Inisfada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Inisfada |
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The mansion before its demolition in 2013
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| Alternative names | St. Ignatius Retreat House |
| General information | |
| Status | Demolished |
| Type | Mansion |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival |
| Location | North Hills, New York |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 40°47′07.0″N 73°39′59.2″W / 40.785278°N 73.666444°W |
| Completed | 1920 |
| Demolished | December 2013 |
| Client | Nicholas & Genevieve Brady |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | John T. Windrim |
Inisfada was a very large mansion located in North Hills, New York, on Long Island. It was the home of a wealthy couple, Nicholas and Genevieve Brady. They had special titles from the Pope, known as "papal duke and duchess."
Nicholas Brady built this grand house as his family's residence. It was finished in 1920. Later, the Bradys gave the mansion to a religious group called the Jesuits. The Jesuits used the building as a school for priests, called a seminary. After that, it became a quiet place for prayer and reflection, known as the St. Ignatius Retreat House. The property was sold in May 2013 and the mansion was torn down in December 2013.
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Building a Grand Home
The Inisfada mansion was built between 1916 and 1920. It cost more than $2 million, which was a huge amount of money back then! A famous architect from Philadelphia, John T. Windrim, designed the house.
The mansion had an amazing 87 rooms. It was built on a large piece of land that was originally 300 acres. That's like having 300 football fields!
Famous Visitors
Inisfada was a very important house. It hosted many important Catholic leaders. For example, Eugenio Pacelli, who later became Pope Pius XII, visited the house in 1936. He was a diplomat for the Vatican at the time.
The name Inisfada comes from the Gaelic word for "Long Island". This mansion was one of the biggest "Gold Coast" homes on the North Shore of Long Island. At one point, it was the fourth-largest mansion in the entire United States.
Inisfada as a Jesuit Retreat
After Duchess Genevieve Brady passed away in 1938, she left Inisfada to the New York Province of the Society of Jesus (Jesuit) order. She had no children, so she wanted the Jesuits to use her home.
The Jesuits first used the property as a seminary, which is a school where people study to become priests. Later, starting in 1963, they turned it into a retreat house. This was a place where people could go for quiet time, prayer, and spiritual reflection. It was known as the St. Ignatius Retreat House.
Closing the Retreat House
On June 21, 2012, the leader of the Jesuits, Fr. David Ciancimino, announced that Inisfada would close. Another Jesuit retreat house in Staten Island would also close. The Jesuits explained that keeping up these large retreat houses was too expensive. They wanted to find new ways to share their teachings.
Many people tried to save the mansion. Groups and activists protested to keep it from being torn down. Local government leaders even tried to get the building protected as a historic landmark, but they were not successful. A group called the Council of Greater Manhasset Civic Associations tried to find a new buyer for the building. However, their efforts did not work.
Howard Kroplick, a local historian, said it was a sad day for Long Island's history. He felt it was a shame that officials did not try harder to save this unique building.
Sale and Demolition
The Inisfada property was sold in May 2013 for $36.5 million. It was bought by the Manhasset Bay Group, which is a group of four development companies from Hong Kong. By the time it was sold, the estate was much smaller, only 33 acres.
The Jesuit retreat house officially closed in August 2013. The very last Mass (a Catholic church service) was held at the retreat center on June 2, 2013. The beautiful Saint Genevieve chapel, which was part of the retreat house, had amazing woodwork. Luckily, this chapel was saved and is now being kept safe by Fordham University.
The mansion was valued at $44 million when it was sold. The demolition of the mansion began on December 5, 2013. By the next day, almost half of the mansion was already torn down.
The Manhasset Bay Group plans to build a new neighborhood on the property. They want to build 46 homes there. Each home will be on a lot between half an acre and one acre in size.
See also
In Spanish: Inisfada para niños
