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The incident happened in Putnam County in the hamlet of Garrison at Boscobel House and Gardens, which overlooks the Hudson River.
On Tuesday, April 16, the plaster ceiling in its historic library collapsed without warning, causing major damage to the room, its contents, and adjacent rooms, according to Boscobel.
No one was in the building when the incident happened.
Boscobel said it is "working diligently alongside a team of engineers, art conservators, and local officials to assess the building and collection."
House visitation is suspended for the foreseeable future, but Boscobel’s gardens, grounds, and Visitor Center remain fully open during public hours.
"We anticipate no disruption to the weekly farmers’ market, outdoor programming, private events, or our annual Chamber Music Festival," Boscobel said. "We are making immediate pivots to offer alternative experiences to guests who have already booked house visits, expanding our guided tours of the grounds and gardens, sharing more collection objects in our Visitor Center, and more.
"As Boscobel’s stewards, we are devastated by this loss. However, we now have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine one of the most beautiful rooms in America."
Built in the early 1800s, Boscobel has one of the finest collections of decorative arts from the Federal period, along with 68 acres of grounds, gardens, and a woodland trail of Route 9D.
Boscobel directly overlooks Constitution Marsh toward the US Military Academy at West Point.
More info on the recovery effort is available at boscobel.org/library-recovery-effort.
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