Harbor Hill
Encyclopedia
Harbor Hill was a spectacular Long Island mansion built from 1899-1902 in Roslyn, New York
, commissioned by Clarence Hungerford Mackay. It was designed by McKim, Mead, and White
, with Stanford White
supervising the project. It was the largest home he ever designed.http://antiquesandthearts.com/archive/stan.htm
Clarence Mackay (1874–1938) was the son of Comstock Lode
magnate John William Mackay
, and inherited much of an estimated $500 million fortune upon his father's death in 1902. White collaborated closely with Clarence Mackay's wife, Katharine Duer Mackay (1880–1930), and with her approval, based the main façade of Harbor Hill upon that of François Mansart
's Château de Maisons
of 1642, using a mix of other influences to finish the overall design.
Built at great expense and furnished lavishly (at least three different decorating firms were employed), the home originally sat on 688 acres (2.8 km²) and enjoyed views across Roslyn Harbor to the Long Island Sound
. Formal terraces and gardens were finished by Guy Lowell
. After Harbor Hill was dynamited in 1947, a fountain with four equestrian statues, designed by Henri-Léon Gréber
, was moved to Kansas City, Missouri
where it has since been on public display adjacent to the Country Club Plaza
.
at 348 feet. Whether Harbor Hill or 401-foot Jayne's Hill
to the east was the highest point on Long Island was a point of some debate in the 19th century, with Harbor Hill often thought to be the highest summit.
in 1991: Mackay Estate Dairyman's Cottage
, Mackay Estate Gate Lodge
, and Mackay Estate Water Tower
.
See also "Harbor Hill: Portrait of a House" by Richard Guy Wilson.
Roslyn, New York
Roslyn is a village in Nassau County, New York, on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2010 Census, the village population was 2,770...
, commissioned by Clarence Hungerford Mackay. It was designed by McKim, Mead, and White
McKim, Mead, and White
McKim, Mead & White was a prominent American architectural firm at the turn of the twentieth century and in the history of American architecture. The firm's founding partners were Charles Follen McKim , William Rutherford Mead and Stanford White...
, with Stanford White
Stanford White
Stanford White was an American architect and partner in the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, the frontrunner among Beaux-Arts firms. He designed a long series of houses for the rich and the very rich, and various public, institutional, and religious buildings, some of which can be found...
supervising the project. It was the largest home he ever designed.http://antiquesandthearts.com/archive/stan.htm
Clarence Mackay (1874–1938) was the son of Comstock Lode
Comstock Lode
The Comstock Lode was the first major U.S. discovery of silver ore, located under what is now Virginia City, Nevada, on the eastern slope of Mount Davidson, a peak in the Virginia Range. After the discovery was made public in 1859, prospectors rushed to the area and scrambled to stake their claims...
magnate John William Mackay
John William Mackay
John William Mackay was an American capitalist, born in Dublin, Ireland.-Early years:His parents brought him in 1840 to New York City, where he worked in a shipyard.-Gold and silver mining:...
, and inherited much of an estimated $500 million fortune upon his father's death in 1902. White collaborated closely with Clarence Mackay's wife, Katharine Duer Mackay (1880–1930), and with her approval, based the main façade of Harbor Hill upon that of François Mansart
François Mansart
François Mansart was a French architect credited with introducing classicism into Baroque architecture of France...
's Château de Maisons
Château de Maisons
The Château de Maisons , designed by François Mansart from 1630 to 1651, is a prime example of French baroque architecture and a reference point in the history of French architecture...
of 1642, using a mix of other influences to finish the overall design.
Built at great expense and furnished lavishly (at least three different decorating firms were employed), the home originally sat on 688 acres (2.8 km²) and enjoyed views across Roslyn Harbor to the Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
. Formal terraces and gardens were finished by Guy Lowell
Guy Lowell
Guy Lowell , American architect, was the son of Mary Walcott and Edward Jackson Lowell, and a member of Boston's well-known Lowell family....
. After Harbor Hill was dynamited in 1947, a fountain with four equestrian statues, designed by Henri-Léon Gréber
Henri-Léon Gréber
Henri Léon Greber was a French sculptor. His son was the architect Jacques Gréber. Active in the United States of America, he produced a fountain sculpture of 4 equestrian statues for Harbor Hill and the copy of The Kiss in the Philadelphia Rodin Museum.-See also:*Monument...
, was moved to Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
where it has since been on public display adjacent to the Country Club Plaza
Country Club Plaza
The Country Club Plaza is an upscale shopping district and residential neighborhood in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. It was the first shopping center in the world designed to accommodate shoppers arriving by automobile...
.
Summit
Harbor Hill, the site of the former mansion, is the highest point in Nassau County, New YorkNassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
at 348 feet. Whether Harbor Hill or 401-foot Jayne's Hill
Jayne's Hill
Jayne's Hill is the highest point on New York's Long Island, with an elevation of between and above sea level...
to the east was the highest point on Long Island was a point of some debate in the 19th century, with Harbor Hill often thought to be the highest summit.
Remaining buildings
Three remaining buildings from the Harbor Hill estate were listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1991: Mackay Estate Dairyman's Cottage
Mackay Estate Dairyman's Cottage
Mackay Estate Dairyman's Cottage is a historic home located at East Hills in Nassau County, New York, USA, designed about 1902 by noted architects Warren and Wetmore in an eclectic style. It is a -story frame house with a brick first floor set on a rubble base...
, Mackay Estate Gate Lodge
Mackay Estate Gate Lodge
Mackay Estate Gate Lodge is a historic gatehouse located at East Hills in Nassau County, New York. It was designed in 1899 and built in 1900 - 1902 by noted architect Stanford White of McKim, Mead & White in the French Baroque style. It is a small but imposing stone building with a central...
, and Mackay Estate Water Tower
Mackay Estate Water Tower
Mackay Estate Water Tower is a historic water tower located at East Hills in Nassau County, New York. The tower is a utilitarian structure manufactured by the Phillipsburg, New Jersey firm of Tippett and Wood. The tank is round in plan and topped by a bell-shaped slate roof and copper cupola. The...
.
External links
See also "Harbor Hill: Portrait of a House" by Richard Guy Wilson.