Thursday, August 22, 2013

'The Manse'

'The Manse', the William Collins Whitney estate designed by McKim, Mead & White between 1898-1902 in Old Westbury.  Following Whitney's death in 1904 the estate was inherited by his son Harry Payne Whitney.  Click HERE and HERE for more on 'The Manse' which was demolished by Harry's son Cornelius and replaced with a Delano & Aldrich design that is now the clubhouse for the Old Westbury Country Club.

15 comments:

The Down East Dilettante said...

McKim Mead & White or not, I've always found this a hard house to love.

Actually, Delano & Aldrich or not, I've never much cared for Sonny's house either.

You heard it here.

lil' gay boy said...

Ditto; best I could say is it is a ponderous structure.

Still, I would have loved to have seen it in its heyday.

Zach L. said...

I too would have loved to have seen this one live. I've always been partial to it...a jumbo sized Long Island hunting lodge. Between steeplechase races on the lawn and all the fox hunts it must have been something (especially since the stable used to be almost twice as long).

The Ancient said...

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OlaVeajrP30/SbZW5q_GFQI/AAAAAAAAC28/iZzjVUWlQ_M/s1600-h/Whitney+Wheatley+Hills+cropped.jpg

Do you think the roofer retired after this one?

Anonymous said...

Are there any photographs of the interior?

The Ancient said...

http://www.oldlongisland.com/2010/05/manse-interiors.html

The Down East Dilettante said...

Or did the roofer have a nervous breakdown?

wonderful aerial. There's always that moment that everything was perfect, and this captures it.

The Ancient said...

Off-topic --

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Felling-Ancient-Oaks-England-Country/dp/1845136705/ref=pd_sim_b_2/277-1332734-3249930

Apparently, there won't always be an England after all.

The Ancient said...

Off-topic --

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/27/nyregion/hamptons-mcmansions-herald-the-return-of-excess.html?hp

"Day of the Locusts, Part Two."

Anonymous said...

The Times article continues the misuse of the term "Mcmansion" a deragatory term used for large pretentious homes usually constructed in mass on small lots crowding out subdivisions with their massive volumes without having the quality of the mansions theyre trying to emulate. The new construction in the Hamptons tends to be true mansion-sized buildings, with estate amenties including pools, tennis courts, bowling alleys, guest houses, etc, etc. not exactly what I would call a Mcmansion. You may not like the over use of the shingle-style dwelling, but dont call them Mcmansions please. RT

lil' gay boy said...

RT,

From the Urban Dictionary:

A large and pretentious house, typically of shoddy construction, typical of "upscale" suburban developments in the late
20th and early 21st centuries. Such houses are characterized by steep roofs of complex design, theatrical entrances, lack of stylistic integrity and backsides which are
notably less fussy than their fronts. They are often placed closely together to maximize the developer's profits and appeal to people who value perceived social status over actual, physical, economic or historic value.


I'd say the author is taking a little "editorial license" in that the locals are referring (derogatorily) to what they perceive as "Farellization":

"...he now specializes in properties that sell for between $3 million and $10 million. “Mostly, though, $3 million to $6,” he said. “I love that market — there are probably 10 times as many people in that market than to buy an eight- or nine-million-dollar house, right?”"

They're bigger, better, and of a higher quality than a typical "McMansion", but in the über-exclusive back-roads of the Hamptons, just as despised.

Kellsboro Jack said...

Off topic but does anyone else on occasion get a redirect to GoDaddy when trying to reach oldlongisland? I seem to have that problem more and more. I've check the address and when I do get in its the same as the one redirected. Odd stuff.

Regarding "A large and pretentious house, typically of shoddy construction" that resonates loudly with a lot of the new in-city "mansions" built here in Chicago. I think most people would be gobsmacked to see just how absolutely cheap (and shoddy) the bones are of new construction $5M+ homes. Cinderblock core structure with that gilded edge of grandeur on the visible exterior.

'High end' construction firms of today ply their trade with skill sets woefully deficient from yesteryear and deploy cheap materials.

Anonymous said...

Kellsboro -
That sounds like a virus.

Countryhouse fanatic said...

A wonderful vernacular unpretentious though large country home, beautifully sited. MMW at their best.

Countryhouse fanatic said...

A wonderful vernacular unpretentious though large country home, beautifully sited. MMW at their best.