Brookwood History...
...Brookwood is one of the oldest summer estates on Otsego Lake. The name of the builder of the first house on the property is not known, but the structure pre-dates 1820 and was incorporated into what is now the main house. In 1839 the farm was owned by Elisha Doubleday, and the local tradition that baseball was first played in a local pasture could refer to one of his fields. Starting in the late 1860s, the point and surrounding land were purchased by Elihu Phinney, a retired publisher from Buffalo famous for the production of inexpensive bibles. He enlarged the house and established Brookwood as a large estate.
...In 1880, Brookwood was acquired by James B. Jermain, an Albany financier, who used it as a summer home for his family. The house was enlarged and outbuildings were constructed. Jermain was an outgoing, active member of the community who sponsored religious services and Christmas parties for the children of the town, and once stocked Otsego Lake with 30,000 trout at his own expense. At his death in 1897, Brookwood was left to his granddaughter, Katharine Savage J ennain, who married Frederick dePeyster Townsend, a landscape architect from Buffalo.
...The garden and Garden House were designed and built by Frederick and Katharine from 1915 to 1920. The Garden House was a classroom for the children and a favorite retreat—the children’s names are inscribed in the fireplace hearth. The grounds were used for boating, camping, fishing and dramatic presentations authored by Katharine, some of which are still preserved in the Garden House.
...In 1944, the estate was sold to J. Harry Cook. His son, Robert Wiles Cook, created the non-profit Cook Foundation in 1985 to ensure the preservation of the property. The Cook Foundation continues his mission today at the Brookwood Garden and Horticulture Center.