Although Cornelius Kingsley Garrison Billings, a wealthy industrialist, already owned a home on Fifth Avenue and 53rd Street, he fell in love with northern Manhattan while visiting the Harlem River Speedway, a dirt horse-racing track. Already retired at age 40, so as to devote himself to his passion for horses, Billings decided to construct a summer home in the area. He purchased 25 acres and built a 25,000 square foot horse stable and mansion.

Billings' love for riding had already been proven during his famous dinner on horseback at Sherry's restaurant. The dinner, which cost $50,000 at the time, he and his friends dined well- on horseback.

The mansion sat on the highest point of his property, just above the Hudson River on land that had once been Fort Tryon. Called Tryon Hall, the extravagant residence was designed in a Louis XIV chateau style and completed in 1907.

It featured a heated indoor swimming pool, a two-story squash court, a bowling alley, and numerous formal gardens. The home was reached from Riverside Drive via a 1,600-foot long driveway that had a 6-degree grade.

The Billings moved on to other (more exorbitant) living spaces in 1916 and sold Tryon Hall and its surrounding property to John D. Rockefeller Jr. Initially, Rockefeller planned to demolish the buildings and donate the land to the city for a park. Architects protested the anticipated loss of the house and the city actually turned down the land.

The mansion was then lived in for some years by the president of a large realty company but burned to the ground in 1926 (no lives were lost but artwork valued at $1 million was destroyed). The ruins were removed and Rockefeller finally got the city to accept the land for a park.

Fort Tryon Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. Of the mansion, a few features remain - including the gatehouse, entrance pillars, and original S-shaped roadway.