Thursday, March 8, 2012

'The Monastery'

A 1925 advertisement for 'The Monastery', the Mrs. Farquhar Ferguson estate designed by Allen W. Jackson c. 1908 in Huntington Bay. Click HERE and HERE for more on 'The Monastery'.

11 comments:

Doug Floor Plan said...

Another great find, Zach. This 1925 advertisement says to write The New York Trust Company for an illustrated booklet -- which means somewhere out there a booklet or two most likely still exists.

The Down East Dilettante said...

The old real estate brochures are so useful. Pity that the realtors were not required to send a copy of each to the Library of Congress---it would so shorten my own research right now.

Anonymous said...

It looks so much more than 14 acres. That makes it all the more sad since it was so manageable.

Kellsboro Jack said...

To TDED's remark on the brochures sadly fewer properties (of this caliber) are even having physically printed ones today. Elaborate on-line presentations which likely will be erased in a few years have taken over.

I have a few brochures from the 1990's of premium properties that are sensational. Example, when Chiltern in Hillsborough (San Fran) CA was for sale in the early 1990's they produced an 8-page glossy booklet that was absolute real estate porn. I'm still amazed the agent sent it to a 25-yr old guy would while aspired and appreciated such an offering couldn't afford it ;>

Its back on the market sans any brochure although an elaborate collection of on-line images.

http://www.christiesrealestate.com/PropertyDetails/113097

Apologies to Zach for the hijack.

The Monastery was seemingly a lovely homes that was more manageable than many of its peers.

The Down East Dilettante said...

Considering how many of the great houses coast to coast became home to religious orders, it's downright ironic that when there was one actually called 'The Monastery', the church didn't bite...

HalfPuddingHalfSauce said...

Somewhere adjancent to The Monastery was the home of Julius "Nicky" Arnstein and Fanny Brice. Supposedly still extant, Anyone?

Anonymous said...

Kellsboro..I have to say, with the exception of the all the recessed lighting, Spa,Screening room and some of the guest rooms, I'm very impressed with Chiltern. Seems very well built with natural materials, and much of the stone and wood work look done by an artisan and not a machine.

As for "The Monastery", I alway thought this was one of Long Islands tragic losses along with "Spring hill", "Peacock Point","Burrwood", "Harbor Hill", "Pembroke", "Meudon" (original, not latter), and "Knollwood"....there are too many to mention, just on the North Shore alone.

Doug Floor Plan said...

Kellsboro, I just looked at the 75-photos in the on-line listing for Chiltern that you linked to ... Holy Crap! I wonder how often the owners have to ask a guest to pack up & leave -- cause they'd have to find me first.

Kellsboro Jack said...

Chiltern was, as I recall from the marketing materials, in their spin was once a 1920s estate lost and a new estate created on the site. So while it is technically identified as created in the late 1980's/early 1990's it used a tremendous amount of top grade architectural salvaged materials.

The 1990's seller lost his fortune in a financial reversal with a fund he ran. The property languished for a time with a mega asking tag and considered too heavy on the religious detailing.

It is actually rather toned down with the artifacts compared to 1995. Overall it accomplishes (and that is a rarity) in capturing much of what visual details of an estate from a century ago.

Anonymous said...

HPHS,
I grew up down the road from The Monastery, known locally as "Ferguson's Castle" We used to climb around the ruins etc..anyway, I went to a elementary school up on Bay Avenue, which would be east of the Monastery (up and over the hill) and the Fanny Brice House was supposedly next door to the school. Fairly modest home in the American turn of the century farmhouse style (to me anyway)
regards, CAG IV

HalfPuddingHalfSauce said...

Thanks for the response CAG IV. I was able to confirm the school location and the Brice house - http://binged.it/yXb962