In 1910, Roswell Eldridge had it all: cars, yachts, money, and a beautiful beachside mansion. There was just one problem...

In New York, villages are a type of municipality. They were intended to be densely-populated places where officials could tax residents and provide infrastructure, like running water or sewers, with the proceeds. But in 1910, wealthy suburbanites like Roswell Eldridge managed to change Village Law so that they could incorporate their private estates into villages. They did that to exercise more control over their land, and also avoid paying property taxes for public works projects that they disapproved of.

This is the story of one of the first estate villages: Saddle Rock, which was almost exclusively composed of Roswell Eldridge's enormous private home.

Find notes here, including sources for all quotes read during the episode: https://www.aneyesoreandaplague.com/saddle-rock