Hempstead House
Encyclopedia
Hempstead House, also known as Castle Gould or Gould-Guggenheim Estate, is a large estate located in Sands Point, New York
(or more specifically, Sands Point Preserve). Measuring 225 ft (68.6 m), 135 ft (41.1 m), Hempstead House has three floors and contains 40 rooms, punctuated by an 80 feet (24.4 m). Once construction had completed, the 300 acres (1.2 km²) estate needed 17 house servants and 200 farmers and groundskeepers to maintain its upkeep. Hempstead House in its prime was regarded as one of the most lavish estates to occupy the Gold Coast (North Shore (Long Island)
):
, son of railroad tycoon Jay Gould
, began construction of the estate after purchasing the land in 1900. Initially, the plan was to build a castle that was to be a replica of Kilkenny Castle
. Castle Gould, as it came to be called, was intended to be used as the main house. However, the Goulds did not like the castle so they decided to create another house on the estate which would serve as the main dwelling.
After the completion of this house in 1912, the Goulds sold the estate to Daniel Guggenheim
. Upon buying the estate, the name of the main house was changed to Hempstead House (the limestone stables and the servants quarters are, today, still referred to as Castle Gould). In 1917, the Guggenheims donated the estate to the Institute of Aeronautical Sciences. Soon after acquiring the estate, the institute sold it to the U.S. Navy who held it from 1946-1967. The U.S. government declared the estate as surplus and eventually gave the deed of the property to Nassau County, New York
in 1971.
”, “Malcolm X (film)
” and “Great Expectations (1998 film)
”.
Sands Point, New York
Sands Point is a village located at the northernmost tip of the Cow Neck Peninsula on the North Shore of Long Island in Nassau County, New York. As of the United States 2010 Census, the village population was 2,675. The Incorporated Village of Sands Point is in the Town of North...
(or more specifically, Sands Point Preserve). Measuring 225 ft (68.6 m), 135 ft (41.1 m), Hempstead House has three floors and contains 40 rooms, punctuated by an 80 feet (24.4 m). Once construction had completed, the 300 acres (1.2 km²) estate needed 17 house servants and 200 farmers and groundskeepers to maintain its upkeep. Hempstead House in its prime was regarded as one of the most lavish estates to occupy the Gold Coast (North Shore (Long Island)
North Shore (Long Island)
The North Shore of Long Island is the area along Long Island's northern coast, bordering Long Island Sound. The region has long been the most affluent on Long Island, as well as the most affluent in the New York metropolitan area, which has earned it the nickname "the Gold Coast." Though some...
):
"In its heyday in the 1920s, Hempstead House revealed a taste for extravagance. In the Entry Foyer was an organ made of oak. The pipes still visible on the walls above were merely for show - the music reverberated through openings in the floors. Medieval tapestries once hung on the walls, and oriental carpets covered the floor. The sunken Palm Court once contained 150 species of rare orchids and other plants. An aviary housed exotic birds in ornate cages among the flowers. The walnut-paneled Library was copied from the palace of King James I; relief portraits of literary figures still decorate the plaster ceiling. The Billiard Room featured a gold leaf ceiling, hand-tooled leather wall covering, and carved oak woodwork from a 17th century Spanish palace."
History
Howard GouldHoward Gould
Howard Gould was a financier and the son of Jay Gould.- Birth and marriage :He was the son of Jay Gould and Helen Day Miller . He married Katherine Clemmons on October 12, 1898. She was an actress whose career had been heavily subsidized by William F. Cody...
, son of railroad tycoon Jay Gould
Jay Gould
Jason "Jay" Gould was a leading American railroad developer and speculator. He has long been vilified as an archetypal robber baron, whose successes made him the ninth richest American in history. Condé Nast Portfolio ranked Gould as the 8th worst American CEO of all time...
, began construction of the estate after purchasing the land in 1900. Initially, the plan was to build a castle that was to be a replica of Kilkenny Castle
Kilkenny Castle
Kilkenny Castle is a castle in Kilkenny, Ireland built in 1195 by William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke to control a fording-point of the River Nore and the junction of several routeways...
. Castle Gould, as it came to be called, was intended to be used as the main house. However, the Goulds did not like the castle so they decided to create another house on the estate which would serve as the main dwelling.
After the completion of this house in 1912, the Goulds sold the estate to Daniel Guggenheim
Daniel Guggenheim
Daniel Guggenheim was an American industrialist and philanthropist, and a son of Meyer Guggenheim.-Biography:...
. Upon buying the estate, the name of the main house was changed to Hempstead House (the limestone stables and the servants quarters are, today, still referred to as Castle Gould). In 1917, the Guggenheims donated the estate to the Institute of Aeronautical Sciences. Soon after acquiring the estate, the institute sold it to the U.S. Navy who held it from 1946-1967. The U.S. government declared the estate as surplus and eventually gave the deed of the property to Nassau County, New York
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
in 1971.
Film
A number of famous movies have had scenes filmed at Hempstead House and the surrounding estate. Some examples are “Scent of a WomanScent of a Woman
This article is about the American film. For the Korean drama, see Scent of a Woman .Scent of a Woman is a 1992 drama film directed by Martin Brest that tells the story of a preparatory school student who takes a job as an assistant to an irascible, blind, medically retired Army officer...
”, “Malcolm X (film)
Malcolm X (film)
Malcolm X is a 1992 biographical motion picture about the Muslim-American figure Malcolm X . It was co-written, co-produced, and directed by Spike Lee. It stars Denzel Washington as the titular character. It co-stars Angela Bassett, Albert Hall, Al Freeman, Jr., and Delroy Lindo...
” and “Great Expectations (1998 film)
Great Expectations (1998 film)
Great Expectations is a 1998 contemporary film adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel of the same name, directed by Alfonso Cuarón and starring Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert De Niro, Anne Bancroft and Chris Cooper. It is known for having moved the setting of the original novel from 1861...
”.