Fonthill Castle and the Administration Building of the College of Mount St. Vincent
Why it's listed
On a wooded ridge overlooking the Hudson River and the Palisades, two nineteenth-century buildings sit on the campus of the College of Mount St. Vincent in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. The Administration Building began in 1857-59 as a motherhouse and academy for the Sisters of Charity, designed by Henry Engelbert in the early Romanesque Revival style. Red brick, a central six-story tower and deep verandas mark the original block, and extensions from 1865, 1883, 1906-08 and 1951 echo its materials and form. Nearby stands Fonthill Castle, a Gothic Revival cluster of octagonal fieldstone towers built in 1852 for the actor Edwin Forrest and named after Fonthill Abbey in England. Its architect is disputed. The castle has served as a chapel, museum, library and, now, the admissions office. The buildings were listed as fine examples of Romantic-era architecture and for their link to the Sisters' educational work in New York.
Significance in brief: The Administration Building is one of the few surviving buildings in the early Romanesque Revival style and one of the finest examples in New York City, with later extensions that harmonize with the original. Fonthill Castle is an admirable example of Gothic Revival architecture built by actor Edwin Forrest. Together they are presented as superb examples of nineteenth-century Romantic architecture.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 80002585, listed July 11, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | W. 261st St. and Riverdale Ave., New York |
|---|---|
| County | The Bronx |
| Listed | July 11, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80002585 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Administration Building: Henry Engelbert (original 1857-59; 1865 extension possibly his); E. Wenz (1906-08 addition); architect of 1883 section unknown. Fonthill Castle: architect disputed (Thomas C. Smith or Alexander Jackson Davis), built by Edwin Forrest; a footnote also credits Erik Kaeyer, a Yonkers architect. |
| Architectural style | Early Romanesque Revival (Administration Building); Gothic Revival (Fonthill Castle) |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Both buildings are occupied and owned by the College of Mount St. Vincent; Fonthill Castle currently houses the college admissions office and the original academy building serves as the college Administration Building. |
| Acreage | 11 |
| Coordinates | 40.91382, -73.90915 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 80002585.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5465191
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.