In 1963, Timothy Leary, a clinical psychologist and advocate for psychedelic drugs, leased a large house situated on an expansive estate in the historic Hudson Valley village of Millbrook. The estate, which spans almost 2,100 acres and had recently been acquired by brothers Billy and Tommy Hitchcock, prominent members of one of America’s wealthiest families, became known as a center for Leary’s activities over the next five years. During this period, the estate was reportedly subjected to multiple drug raids.
The 2,100-acre estate is entered through a Bavarian-style gatehouse.
A golden dining room
One of many stenciled ceilings.
Inside the main house.
A deep-covered porch wraps around the main floor.
A 10,000-square-foot residence known as the bungalow.
An interior view of the bungalow
The stone-built stabling block.
One of several Bavarian-style buildings.
The driveway crosses a stone bridge over a narrow canal that connects the estate’s two lakes.
A bucolic view over one of the lakes.
The property, still owned by the Hitchcock family, has recently been put on the market for $65 million. If sold anywhere close to this asking price, it will shatter the current record for the highest residential sale in Millbrook, which stands at just under $19 million. Originally assembled over nearly three decades starting in 1889 by Charles F. Dieterich, a German-𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 gas tycoon and co-founder of Union Carbide, the estate, and its main house, known as Daheim, were later owned by Walter C. Teagle, president and chairman of Standard Oil. In 1963, the Hitchcock brothers, descendants of the Mellon family involved in oil and banking, purchased the estate for a remarkably low sum of $500,000.
An aerial view of the 38-room main house.
The property features mostly wooded land including two lakes—one covering 45 acres and the other 60—along with a 38-room Victorian mansion, a substantial single-story residence called “the bungalow,” and several other homes and outbuildings. The Victorian mansion, originally designed by James E. Ware and expanded significantly during Dieterich’s ownership, spans nearly 15,000 square feet. While it fell into disrepair over time, recent years have seen extensive restoration efforts and upgrades, overseen by a local historian. The mansion retains its grandeur with high ceilings, ornate fireplaces, intricate wood paneling, a carved wooden staircase, and stained-glass windows. The property also includes a two-room suite with a shared sitting room among its ten bedrooms and staff quarters.
The porte-cochère entrance.
The smaller yet spacious bungalow, about 10,000 square feet in size and commissioned by Dieterich, was designed by renowned architect Addison Mizner, known for his work on Mediterranean-style mansions. Additional structures across the estate include a stone bowling alley, Bavarian-style buildings including a gatehouse, a three-bedroom caretaker’s cottage, a carriage house with two guest or staff apartments, and a comprehensive stone-built equestrian and farm complex.
