Hempstead House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Gould-Guggenheim Estate
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Hempstead House
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | 95 Middle Neck Rd, Port Washington, New York |
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| Area | 216 acres (87 ha) |
| Built | 1909 |
| Architect | Allen, August et al. |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals |
| NRHP reference No. | 06000881 |
| Added to NRHP | September 29, 2006 |
Hempstead House, also known as the Gould-Guggenheim Estate, is a huge and historic property. It was built for Howard Gould and finished for Daniel Guggenheim in 1912. You can find it in Sands Point on the North Shore of Long Island in Nassau County, New York.
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Exploring the Grand Estate
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The estate has two buildings that look like castles. Hempstead House is the main building. A smaller building is called Castle Gould.
Hempstead House is very large. It is about 225 feet (68 meters) long and 135 feet (41 meters) wide. It has three floors and 40 rooms. There is also an 80-foot (24-meter) tower.
When the estate was finished, it was huge. It needed 17 house servants to help inside. About 200 farmers and groundskeepers worked outside. They kept the 300-acre (1.2 km²) property looking perfect.
Hempstead House was one of the most amazing estates. It was known for its luxury on Long Island's Gold Coast.
Inside Hempstead House
In the 1920s, Hempstead House showed off its amazing style. The main entrance had an organ made of oak wood. Its pipes were just for show. The music actually came from hidden openings in the floor.
Beautiful tapestries from medieval times hung on the walls. Fancy oriental carpets covered the floors. The sunken Palm Court was a special room. It once held 150 types of rare orchids and other plants. An aviary (a large birdcage) had exotic birds. They lived in fancy cages among the flowers.
The Library was made of walnut wood. It looked like a room from King James I's palace. The ceiling still has carved pictures of famous writers. The Billiard Room was also very grand. It had a gold leaf ceiling. Its walls were covered in special leather. The carved oak wood came from a 17th-century Spanish palace.
A Look at the Estate's History
Howard Gould was the son of a rich railroad owner, Jay Gould. Howard bought the land in 1900. He started building the estate soon after.
His first plan was to build a castle. It was meant to be a copy of Kilkenny Castle. This building was named Castle Gould. It was supposed to be the main house. But the Goulds did not like it as their home. So, they decided to build another main house on the estate.
New Owners and New Uses
The new main house was finished in 1912. The Goulds then sold the entire estate. The new owner was Daniel Guggenheim. He changed the name of the main house to Hempstead House. The old castle, Castle Gould, became the stables and servants' quarters.
In 1917, the Guggenheims gave the estate away. They donated it to the Institute of Aeronautical Sciences. This group studies airplanes and space.
Later, the institute sold the estate to the U.S. Navy. The Navy owned it from 1946 to 1967. After that, the U.S. government decided it did not need the estate anymore. In 1971, the property was given to Nassau County, New York.
Hempstead House in Movies
Hempstead House and its grounds have been used in many famous movies. Here are some of them:
- Scent of a Woman (1992)
- Malcolm X (1992)
- Great Expectations (1998)
See also
In Spanish: Palacio Hempstead para niños
