Marshall Field Estate

The Marshall Field Estate, which is also known as the Caumsett Manor, is one of the largest mansions on Long Island. It is also one of the Gold Coast Mansions. Marshall Field III purchased the property in 1920, which consisted of 1,426-acres of land, which he named Caumsett, after the Matinecock tribe’s original name for the peninsula which means place by a sharp rock.

Soon after the purchase of the land, the estate was built in 1924-25 for Marshall Field III to use as a hunting lodge and farm. It was designed by architect, John Russell Pope, who was famously known for designing the National Archives and Records Administration building, the Jefferson Memorial, and the West Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The estate is an example of English Georgian design, but was adapted for a more modern (at the time) 20^th century American country home.

The homes original site was much larger than what is seen today. The west wing and east wing have since been demolished. These demolition projects have removed the original living room, master bedrooms, and servants’ quarters. The remainder of the house has been restructured and the rooms on all three floors have been rearranged or changed to serve a different purpose. An example of this would be that the dining room has been changed to serve a new purpose as a kitchen.

On February 3, 1961, New York State purchased the property for $4 million and they made it a state park for use of the people. The estate was eventually listed on the National Register of Historic Place in 1979, which helped preserve one of the largest Gold Coast Mansions. 

 

Sources: 

Caumsett Manor-Marshall Field Estate, Cold Spring Harbor New York. (2016, December 20). Retrieved November 19, 2020, from http://www.historic-structures.com/ny/cold_spring_harbor/caumsett_manor.php

Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve. (2020, October 20). Retrieved November 19, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caumsett_State_Historic_Park_Preserve

John Russell Pope. (2020, November 14). Retrieved November 19, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Russell_Pope

 

 

 

Massapequa Hotel

 The Massapequa Hotel, located two blocks south of Merrick Road on Ocean Avenue was built by Joseph Snedeker in 1888 and was designed to attract wealthy New York City residents. 

When completed, it contained three hundred rooms, making it one of the largest hotels in the country. It had a large central parlor and dining room serving sumptuous meals, a wraparound balcony, a bowling alley, riding stables, a beach and proximity to a golf course. Originally accessible from the Farmingdale station, it became even easier to reach when the Massapequa station was completed in 1888. Carriages brought down customers who stayed for days or weeks at a time. If the main hotel was filled, they could stay in one of the "cottages" built nearby. These were Victorian-style structures that patrons would easily find attractive.

One of the more unusual features of the hotel was the existence of a bathing beach, known as Billy's Beach (Billy was Mr. Snedeker's son), located on South Oyster Bay a few blocks south of the main hotel.

Despite its size, or perhaps because of it, the Massapequa Hotel was never a profitable endeavor. In the years immediately prior to World War I, Queens Land and Title Company endeavored to attract city dwellers to its "new city" on Long Island. It bought large pieces of property between Broadway and Hicksville Road, laid out streets and ran trains to attract potential homebuyers. It also convinced the newly-created Nassau County government to widen and smooth Merrick Road to accommodate a new apparatus called the automobile. These developments lessened the area's "wild" character and made it more difficult for Snedeker to attract customers.

By 1916 the Massapequa Hotel was forced to close. Ironically, a section of the hotel lived on when it was moved to Hicksville and Merrick Roads and became part of Panchard's Hotel, which lasted until 1952. Several of the cottages, including Snedeker's residence, with a large "S" affixed to the south wall, still stand on Ocean Avenue.

The Historical Society of the Massapequas recognized the uniqueness of the Massapequa Hotel and erected a historical marker in 2008.

 

Source:

Kirchmann, George. “Massapequa Hotel.” Massapequa, NY Patch, Patch, 8 May 2013, patch.com/new-york/massapequa/massapequa-hotel