On the Grounds of 'Gracefield'

On the grounds of 'Gracefield', the William Russell Grace estate designed by James O'Connor c. 1909 in Great Neck.  Click HERE and HERE for more on 'Gracefield'.

'Crossroads' Aerial

A 1938 aerial of 'Crossroads', the William Russell Grace Jr. estate designed by James O'Connor c. 1919 in Old Westbury.  Also seen are neighboring 'Catawba Farm' and the shared race track and polo field.  Click HERE for more on 'Crossroads'.  Photo from Stony Brook University's Digital Archive.

'Gracefield'

'Gracefield', the Mrs. William Russell Grace Sr. estate designed by James O'Connor c. 1909 in Great Neck.  Click HERE for more on 'Gracefield'.  Click HERE to see the residence (which has been substantially altered) on google earth and HERE on bing.

'Crossroads'

 'Crossroads', the William R. Grace Jr. estate designed by James O'Connor c. 1919 in Old Westbury.  Click HERE, HERE and HERE for more on 'Crossroads'.  Click HERE to see the estate on google earth and HERE on bing.

Photos from The Architect, 1926.

'Tullaroan'

'Tullaroan', the Joseph P. Grace estate designed by James O'Connor c. 1910 in North Hills.  Click HERE and HERE for more on 'Tullaroan'.  Photo from the Aiglon Archives.

'Gracefield'

 'Gracefield', the Mrs. William Russell Grace Sr. estate designed (enlarged and altered) by James O'Connor c. 1909 in Great Neck.  Grace was a two term mayor of New York City and co-founder of William R. Grace & Co.  His son W.R. Grace Jr. resided at 'Crossroads' in Old Westbury, daughter Lillian Grace Kent at 'Jericho House' in Jericho and son Joseph P. Grace at 'Tullaroan' in North Hills.  Click HERE to see 'Gracefield' on google earth and HERE on bing.

Photos from American Architect & Architecture, 1909.

'Tullaroan' Farm Group

The farm group to 'Tullaroan', the Joseph Peter Grace estate designed by James O'Connor c. 1910 in North Hills.  Click HERE for more on 'Tullaroan'.  Click HERE to see the estate on google earth and HERE on bing.

Photos from Architectural Review, 1920.

The Indoor Tennis Court at 'Crossroads'

The indoor tennis court at 'Crossroads', the William Russell Grace Jr. estate designed by James O'Connor c. 1919 in Old Westbury.  Click HERE and HERE for more on 'Crossroads'.  The exterior was recently repaired but is already showing signs of wear.

'Crossroads' Indoor Tennis Court in Winter

The indoor tennis court to 'Crossroads', the William Russell Grace Jr. estate designed by James O'Connor c. 1919 in Old Westbury, as seen in winter. Click HERE for more on 'Crossroads'.

'Tullaroan'

'Tullaroan', the Joseph Peter Grace Sr. estate designed by James O'Connor c. 1910 in North Hills (I do not know why it is listed as Glen Cove in the pictures). J.P. Grace was president and chairman of the board of W.R. Grace & Co. The estate had Olmsted landscaping and alterations by Horace Trumbauer in 1917. Grace was married to Janet Macdonald, daughter of Charles B. Macdonald who resided at 'Ballyshear' in Southampton. In 1954 the estate became the Deepdale Golf Course with the main residence becoming the clubhouse. Click HERE to see 'Tullaroan' on google earth and HERE on bing.

Pictures from American Architect & Architecture, 1913.

'Crossroads' Indoor Tennis Court

The indoor tennis court at 'Crossroads', the William Russell Grace Jr. estate designed by James O'Connor c. 1919 in Old Westbury. Click HERE for more on 'Crossroads'.

'Crossroads' in 1925

I got an email from someone named Elizabeth in Bristol, U.K. who was looking for help in identifying this house. Her aunt had been a nanny in the U.S. in 1925 and had accumulated a variety of photos (including one of her with J.D. Rockefeller). She's not sure how these wound up with the rest of the photos (or who the people are in the photos themselves) but the house is William Russell Grace Jr.'s 'Crossroads' designed by James O'Connor c. 1919 in Old Westbury. The house looks in the best condition I've ever seen in these pictures.

'Crossroads' Interiors

Some accompanying interior photos following yesterday's post on 'Crossroads', the William Russell Grace Jr. estate designed by James O'Connor c. 1919 in Old Westbury. Click HERE for more on 'Crossroads'.

Pictures from Architectural Review, 1919.

'Crossroads'

'Crossroads', the estate of William Russell Grace Jr. designed by James O'Connor c. 1919 in Old Westbury. Grace was a director at W.R. Grace & Co. and was vice-president of Ingersoll-Rand. The grounds consisted of a colonial farmhouse that had been added onto over the years and Grace brought in O'Connor to turn the house into a full fledged estate. The plans below do not include the sunken indoor tennis court which O'Connor added shortly afterwards. Click HERE for more on 'Crossroads'. Click HERE to see 'Crossroads' on google earth.

Pictures from Architectural Review, 1919. Click below to see 'Crossroads' intact with the 1/4 mile race track and vegetable garden intact in a 1966 aerial shot.

When Crossroads' Indoor Tennis Court Caught Fire

11 years ago this month, the James O'Connor designed sunken indoor tennis court (click HERE for more) that is part of William Russell Grace Jr.'s 'Crossroads' estate in Old Westbury caught fire. The owners of the house were doing some kind of work inside the building and about 4 hours after the construction workers left, one of the columns caught fire. A small glow was noticed from the outside of the building, something that was clearly not normal. The fire was discovered, thankfully in enough time to keep the damage minimal, but the following photos show the relative chaos that ensued trying to get it under control.

The original glass roof was smashed by the firemen on the left side and warped by the heat on the right side. All the windows were smashed and every piece of glass had to be replaced.

Picture of the Day

The rear entrance to 'Next Door', the guest house to W.R. Grace Jr.'s 'The Crossroads' in Old Westbury.

Crossroads' Sunken Indoor Tennis Court

The James O'Connor designed sunken indoor tennis court to W.R. Grace Jr.'s 'The Crossroads' estate in Old Westbury.

Picture of the Day

A fountain on the side of 'Next Door', the guest house to W.R. Grace Jr.'s 'Crossroads' in Old Westbury.