertain General and Mrs. Washington in her newly
rebuilt home.
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