[Frederic Shonnard & W.W. Spooner (1900)] Sit-uated just where the road from Sing Sing to Croton Landing crosses the wide mouth of the Croton River, where that stream empties into the Hudson, it commands a magnificent view of the broad Tappan Sea. In former times the ferry across the Croton River mouth, which was the only means of reaching the country above without making a wide detour, had its northern terminus near the mansion. During the first ten years after its construction the house was prob-ably occupied by the proprietor only as a temporary residence when visiting his lands; but later it was enlarged and improved to be-come suitable for the purpose of a manor house aud the accommo-dation of the numerous family of its wealthy owner. It has re-1(38 HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY niamed in the possession of the Van Cortlandts continuously since the time of Stephanus, and has always been used as a habitation by some member of the family. Near it is the Van Cortlandt burial ground, a small, square inclosure, where a number of the most emi-nent descendants of Stephanus, including the noted General and Lieutenant-Governor Pierre Van Cortlandt of the devolution, are in-terred. Apart from the erection of this dwelling, and of mills for the benefit of his existing and prospective tenants, Van Cortlandt ac-complished little in the way of developing his estate.