# Historic Blueprints

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historic-blueprints/168220>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 12, 2003, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historic-blueprints/168220 "2003-04-12T06:54:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Shai\_tan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Shai\_tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shai_tan)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historic-blueprints/168220/1 "2003-04-12T06:54:31Z")

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My soon-to-be father in law is building a house. A rather large one. He wants to make it a sort of scaled down version of the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, New York. He hasn’t so far been able to obtain blueprints/plans for the original.

Since he is shelling out quite a bit of money for my upcoming wedding (and honeymoon), I want to do something really nice for him. Obtaining copies of the blueprints/plans for the Vanderbilt Mansion would be great…

Does anyone know how I could go about getting something like that? Are they on file with any government agencies (who would share i.e. public records…) or historical foundation, etc?

Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated!

```
                                     - **Shai'tan**
```

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historic-blueprints/168220/2 "2003-04-12T07:10:08Z")

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[Rough Vanderbilt Mansion Floor Plans.](http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/78vanderbilt/78visual3.htm)

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**Author:** ![Shai\_tan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Shai\_tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shai_tan)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historic-blueprints/168220/3 "2003-04-12T07:15:54Z")

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Thanks for the quick reply **Q.E.D.** , but he actually needs something with dimensions and sizes. I believe his intent is to scale it down 20%, with a few minor alterations. So he needs something FAIRLY detailed. Thanks again!

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**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historic-blueprints/168220/4 "2003-04-12T08:11:16Z")

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Contact the [Roosevelt-Vanderbilt Historical Association](http://www.nps.gov/vama/pphtml/bookshop.html). They run a bookshop at the site of the Vanderbilt Mansion.