Brookwood Hall, East Islip NY

Brookwood Hall in East Islip, NY is a Neo-Georgian style mansion built in 1902 by the architects Delano and Aldrich.

Brookwood Hall Entrance

When I visited the mansion in late February 2011, the building was undergoing extensive and much needed renovations.

Back of Building

The mansion was built by the Knapp Family, and was also subsequently owned by the Thorne Family.

Brookwood Hall Marker

From 1942-1965 the mansion served as an Orphanage.

Orphan Registry Sign

Today it is the home of the Islip Art Museum and the Islip Arts Council and it sits in Knapp Lake Park.

Allee of Trees

Original Entrance Gate

Main Stairs

Breakfast Room Fireplace

The Breakfast Room serves as an exhibit space for local history organizations.

Original Flooring outside Dining Room

Many of the original architectural details of the mansion are hidden behind modifications made to the estate through the years.  It was nice to see some of the original flooring.

Detail of Solarium Fireplace

Mansion lore has this fireplace originally coming from the Idle Hour Estate.  The French style of the fireplace makes the story plausible.  It is not in keeping with the Georgian decorative style of the rest of the house.

Carriage House

The carriage house now serves as a contemporary art space.  I hope to visit Brookwood Hall again, when the renovations are complete.

For more photos of Brookwood Hall see my Flickr site.

Caumsett, Lloyd’s Neck NY

Caumsett is a New York State Historic Park located on the north shore of Suffolk County.

Caumsett Front Fascade

The entire estate has been preserved and consists of the Mansion…

East Fascade

the Winter Cottage…

Winter Cottage

Side View of Winter Cottage

the Dairy complex….

Dairy Complex

Dairy Farm Silo

the Polo Stables…

Polo Stables

Interior Polo Stables

Horse at Polo Stables

and the Walled Garden….

Fountain in Walled Garden

Dairy Complex from Walled Garden

The estate was built for Marshall Field III in the early 1920’s by the architect John Russell Pope.  I was there to visit the beautiful Designer’s Show House (October 2010) in the Winter Cottage (to benefit the Caumsett Foundation) and to enjoy the grounds.

View of LI Sound From Mansion

To view more pictures of Caumsett, and other historic houses I’ve visited, please visit my Flickr site.

Fairleigh, East Norwich NY

Fairleigh was designed by the architects Trowbridge and Livingston in 1914 for the George S. Brewster family.  It now serves as The Hoffman Center, a private nature preserve and wildlife sanctuary that is occasionally open to the public.

Front of Fairleigh

I was visiting Fairleigh for a lecture about horse and automobile racing on Long Island.  The cars in front of the mansion were on exhibit.

Rear Facade of Fairleigh

It was raining the day of my visit, so I did not get many exterior photos.  This one shows the rear facade of Fairleigh.

Rear Terrace

The terrace, looking towards the terrace room, which was recently added to the estate.

Reflecting Pond

The reflecting  pond was visible from the rear terrace.

Main Entrance Chandelier

I just loved this chandelier, it is spectacular!

Inside the Terrace Room

The interior of the terrace room.

Interior of the West Loggia

The West Loggia is being restored.

Exterior of West Loggia

For more photos of Fairleigh visit my Flickr site.

Old Orchard House, Oyster Bay Cove NY

Located on the grounds of Sagamore Hill is another home, Old Orchard House, built by Theodore Roosevelt Jr. in 1938. It is a Georgian Revival or Neo Georgian Style home, that now serves as a Museum to his father’s legacy.  I visited this house on July 26, 2008.

Old Orchard House

Clayton, Roslyn NY

East Facade of Clayton

On October 8, 2007 I visited this estate.

Clayton was originally built in 1904 by the architect  Ogden Codman, Jr for Lloyd Bryce on land that was once owned by William Cullen Bryant.  In 1917 the estate was purchased by Henry Clay Frick for his son, Childs Frick and his new wife, Frances.  In 1919 the facade of the mansion was redesigned by architect Charles Carrick Allom in the Neo Georgian or Georgian Revival Style.  Clayton is now the home of the Nassau County Museum of Art.  It is one of my favorite mansions to visit on Long Island.

West Facade of Clayton

North Facade of Clayton (with sculptures visible)

One of the reasons why I love to visit the grounds of this mansion is the roughly 45 contemporary sculptures that dot the landscape. Here is an example:

Contemporary Sculpture

Sorry, I do not know the name or artist of the above sculpture.  Here is another example:

Wood Duck

Wood Duck Plaque

Another reason why I love the grounds at this mansion is the restored formal garden.

Garden Plaque

Boxwood Garden

The Boxwood Garden is one of the many rooms that comprise the formal garden.

In the garden is the most wonderful structure: the trellis.

Garden Trellis

Trellis Plaque

Trellis Detail 1

Trellis Detail 3

Capitols continuing the trellis into the garden

On the grounds of Clayton is another structure: The Jerusha Dewey Cottage.

Old Westbury Gardens, Old Westbury, NY

On June 22, 2008 I also visited the Main House at Old Westbury Gardens.

The front entrance (North Side) to Westbury House.

The back of the house (South Side), facing the gardens.

A sphinx (one of a pair) on the South Terrace.

The South Terrace – just beautiful!

The West side of the house.

Looking Down the South Allee…….

The Silver garden.

The Boxwood Garden.

The Thatched Cottage, a playhouse for the Phipps children.

The Rose Garden path.

The entrance gate to the walled garden.

The next few pictures are from inside the Walled Garden – one of my favorite places to visit.

Looking down the East Allee from the Walled Garden.

On the grounds of Old Westbury Gardens is another estate: Orchard Hill.