In 1963, Timothy Leary, a clinical psychologist and advocate for psychedelic drugs, leased a large house situated on an expansive estate in the historic Hudson Valley village of Millbrook. The estate, which spans almost 2,100 acres and had recently been acquired by brothers Billy and Tommy Hitchcock, prominent members of one of America’s wealthiest families, became known as a center for Leary’s activities over the next five years. During this period, the estate was reportedly subjected to multiple drug raids.
The property, still owned by the Hitchcock family, has recently been put on the market for $65 million. If sold anywhere close to this asking price, it will shatter the current record for the highest residential sale in the Millbrook area, which stands at just under $19 million. Originally assembled over nearly three decades starting in 1889 by Charles F. Dieterich, a German-born gas tycoon and co-founder of Union Carbide, the estate and its main house, known as Daheim, were later owned by Walter C. Teagle, president and chairman of Standard Oil. In 1963, the Hitchcock brothers, descendants of the Mellon family involved in oil and banking, purchased the estate for a remarkably low sum of $500,000.
The property features mostly wooded land including two lakes—one covering 45 acres and the other 60—along with a 38-room Victorian mansion, a substantial single-story residence called “the bungalow,” and several other residences and outbuildings. The Victorian mansion, originally designed by James E. Ware and expanded significantly during Dieterich’s ownership, spans nearly 15,000 square feet. While it fell into disrepair over time, recent years have seen extensive restoration efforts and upgrades, overseen by a local historian. The mansion retains its grandeur with high ceilings, ornate fireplaces, intricate wood paneling, a carved wooden staircase, and stained-glass windows. The property also includes a two-room suite with a shared sitting room among its ten bedrooms, as well as staff quarters.
The smaller yet spacious bungalow, about 10,000 square feet in size and commissioned by Dieterich, was designed by renowned architect Addison Mizner, known for his work on Mediterranean-style mansions. Additional structures across the estate include a stone bowling alley, Bavarian-style buildings including a gatehouse, a three-bedroom caretaker’s cottage, a carriage house with two guest or staff apartments, and a comprehensive stone-built equestrian and farm complex.
