Thursday, July 30, 2009

When 'Frost Mill Lodge' Was For Sale

The following is a brochure advertising 'Frost Mill Lodge', the Irving Brokaw estate designed by Walker & Gillette c. 1926 in Mill Neck. Click HERE for more info on 'Frost Mill Lodge'.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

$225,000.00 in what year?

Zach L. said...

The year is a mystery is these brochures, as they did not print the date. Brokaw died in 1939 so if I had to guess I would say late '30s/early '40s (but he very well could have sold the house before that).

Anonymous said...

I love these old real estate brochures with accurate photos of what the houses and landscape looked like! I particularly like any information on the Frost Mill Lodge property and its out- buildings, so finding this yesterday was such a treat! Would it ever be possible to get a copy of that brochure? Do you reccomend that I contact the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities? Thanks Zach! I love your blog and look at it every day

Zach L. said...

I would just enlarge each photo and then print from your computer if you are after a hard copy. SPLIA would just photocopy the one they have so it really wouldn't be much different.

Anonymous said...

Sounds great, thanks!

Anonymous said...

See "Buys Golf Course for L.I. Housing", NYT Oct 12, 1947, p. R1: "The former Irving Brokaw property on Oyster Bay Road, Mill Neck, has been sold by Julie G. Herrera of White, Weld, & Co. to Henry E. Stehli, according to Previews, Inc. Murdock, Alten & Stone were the brokers. The property had been held at $225,000." Etc. It goes on to say that Brokaw spent $1m building the house.

Unless it sold for $225k twice in a decade, I'm guessing that the brochure is from 1947, when the first post-Irving Brokaw owner sold it to the second one. As an earlier commenter noted, Brokaw died in 1939, and though I can't find documentation in NYT, it is almost certain that his heirs were forced to sell immediately upon his death, if indeed he did not sell it himself after 1937, when his wife died.

My grandparents celebrated their wedding reception there in 1935, she being the youngest of his 3 daughters.

Anonymous said...

A bit more...

Brokaw originally held 105 acres there, having bought the old Mill Neck Gun Club in 1914. Goose Point, his first house on that parcel, still stands adjacent to Frost Mill.

By the date of this brochure, the property had been severely reduced in size.

Unknown said...

Nice post Zach.