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Hempstead House (Castle Gould) is a large estate located in Sands Point, New York (or more specifically, Sands Point Preserve). Measuring 225 ft long, 135 ft (41 m) wide, Hempstead House has 3 floors and contains 40 rooms, punctuated by an 80-foot (24 m) tower[1]. Once construction had completed, the 300-acre (1.2 km2) estate needed 17 house servants and 200 farmers and groundskeepers to maintain its upkeep.[2] Hempstead House in its prime was regarded as one of the most lavish estates to occupy the Gold Coast (North Shore (Long Island)):
"In its heyday in the 1920s, Hempstead House revealed a taste for extravagance. In the Entry Foyer was an organ made of oak. The pipes still visible on the walls above were merely for show - the music reverberated through openings in the floors. Medieval tapestries once hung on the walls, and oriental carpets covered the floor. The sunken Palm Court once contained 150 species of rare orchids and other plants. An aviary housed exotic birds in ornate cages among the flowers. The walnut-paneled Library was copied from the palace of King James I; relief portraits of literary figures still decorate the plaster ceiling. The Billiard Room featured a gold leaf ceiling, hand-tooled leather wall covering, and carved oak woodwork from a 17th century Spanish palace."[3]
History
Howard Gould, son of railroad tycoon Jay Gould, began construction of the estate after purchasing the land in 1900. Initially, the plan was to build a castle that was to be a replica of Kilkenny Castle. Castle Gould, as it came to be called, was intended to be used as the main house. However, the Goulds did not like the castle so they decided to create another house on the estate which would serve as the main dwelling.
After the completion of this house in 1912, the Goulds sold the estate to Daniel Guggenheim. Upon buying the estate, the name of the main house was changed to Hempstead House(the limestone stables and the servants quarters are, today, still referred to as Castle Gould). In 1917, the Guggenheims donated the estate to the Institute of Aeronautical Sciences. Soon after acquiring the estate, the institute sold it to the U.S. Navy who held it from 1946-1967. The U.S. government declared the estate as surplus and eventually gave the deed of the property to Nassau County, New York in 1971.
Film
A number of famous movies have had scenes filmed at Hempstead House and the surrounding estate. Some examples are “Scent of a Woman”, “Malcolm X (film)” and “Great Expectations (1998 film)”.[4]
References
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