'
Burrwood' was built for
Walter Jennings in
Lloyd Harbor c. 1899 by C
arrere & Hastings. Jennings was a director and secretary of Standard Oil Company and president of the National Fuel Gas Company. His son would go on to inherit the house, and eventually sold it to the Industrial Home for the Blind, which occupied the house until it was sold for development and demolished. Pieces of the gardens remain, as do a handful of brick walls and the original gates (as seen above and below). Click
HERE to see where '
Burrwood' stood on google earth.
The front gate and a garden gate. Both have 'WJ' in the center portion.
'Burrwood' was built for Walter Jennings in Lloyd Harbor c. 1899 by Carrere & Hastings. Jennings was a director and secretary of Standard Oil Company and president of the National Fuel Gas Company. His son would go on to inherit the house, and eventually sold it to the Industrial Home for the Blind, which occupied the house until it was sold for development and demolished. Pieces of the gardens remain, as do a handful of brick walls and the original gates (as seen above and below). Click HERE to see where 'Burrwood' stood on google earth.
The front gate and a garden gate. Both have 'WJ' in the center portion.
21 comments:
What a sin.. these were such beautiful architectural gems, and so many have fallen to ruin and disrepair. It breaks my heart
Hey my names t.j. and i actually live in burrwood and if you were interested in more pictures there are several other remains of the estate
T.j. -
Could you send me an email at oldlongisland@gmail.com.
Thanks.
Wow, amazing! I can't believe this stuff is still here. I would love to come see it. Walter Jennings was my great, great grandfather. I could get you some really amazing photos of the old house if you're interested. It was amazing.
stillman.meyer@gmail.com
I used to play there and in nearby "secret garden" surrounded by tall brick walls. Burrwood Home for the Blind often welcomed visits, from this boy, and I would sit with several old friends. I'll never forget playing the "thumb game" with gentle John (he always won) and going down the fenced path in the woods to Jennings Beach. The beach had wooden walkway, with rails, going from bath house right into the water. The aura of natural beauty, sounds, and smells certainly helped compensate absence of sight. The Cold Spring Harbor/Lloyd Harbor neighborhood had its Fourth of July parade and speeches in this area. Decades later, my mother and stepfather built their home nearby and, until Mom died, I'd often visit the place. Despite all the newer homes, there are still vestiges of an "old England" feeling.
My dad was the director of Burrwood while it was operated by the IHB. As a kid, I spent many wonderful days volunteering, swimming at the beach and using the beach house. I knew all the gardens by heart. One summer, I was a night security guard and learned all the "ins and outs" of the mansion. I so remember the remarkable views from the patio in back of the dining room as well as the view from the Garden of Remembrance overlooking Cold Spring Harbor.
The New York Public Library recently acquired a work inscribed "Thomas Proctor, 'Burrwood,' Cold Spring Harbor, L.I., New York." The work is "Designs for flower beds," published by Geo. A. Solly & Son, Springfield, Mass., 1887. Would like to know who Thomas Proctor was.
I used to play inside the house in the 1960s. At that time the salt water pool had been abandoned and the pump room from the Sound was a great place to find solitude. I remember climbing in and around the area above the dining room, in the housekeeper's room, below floors and behind the Renaissance fireplace in the hall. The caretaker was an old sailor who retired from Smithtown Schools. When it was sold I went back and tried to recover some of the old detail that was being thrown away. One of which was a roman sarcophagus in the garden. Shame the house was lost but it cost a lot to heat.
The Roman sarcophagus now in at the Metropolitan Museum.
My grandmother, Molly Aboud, was a resident at burwood from 1965-her death in 1985. We visited her there often and I loved walking the grounds and the gorgeous veranda. So many happy and sad memories
Arthur, my grandmother Molly was a resident until 1985.
I had a summer job there working as a laborer for the groundskeeper/gardener, an amazing Italian immigrent named Rocco... He was a wonderful gardener and a nice man. He was especially proud of the walled rose garden that was in the woods at the top of the bluff. At that point, it was a home for blind and deaf-blind people and the paths all had steel pipe railings so the blind could stay oriented along the path. My first job every morning and after a daytime storm was to walk the paths to be sure they were free of debris to trip the unwary. There were other, less wonderful aspects of the job as well, but as college summer jobs went, it was about a 9+. One of the best parts was befriending so many of the residents, some of whom started teaching me the letter based sign language so we could communicate. Great people, all dealt a bad card making the most of it.
I have some vivid recollections of the grounds and might be able to help ID old pictures of the estate, especially the outbuildings and gardens. If I can be of some help to you, please lmk... ther1@comcast.net.
Thanks for all your work on this project,
Best to all, Rob Kellman, San Ramon, CA
PS I would be really curious to know what was built in its place. It was obviously a time of wretched excess when it was built but when I saw it, it was simply a beautiful building surrounded by beautiful grounds that served as a home for the blind - surely home to more people and doing more good than just as a home for one family... Quite a shame that it's mostly gone.
I used to play here as well in the 70's. Played thumb wars with John too. Would love to connect with others and hear stories
I love seeing this. A friend of my aunt (Day Ely Ravens croft) parents built this home and her parents built the home next door. Day wrote a book named Matched Pair. The book tells the story of both homes. There are also pictures of the beautiful grounds.
Back in 1987-1988 I used to go here and walk the grounds and hang out in the secret garden. I remember the old sun dial and I believe there was a bench or gazebo that overlooked the harbor. My liver and I made good use of that garden. Beautiful place and sad to know it is now gone.
My family lived in a newly constructed house, in 1971, located inside Jennings estate garden walls. Only a few families lived within the old 1000 acre estate area. What adventures we had as children. The 3 plus acre old garden area was completely surrounded by a ten foot high brick wall with occasional passways with the original wrought iron door/gates. Behind our house and property were stables, sheds, garages and store rooms. Old tools and farm implements were everywhere. We'd walk or bike to the mansion where Burrwood (for the blind) was located. We never bothered the residents, probably being shy or embarrassed. I wish I knew of antiques back then. The abandoned buildings were a treasure trove. A beautiful place now crowded by modern high end homes. Too bad
I’m currently working for a landscaping company’s that services what has become of this estate. I just discovered the remembrance garden and the cottage next to it along with the rock paths leading down to a circular pond. Many of the resins still exist and are features of the new homes that exist there. The rock walls are still intact and the owners of the new homes are all very needy about and love the lands history!
Hello! I volunteered as a youth here. I remember gentle John! He played the thumb wrestle and formed his hands like a scissor to pretend to cut my long locks of hair.
This experience taught me so much about the human spirit. He was deaf and blind, yes. Very funny and kind is what I remember. I recall serving tea and coffee to the residents and asking in sign language what they would prefer. we were invited to a lovely summer picnic and the view on the harbor was beautiful.
Was this where there was a music room and dance floor so people could feel the music through their feet?
Was there a braille library here?
Please tell us more about the Helen Keller garden.
My mother, Janet Murray Kennard, served as the last Director for the Burrwood Home For The Blind . . . it was a labor of love for her, assisting all the good people she met during the years she taught deaf and blind people, as well as teaching many of the deaf and blind teachers for New York State in the late 1970's - 1980's before taking her position as the last Director of Burwood Home For the Blind.
I am confident that my mother, Janet Murray Kennard, would appreciate me extending a warm, tender and hearty hello to the family members of those whom lived in the Burrwood Home For the Blind that may have known her during the years she spent as the Director of Burrwood.
Peace Love Light within and with each and all . . . .
Christopher M. Kennard, Gainesville, Florida
I was at Burrwood as a young teen I believe the summer ‘78-‘79 as a volunteer. So many stories. I was mostly at the beach house. Scott was the lifeguard there. All I remember was that he went to Slippery Rock State (name has changed). I was in charge of the bbq grill. Gentle John used to swim by himself out to a small floating platform with only a rope to guide him. I was so impressed with what he did as a mute individual. He communicated with all of us in his own way. He even legibly said the name of another volunteer named Chris. What a place and a time. Jerry Paduano (Cold Spring Harbor)
My mom was the nurse at Burrwood/IHB for over 15 years. John and his siblings George, Mary and Cissy often came to church with us. Both my sister and I worked there in the summer. I remember when a theatrical company came to film Alice in Wonderland in the beautiful secret garden. The costumes and scenery of the tea party were breathtaking. I learned a lot about life, compassion and kindness working there and my memories are priceless from the residents (many of whom I came to care about deeply) to the house to the beach and the view from the veranda.
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