Ruins of Rhinebeck mansion tied to Edith Wharton set for auction

The ruins of a Rhinebeck mansion that counted author Edith Wharton as a house guest and may have inspired the phrase, “keeping up with the Joneses,” will be auctioned off Wednesday.

By order of U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Wyndclyffe Castle will be auctioned off Wednesday at the New York LaGuardia Airport Marriott Hotel in East Elmhurst.

The story of Wyndclyffe sheds light on an era of Dutchess County’s history shaped by large estates owned by wealthy families that included the Roosevelts, Vanderbilts and Astors.

Wyndclyffe mansion was built in 1853 as the country house of New York City socialite Elizabeth Schermerhorn Jones. She was related to the Astor Family — John Jacob Astor of Rhinebeck died on the Titanic — and was Wharton’s aunt.

Wharton was a Pulitzer Prize winner and author of “Ethan Frome,” “The House of Mirth” and “The Age of Innocence.” Wharton referred to Wyndclyffe in at least two of her books.

The elegance of the 24-room mansion, along with 80 acres that included a boathouse, carriage houses and meticulously manicured landscape, is said to have inspired the idiom "keeping up with the Joneses."

Jones died in 1876 and Wyndclyffe passed into the hands of her nephew. It was then purchased by New York City beer baron Andrew Finck, who installed an elaborate, custom-made pipe system that allowed guests on the tennis courts to retrieve cold beer from the mansion.

The property was sold in 1927 and passed through several owners who faced serious financial challenges maintaining the large home. Wyndclyffe was abandoned during the 1950s.

The property was later subdivided, leaving the deteriorating mansion on a 2½- acre parcel.

In 2003, the mansion was purchased and the new owner erected a security fence around the property. Plans for restoration, however, never materialized. The assessed market value of Wyndclyffe is $312,900.

John W. Barry: jobarry@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4822, Twitter: @JohnBarryPoJo

If You Go

Auction of Wyndclyffe Castle in Rhinebeck

When: 11 a.m. Wednesday

Where: New York LaGuardia Airport Marriott Hotel, 102-05 Ditmars Boulevard, East Elmhurst

Information: Visit www.maltzauctions.com or call 516-349-7022