The Leadership Institute

On April 19th, the Dean's Circle was invited to tour the grounds of the new Raymond A. Rich Leadership Institute that was donated to Marist back in January. Raymond A. Rich, upon his passing at age 97 in June of 2009, decided that the building across the river--and previously owned by the Marist Brothers--would be best enjoyed and used by the college once more.

This estate, along with the property it's on, has deep roots in the Hudson River Valley region. The mansion that stands there today was commissioned by Colonel Oliver Hazard Payne and built by the famous Carrère & Hastings in the early 1900s. The Marist Brothers purchased the mansion in 1942 after some years of inactivity and used it to house the Wiltwyck School for Boys, which focused on helping emotionally disturbed children. After twenty years of operation in Esopus, the school relocated in 1962, and the property was sold off in parcels. Raymond A. Rich eventually purchased the main house and 60 acres of the property after his retirement in the 1970s, and the rest is history.


Above are some pictures from the Dean's Circle visit!


-Sarah Dubrule