lorenzo state historic site

On a knoll overlooking Lake Cazenovia, a magnificent Federal-style resides with a 1807 vintage. Formal and gracious, with a severe brick facade highlighted by delicately proportioned arches, the house provided an appropriate setting for entertainment in the days of Olde. This regal lady, now a museum furnished with family possessions, opens out to the surrounding grounds where we trawled through the formal gardens, groves of trees, with walks and a carriage house containing a wonderful collection of 19th-century horse-drawn vehicles. We took a tour of Cazenovia, one of the most beautiful villages in the Northeast with literally hundreds of fine old houses, mostly Victorian on either side of a charming main street.

This is a beautiful, historic locale. The mansion is incredible and the grounds well maintained. If you visit make sure you check their website for any special happenings - well worth it.

Go here in mid-July to see carriages and horses of all sizes and types from all over the country and the world if you can"t make it then try it over the Holidays or tour anytime knowledgeable docents give great tours

This is worth a visit. The house is lovely, I think designed by the same architect who did the chapel at Hamilton College. Over two centuries accumulation and modification, with the basic early Republic structure and inoffensive alterations during the years, resulting in a place that feels like a home and not a museum. I'm glad they didn't try to realize some static and sterile version of the past. You can also painlessly learn a bit of history that most New Yorkers have forgotten - - really a strange story of foreigners (a bunch of Dutch speculators) owning millions of acres of the new United States. Our guide was a terrific woman who gave a great tour -- she gave a concise, entertaining talk and if you ask a question, you'll find she knows literally every detail, since she inventoried the place years ago, down to the shirts in a forgotten laundry bin. The site overlooks the lake, the gardens haven't been fully restored but had some lovely plantings and were a very pleasant ten minute stroll. All in all, one of the more pleasant house tours we've ever had.

My husband and I ended up being the only two people on the last tour of the day. The gentleman who gives the tour is VERY knowledgeable about the history of the mansion and the families who lived there. We really enjoyed the step back in time that the tour offers!

The beautiful Federal period house overlooks the lake. As the estate remained in the family for a century and a half, the furnishings reflect the history of the house and the changing tastes of the family. The house is refreshingly free of the "period" room approach.