Reid Hall, Manhattanville College
Also known as: Ophir Hall; Whitelaw Reid House
Why it's listed
Reid Hall, originally called Ophir Hall, is a granite mansion with a five-story tower on the Manhattanville College campus in Purchase, New York. Whitelaw Reid, owner and editor-in-chief of the New York Herald Tribune, bought the estate in 1887. After the first house burned, he commissioned Stanford White, whose Renaissance Revival castle was completed in 1892. Its main rooms are in the French style, with two parlors imported from a French chateau and others taken from the New York City home of Reid's father-in-law, Darius Mills. In 1912 McKim, Mead and White added a Jacobean library wing and a guest cottage. Reid served as minister to France and ambassador to England, and guests included Henry James and Calvin Coolidge. The Reid family kept the house until Manhattanville College bought it in 1951. It now serves as the college's administration building, and the first-floor rooms and main halls remain relatively unchanged.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is a lavishly decorated Renaissance Revival-style castle designed by Stanford White for Whitelaw Reid, editor-in-chief of the New York Herald Tribune. Its French-style interiors and Jacobean library wing are notable, and Reid's prominence as a diplomat and political figure adds to its interest. It is now the college's administrative center and campus focal point.
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 74001321, listed March 22, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Manhattanville College, Purchase St., Purchase |
|---|---|
| County | Westchester County |
| Listed | March 22, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74001321 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Stanford White (1892); McKim, Mead and White (1912 wing); Frederick Law Olmstead (landscape) |
| Architectural style | Renaissance Revival castle; Jacobean-style library wing; French-influenced interiors |
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in excellent condition; serves as the administration building of Manhattanville College. Upper stories and secondary halls have been significantly altered for school needs. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 41.03235, -73.71555 (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 74001321.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7309955
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.