Historic Wightman Mansion in Lenoir Preserve To Get $5M Facelift

YONKERS, NY — The historic French Neo-Renaissance Wightman Mansion located at Lenoir Preserve in Yonkers is slated to undergo enveloping as part of a $5 million capital project.

The capital project will address its exterior, including restoration of windows, doors, roof, gutters and soffits. Chimneys and the stone façade will receive repointing and upgrades to the HVAC system will be made, Westchester County Executive George Latimer announced on Tuesday.

It is hoped the work will make the nearly 200-year-old building more energy-efficient. Ideally, the phrase "drafty old house" will no longer apply to the structure.

"The Wightman Mansion at Lenoir Preserve is one of the county’s many historic buildings that tell the story of Westchester’s past," Latimer said in a statement announcing the project. "The launch of this capital project to begin preservation of the mansion is a step in the right direction to preserve it for generations to come."

The granite, 13,000-square-foot mansion dates back to the mid-1800s with additional wings and expansions added in the early 1900s. The original stones for the structure were taken from the estate's property, a portion of which makes up the Lenior Preserve today.

“Lenoir Preserve is full of beauty and the Wightman Mansion is a big part of that," Westchester County Parks Commissioner Kathy O’Connor said. "The updates to the exterior will restore its charm, making Lenoir an even more beautiful destination."