John Jacob Astor IV

John Jacob Astor IV (1864 - 1912), the son of William Backhouse Astor and brother of John Jacob Astor, former owner of the Payne property, was born in Ferncliff, the estate in Rhinebeck on the Hudson. It was John Jacob Astor IV who was lost at sea during the Titanic disaster. His son, Vincent Astor, was the last occupant of Ferncliff.

Jack Dougherty of Marist College was very friendly with Vincent and related this story to me: 

One time Vincent fell suddenly sick, and was taken to Benedictine Hospital in Kingston run by the nuns. He remained there several days, then returned to Ferncliff. He must have been very impressed with the care he received from the nuns, because two decades later he left the Ferncliff estate to them. Today it is a residential nursing home for seniors. A special school for developmentally disabled students in Rhinebeck is called the Astor Home, originally run by the nuns but now an independent corporation. Vincent's wife, the late Brooke Astor, was involved in myriad philanthropies mostly connected to New York City, but until her final sickness she maintained her connection with the Astor home.

On 7 August 2010 Chelsea Clinton married Marc Mezvinsky in a building on the Astor Estate. The building was originally constructed to house an indoor pool, indoor tennis courts, and other recreational facilities. 

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