Back in July 1979 with the bulldozers literally at the gates(lodge), a Port Washington couple intended to dismantle the gate lodge from the estate of Nicholas Frederic Brady and have it reconstructed when they found "the right kind of setting, preferably on the North Shore".
The house had large white stone arches hugging every window and door. One-inch slate shingles kept the rain and heat out.
Intricate carved wood doors and six-inch wood beams adorned every room. A rich, dark circular staircase, carved out of a single tree, circles around a ship's mast three stories tall in the center of the house.
Detailed architectural drawings and photographs were commissioned. After a number of inquiries I can't confirm if the couple was able to fully dismantle the structure in time.
Click THIS LINK to see where the gate lodge once stood.
The house was approached by a winding road from the gate to the main entrance.
John T. Windrim is the architect most associated with the design of "Inisfada". Rippin was engaged to do some of the outbuildings and garden structures. Notable among his other work was a presidential retreat, "Camp Rapidan" for Herbert Hover and the Statesman Building in Yonkers.
Glick Construction and Development Company of North Hills, now Glick Global Development, was in the process of building The Estates of North Hills that necessitated the removal of the lodge. The original tract of land for "Inisfada"(Gaelic for Long Island, pronounced "in-ish-FAH-dah" ) extended from what is now the Long Island Expressway to Northern Boulevard. It was purchased by the Bradys in 1916 and approximated 300 acres. The property was about 122 acres at the time of the 1979 development, leaving 33 acres surrounding the house.
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| REAR ELEVATION GATE LODGE ON ESTATE OF N. F. BRADY, ESQ., ROSLYN, L. I. James Y. Rippin, Designer, New York |
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| INSIDE STAIR TO SECOND FLOOR GATE LODGE ON ESTATE OF N. F. BRADY, ESQ., ROSLYN, L. I. Designed by James Y. Rippin, New York |
Detailed architectural drawings and photographs were commissioned. After a number of inquiries I can't confirm if the couple was able to fully dismantle the structure in time.
Click THIS LINK to see where the gate lodge once stood.
The house was approached by a winding road from the gate to the main entrance.
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| Architect James Y. Rippin - 1932 |
John T. Windrim is the architect most associated with the design of "Inisfada". Rippin was engaged to do some of the outbuildings and garden structures. Notable among his other work was a presidential retreat, "Camp Rapidan" for Herbert Hover and the Statesman Building in Yonkers.
Glick Construction and Development Company of North Hills, now Glick Global Development, was in the process of building The Estates of North Hills that necessitated the removal of the lodge. The original tract of land for "Inisfada"(Gaelic for Long Island, pronounced "in-ish-FAH-dah" ) extended from what is now the Long Island Expressway to Northern Boulevard. It was purchased by the Bradys in 1916 and approximated 300 acres. The property was about 122 acres at the time of the 1979 development, leaving 33 acres surrounding the house.
Can anyone add insight into what happened to this structure???
ReplyDeleteU can confirm with the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities but they have said the gatehouse was not saved in time. Looking at the period photo it is quite sad that we rush to destroy such wonderful buildings and we call it progress
ReplyDeleteFive years after this time period the couple advertised the sale of what was saved, which seems significant - Preservation News October 1984 via Gilded Age Mansions and Gary Lawrance. Check out his revised Houses of the Hamptons.
ReplyDeleteGATEKEEPER'S LODGE, c 1914. Originally part of the Nicholas Brady estate, "Inistada." Located in Roslyn, Long Island. English Gothic architecture, duplicating the brick and stone construction of the main house. Must be rebuilt with original construction in mind for historical consideration. Each piece carefully dis-assembled, numbered, and placed in storage. Carved stone, slate roof, leaded glass windows, oak spiral staircase, oak beams and flooring. $35,000 For inventory, photographs call 516
I think SPLIA was stating that it was not preserved in its entirety and I also think I read that they did not rebuild the structure and possibly was sold off in pieces, prompting the commnet that it was not preserved. Would like to know the real ending of the story.
DeleteSounds like it became scattered. Be nice to have those photos. On the north side of the property was a farm grouping and greenhouses. I can imagine they matched the architecture of the house.
DeleteCan someone enlighten me why I see three separate towns claiming "Inisfada"? Roslyn, North Hills and Manhasset.
ReplyDeleteMy mother grew up on the estate and lived in the gate house with 7 of her brothers and sisters. My grandfather was the caretaker for the estate.
ReplyDeleteOh my Lord! How divine! A bit crowded, perhaps......but what a beautiful house!
DeleteMy mom and her family lived in the gate house during the mid to late 30's. My grandfather, Martin Miller, ran maintenance for the main house. They lived there for many years, with 6 children.
ReplyDeleteHe apparently was gassed in WW1, and when he came home, his health, coupled with the economy, lead to him losing the house he and his brothers built in seacliff. He was almost on the street.
The Jesuits took him and his family in, they were however unaware that there were 6 kids, actually 8 in total, 1 was in the service, the other had moved out.
So as to not potentially lose this opportunity, they only allowed 3 kids to go out side at any one time and play. The story goes that my mom was out playing, and the reverend/head Jesuit was walking the grounds and ran into my mom. She said, abruptly, that she had to go back in, because it was time for her other brothers and sisters to take there turn playing outside. If they all got caught outside, they would lose there home. The priest came to the house later that evening, and told my grandparents that it was ok for all there children to play together outside.
I have been in the house once, and the pictures, especially the staircase, bring back memories.
Thanks for sharing your story. Hopefully this isn't insensitive - is your mother still alive? I'm curious to know if the whole interior of the house followed the character of the outside and the stairs? Did the kitchen have beams and stucco, etc? Any family photos of the place? Do you remember the farm complex to the north of the main house? Thanks for your time.
DeleteHow kind of that priest. How tragic that all those children thought they could not play outside at once. Sounds like today with this virus.....no one can play outside together. Intersting.
DeleteWas the entire estate originally a "Roslyn" Estate ?
ReplyDeleteNot sure. Long Island seems infamous with convoluted town names. It might have started as part of Roslyn but morphed into North Hills.
DeleteThank you for the information about the gate lodge and its architectural elements. I recently acquired the entire staircase as well as 4 of the exterior doors and I have been hoping to learn more about their origins. Does anyone know what was the inspiration for the gate lodge design?
ReplyDeleteInteresting info on your purchase. The gate lodge matches the general theme of the main house. The house itself had carved plaques depicting characters from a variety of fairy tales. Conceivable the gate house could be Hansel/Gretel etc. Please tell me more on your purchase. I had contacted the architect who was involved with the moving of the gate house. The owners of the structure had intended to reconstruct the lodge somewhere on the island. I could never find out what utlimatley happened to it. Was it still in pieces when you purchased it? What about everything else?
DeleteHalf Pudding. Your blog is my favorite. Are you still writing it? Somehow I have fallen off the subscription!
ReplyDelete