Chelsea
Mansion was built by Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Moore in 1924. While cruising the
upper Yangtze River in China on their honeymoon in 1921, the Moores were
impressed by the appearance of a farm manor with a large terrace and a stark
white, black-trimmed facade that was reflected in the adjacent water. Intending
to recreate that vision, they purchased the Chelsea property in 1923 and worked
closely with architect William Delano to carry out their vision. The building's
south side, courtyard, moat and bridges emphasize the Oriental inspiration,
while the front elevation, roof and wings show the influence of 17th- and
18th-century French styles.
Umberto
Innocenti served as landscape architect, assisting Mrs. Moore in executing
imaginative settings and vistas. Trees, hedges, flowers, ferns and ponds were
arranged to develop walking paths. Eclectic
interior treatments reflected the prevailing definitions of elegance as well as
the owners' desire to express their personal travel and collecting interests.
The antique pine paneling in the dining room came from the first Duke of
Wellington's country house. Carved teak doors came from the Chinese summer
palace; library paneling is Louis XV period, from a château in the Loire
Valley. The old oak walls in the first-floor flower room are from a
17th-century English pub. The breakfast room wall covering is 18th-century
French hand-painted canvas.
The
Sert Gallery is a reception room that features an 85-foot mural painted in oil
over white gold. Jose Maria Sert, muralist for King Alfonso XIII of Spain and
an internationally known figure of his time, created it for Chelsea in 1926. An
18th-century French fountain details the loggia; Belgian blocks line both
fountain and moat. These blocks were collected from the original pavement on
West 23rd Street in Manhattan.
Alexandra
Emery Moore was a member of a prominent Cincinnati family, and her husband,
Benjamin Moore, an attorney, was the great, great grandson of the author
Clement Clarke Moore, who wrote the poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas",
frequently referred to as "T'was the Night Before Christmas."
Chelsea, the name chosen for their Muttontown estate, was named for the area in
New York City where Mr. Moore's ancestors had lived for generations. Mr. Moore
was also the first mayor of the village of Muttontown, which he named. Mr.
Moore died in 1938, and 17 years later Mrs. Moore married Robert McKay, a
life-long friend. He died in 1958. The Moores lived at Chelsea with their three
children most of the year and added a children's wing in 1929.
In
1964, Alexandra Moore McKay made her first gift of a portion of the estate
grounds to Nassau County. Over a 10-year period, nearly 100 acres were donated
to the County. Combining this acreage with previous acquisitions from the
Christie Estate created the 550-acre Muttontown Preserve. Alexandra Moore McKay
continued to make Chelsea her home until her death in 1983 at the age of 89.
It
was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Source:
“Chelsea
Mansion.” Chelsea Mansion | Nassau County, NY - Official Website,
www.nassaucountyny.gov/4178/Chelsea-Mansion
