The Manse / William Collins Whitney Estate

William Collins Whitney, the patriarch of the Whitney family, had McKim, Mead and White design him a Tudor style house in 1902 on the 1,000 acres he purchased in Old Westbury, known as 'The Manse'.  He wanted to build an estate that rivaled Biltmore in North Carolina.  His son Harry Payne Whitney inherited the house and estate, and eventually Harry's son Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney would go on to inherit it, demolish this house and build a new one in its place, designed by Billy Delano c. 1940.  Upon his death, the property was split up, some going to development, some to the Old Westbury Country Club and some to NYIT.  Click HERE to see where 'The Manse' stood on google earth.

The massive stables building.  Part of the original structure has been demolished, possibly due to a fire.  Designed by George A. Freeman (1898), the building is now part of NYIT.

A cottage across from the stables.

The indoor tennis court.  This structure originally had a glass roof.

The gymnaisum.  Also designed by George A. Freeman (1898).

The water tower.  The Whitney estate sits on the third highest point on Long Island, and this water tower served numerous functions throughout its life.  It was a windmill, a fire lookout, and during WW2 a lookout post for enemy aircraft. 

The farm group now sits on the property of NYIT.  The dairy has been converted to the student center.

The view from the top of the hill where the house sits.

Click below to see the Whitney estate as it looked partially intact in a 1966 aerial shot.

'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.

'The Manse' Interiors

Three interior shots of 'The Manse', the William Collins Whitney estate designed by McKim, Mead & White c. 1898 to 1902 in Old Westbury. After W.C. died in 1904 his son Harry Payne inherited the house. The main residence was demolished when H.P.'s son Cornelius had Delano & Aldrich design him a new house in 1941. Click HERE for more on 'The Manse'.

The Manse / William Collins Whitney Estate

An aerial view of William Collins Whitney's 'The Manse' by McKim, Mead & White in Old Westbury.  This view gives you an idea of how immense this house was.  Click HERE for more on 'The Manse'.

The Old Entrance to the Whitney Estate

Down the same long forgotten road as the entrance to Stanley Mortimer's 'Roslyn House' sits the original entrance to William C. Whitney's estate and mansion, 'The Manse'. The Whitneys would have stopped using this driveway when they sold the main house to the Old Westbury Country Club. Access to the main house is now off of Wheatley Road. This road was originally known as Stow-Mortimer-Whitney road and after H.C. Phipps purchased the Stow property and Garvan the Mortimer property, it became Whitney-Phipps-Garvan road.

Whitney House

Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney hired Delano & Aldrich to design a new house for him on the site of his grandfather's and subsequently his father's house 'The Manse', on the Whitney estate in Old Westbury in 1941.  Whitney was a founder and chairman of the board of Pan-Am Airlines, and co produced some well known films including Gone With the Wind and Rebecca.  The house still stands and functions as the clubhouse for the Old Westbury Country Club.  Click HERE to see the house on google earth.

Kensington, Great Neck

After a short period of this being an 'unknown', the always informative Bruce A. supplied the following:  "It appears that Kensington was a "tony" development in Great Neck. The developer was one Charles E. Finlay and that his "estate" within Kensington was called "Bonnie Manse" the gardens of which are probably the subject of your second photo. My guess is your first photo is of the main gates of the development (it appears that there is a sidewalk within the gates)."

Sure enough, the barely visible name on the second photo is that of C.E. Finlay.

   

'Applegreen' Stable

'Applegreen' was originally built for Harry Payne Whitney and his wife Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney by Stanford White. When they moved into 'The Manse', the William C. Whitney house, H.P.'s younger sister Dorothy and her husband Willard Straight moved in. Delano & Aldrich did alterations to the main house (c. 1912), which had a wing demolished but still survives as a private residence, as well as designing the stables which are part of the Old Westbury Country Club today. Click HERE to see the 'Applegreen' stables on google earth. Click HERE to see 'Applegreen' itself on google earth.

The Court at 'Bonnie Manse'

The court at 'Bonnie Manse', the Charles E. Finlay estate designed by Little & Brown in Great Neck.  Finlay was one of the developers of Kensington.  Click HERE for all previous posts on 'Bonnie Manse'.

Postings are likely to be a bit spotty this summer... after 7.5 years I've finally run low on material and am a bit worn out...but shall persevere.  Check back often.

The Manse

'The Manse', built for William C. Whitney by McKim, Mead & White in Old Westbury. 

One of H.P. Whitney's Residences

A residence belonging to Harry Payne Whitney designed by Charles Willing of Furness, Evans & Co., Architects in Glen Cove. While Whitney's main Long Island residence was in Old Westbury ('The Manse'), I'm not entirely sure what he used this one for. He did own a hydroplane motor boat that he used in the Sound off of Glen Cove. During one outing in 1912 the boat had a malfunction at a high speed and stopped short throwing Whitney and his passengers into the water. He was rescued by Alice DeLamar who happened to be in a boat nearby. If anyone knows anything else on this house please share.

Pictures from Architectural Record, 1919.

'Bonnie Manse'

'Bonnie Manse', the home of Charles E. Finlay, designed by Little & Brown in Great Neck. Finlay was the founder and president of the former Aetna National Bank and developer of Douglas Manor in Queens and Kensington in Great Neck by way of the Rickert-Finlay Realty Company. Click HERE to see the Kensington development on google earth.

Some Long Island Country Estates Part II

Part II of Richard Schermerhorn Jr.'s 'Some Long Island Country Estates' from a 1908 issue of House & Garden. Featured in Part II are 'The Manse', originally the William C. Whitney estate designed by McKim, Mead & White and 'Knole', originally the Herman Duryea estate designed by Carrere & Hastings.

'The Manse' Gymnasium

The side of the former gymnasium designed in 1898 by George Freeman for William C. Whitney's estate in Old Westbury.

'Applegreen'

'Applegreen', built for William C. Whitney as a wedding present to his son Harry Payne Whitney and his wife Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney by McKim, Mead & White c. 1902 in Old Westbury.  After W.C. Whitney's death in 1904 the couple moved into his residence 'The Manse', also by McKim, Mead & White and gave 'Applegreen' to his sister Dorothy and her husband Willard D. Straight who hired Delano & Aldrich to design alterations c. 1912.  Click HERE, HERE and HERE for more on 'Applegreen' which has been partially demolished.  Click HERE to see the residence on bing.

'Bonnie Manse'

'Bonnie Manse', the Charles E. Finlay residence designed by Little & Brown in Great Neck.  Finlay was one of the developers of the Kensington neighborhood.  Click HERE for more on 'Bonnie Manse'.

'Bonnie Manse' Court

The court at 'Bonnie Manse', the Charles E. Finlay residence designed by Little & Brown in Great Neck.  Click HERE and HERE for more on 'Bonnie Manse'.

More 'Bonnie Manse'

'Bonnie Manse', the Charles E. Finlay residence designed by Little & Brown in Great Neck.  Click HERE for more on 'Bonnie Manse'.