Tuesday, September 14, 2010

'Welwyn' Gazebo

The gazebo at the end of the stone pier at the very bottom of 'Welwyn', the Harold Pratt estate in Glen Cove. The structure is completely falling apart and is resting on rusted out steel rods that are sitting on the rocks. Click HERE for more on 'Welwyn'.


12 comments:

magnus said...

I believe that the beach in front of Welwyn was used by the entire Pratt family. There was a very large beach house with dozens of changing rooms (it burned a decade or more ago), a large pier as well as the breakwater in the photos with the gazebo at the end. If I recall, the breakwater formed an "L" from the beach, so that it enclosed a sort of marina. I am told that many of the Pratt men commuted to New York by yacht, and this is where the boats were anchored when not in use. You could also make out what appeared to be the remains of concrete pavement on top of the breakwater, so that, when first built, you could walk out to the gazebo without hopping from rock to rock. The gazebo had a light fixture hanging from the ceiling, and it was the mental picture I conjured up when reading the Great Gatsby. Both the bathhouse and pier were painted white with, if memory serves me, red trim of all colors. So much for my morning stroll down memory lane, and one more reason to lament the sad state of the Welwyn grounds today.

HalfPuddingHalfSauce said...

Magnus do you recall ever seeing the Killenworth water tower that was mentioned in the 7 September post? Article states "at the western end of the site stands a small hill which is surmounted by a medieval water tower with shingled architecture."

The Down East Dilettante said...

what a pity...all such structures have disappeared from here, also...

As I type this, I am looking at a photo of my grandmother and a friend on just such a pier, after disembarking from the steam yacht Alfredine...another time, another place...

magnus said...

HPHS- I don't remember the water tower. We moved to the area in the mid 1960's, and my guess is that it disappeared before then. Sadly, I can't recall the Charles Pratt house either, which still, apparently existed. Mrs. Harold Pratt was still alive when we moved down the road from her, and Welwyn was occupied and kept in relatively good condition. Shocking and sad to see how it's deteriorated.

lil' gay boy said...

Despite its ramshackle condition, visiting Welwyn is a bit like going on an archeological dig; uncovering bits of the abandoned garden, the playhouse, the ruined greenhouses & tennis court, and the roses in the dunes along the shore...

When I was living closer, I used to take a folding chair and sit out in the gazebo with a good book; fortunately I never got trapped when the tide came in. Although I've never seen it cover the pier, hopping from rock to rock gets a little iffy when the water's high.

Security word - hooki: skipping out of English class.

Clipping Mask said...

wow! excellent post! thanks a lot for sharing..

jeff51 said...

Let an "expert" on Welwyn speak here please. Facing Glengariff Nursing home the watertower was on the left where there are now parking lots. It was close to the Killenworth propert line and was surrounded by pine trees to the extent that you could almost not even see it. You could clearly see the water of the sound to the North from the top.It was there into the early seventies
The cement noted on the breakwater rocks was there to support and position narrow-gauge metal tracks upon which a cart rode. Cart was pulled by a cable driven by an electric motor which was on land near the end of the breakwater. These are facts from someone who was there back in "the day". Jeff, 51

Anonymous said...

Jeff, was that cart for coal and other necessities during the temperance movement?

clipping path company said...

How amazing scene . I'm just impressed to see your post and both image are captured good .

miss universe said...

Does anyone know what happened to the Gazebo? It was very much here when we moved 2 years ago. It has been missing for over a year.

Mary Cooper said...

I love this great post, thanks for sharing.

Mary Cooper said...

This post is really awesome, thanks.