[Illustration: _The old Langdon House, built in 1847 and demolished to make way for Vanderbilt Mansion._] One reporter described the Vanderbilts’ new estate as “... a beautiful park all grown up to underbrush.” He noted that “There were hot houses ample but empty, the stables and farm buildings were in a state of extreme dilapidation, and the 40-room old mansion of the purest Greek architecture was painted a light pink....” The new owner lost no time in getting started with his improvement program. He engaged the services of the famed New York architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and White, and by the end of June their agents had completed measured drawings of the buildings on the estate. It was decided that the former Langdon mansion would be remodeled. By September, architect Charles F. McKim had completed the plans. The north and south wings of the old structure were to be torn down and replaced. The central portion was to be retained under a new facade, and the rooms within it redecorated. Norcross Brothers, then the largest construction firm in the United States, moved in to begin work. Remodeling of the mansion and other phases of the rehabilitation were obviously long-range programs. Some provision had to be made for a temporary residence for the Vanderbilts. The architect and contractor accordingly directed their first efforts toward this end. A carriage house of native field stone, probably erected in the late 1820’s, stood 540 feet north of the old mansion. Investigation revealed that the lime in the foundations and walls of this building had deteriorated to a point where the structure was unsafe, and it was decided to remove it completely. Plans were drawn for a pavilion to be erected on the same site. This would accommodate the Vanderbilts until the mansion was completed. Time was at a premium if the new building was to be available for occupancy in the summer of 1896, and cost was no object. To speed the project, dynamite was placed under the four corners of the carriage house to bring it down, care being taken to protect nearby trees. The old structure was removed during the first week in September; and on November 24, 1895, just 66 working days later, the pavilion was completed. To accomplish this feat, the contractors had their carpenters working shoulder-to-shoulder. [Illustration: _Architect’s drawing of Vanderbilt Mansion._]