Gatsby’s Mansions: The Long Island mansions that inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald’s,"The Great Gatsby”

On June 9, 2015 at 2pm, Architect & Author Gary Lawrance will be giving an illustrated presentation about some of the great mansions that once lined the North Shore of Long Island, that were said to have been the locations used by F. Scott Fitzgerald, while writing his great American novel, "The Great Gatsby".

The North Shore of New York's Long Island, due to the numerous concentration of estates and mansions built during the Gilded Age became known as the "Gold Coast". It was here that F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote and partied with the very rich, famous and celebrated people of the 1920's Jazz Age. The Gold Coast started at Great Neck, where Fitzgerald lived and ran along the Long Island Sound to Centerport. When Fitzgerald wrote, "The Great Gatsby", he didn't use just one house or location but combined many. Sometimes he moved them all around so that those that were almost next to each other ended up being moved across the water.

Some of the mansions that will be discussed are the following,

Pembroke, The De Lamar mansion at Glen Cove, New York.

Pembroke, the Captain De Lamar Mansion at Glen Cove. Where many parties during the roaring twenties attended by some of the silent screen's greatest stars took place when the house was later owned by Marcus Loew, the movie theater magnate.

Beacon Towers, The Belmont mansion at Sands Point, New York.

Beacon Towers, Sands Point, The castellated mansion of Alva Vanderbilt Belmont which bears a very close resemblance to Gatsby's Mansion as described by Fitzgerald.

Lands End in the background, The Swope mansion at Sands Point, NY.

Land's End, Sands Point, The colonial revival mansion of publishing giant Bayard Swope,
which architecturally could have been the home of Daisy & Tom Buchanan.

A brief aerial tour of Long Island's Gold Coast circa 1926 will  look at some of the other mansions of the era. Not to be left out are Clarence Mackay"s, Roslyn mansion "Harbor Hill", where the Prince of Wales was entertained at a party befitting the Great Gatsby and "Oheka", the former estate of banker, Otto H. Kahn, which was the largest private residence on Long Island. Oheka which to many loyal fans of the TV Series, "Royal Pains" is used as the home of a millionaire, Boris Kuester Von Jurgens-Ratenic. Mr. Lawrance will also show how this majestic mansion deteriorated into a hideous fire ravaged ruin, but through creative preservation ideas, has been returned to it's former splendor as a luxury hotel and catering venue.

Harbor Hill, The mansion of Clarence Mackay at Roslyn, New York.

Oheka Castle, The Otto H. Kahn mansion at Cold Spring Harbor, New York.

The talk will be held at Mill Neck Manor also known as Sefton Manor, the site of this springs latest Long Island show house. Make a day out of it and attend the show house and plan on attending my talk. Click HERE for information about the show house. Mill Neck Manor is located in Nassau County on the North Shore of Long Island, near Oyster Bay.

Gary Lawrance is an Architect and Author from Stony Brook, New York. He is co-author of the book, "Houses of the Hamptons 1880-1930" with Anne Surchin. The book can be bought on Amazon.

"The Great Gatsby Mansions"

Center Court of Farnsworth, Home of C. K. G. Billings at Locust Valley

Please click HERE to find out more about my upcoming talk!

Click HERE for more on Farnsworth.

Click HERE for Farnsworth on Old Long Island.

"The Great Gatsby Mansions"

On September 15, at 7pm, I will be giving a talk at the Port Jefferson Village Center on the mansions that were said to have been the inspiration for F. Scott Fitzgerald when writing his novel, " The Great Gatsby". Click HERE to read more about the talk on  a previous post and click HERE to go to the Port Jefferson Village Center website for directions and information.

Lost Houses of the Hamptons

On May 7th 2011, I will be speaking at the Southampton Historical Museum about some of the great mansions of the Hamptons that no longer exist. They will include, Wooldon Manor, the home of Jesse Woolworth Donahue, Black Point, the H. H. Rogers mansion, Bayberry Land, The Duponts Chestertown House, Villa Mille Fiore, Red Maples and a brief history of the founding of the Summer colony. This event is being sponsored by the Southampton Historical Museum, The Rogers Memorial Library and the AIA Peconic. Please click HERE for reservations. To read about some of the Lost Houses of the Hamptons, please click HERE for New York Social Diary's review of " Houses of the Hamptons, 1880 -1930".

Wooldon Manor

Bayberry Land

Villa Mille Fiore

" Great Gatsby's Mansions " Lecture

Please take a look at one of the lectures I give on the mansions that F. Scott Fitzgerald based his book, "The Great Gatsby".

Some of the houses that will be discussed are the following, 

Pembroke, the Captain De Lamar mansion at Glen Cove. Where many parties during the roaring twenties attended by some of the silent screens greatest stars took place when the house was later owned by Marcus Loew, the movie theater magnate.

Beacon Towers, Sands Point, The castellated mansion of Alva Vanderbilt Belmont which bears a very close resemblance to Gatsby's Mansion as described by Fitzgerald.

Land's End, Sands Point, The colonial revival mansion of publishing giant Bayard Swope,

which architecturally could have been the home of Daisy & Tom Buchanan.

Clarence Mackay's, Roslyn mansion, " Harbor Hill", where the Edward, The Prince of Wales was entertained at a party befitting the Great Gatsby.

For future showings of this talk and others about the Mansions of the Gilded Age, please come back and look for further notices  or contact me Gary Lawrance, AIA at my email gmlawrance@gmail.com to book for Historical Societies, Garden Societies, Libraries, Clubs and organizations.

A partial list follows,

" Gardens of the Gilded Age"
" Gatsby's Mansions"
" Gilded Age Gardens of the Hamptons"
" Houses of the Hamptons, 1880-1930"
" Lost Houses of the Gilded Age"
" Lost Houses of the Hamptons" 
" The Lost Mansions of Newport"
" Mrs. Astor's Fifth Avenue, Secret Splendors of   the Gilded Age"
" Whitemarsh Hall, America's Lost Versailles"

The Great Gatsby Mansions

Farnsworth Mansion Atrium  of C.K.G. Billings

On Monday, February 28 from 7- 9 pm, I will be giving a lecture for the Three Village Historical Society entitled, "Gatsby's Mansions", A look at the real Long Island Mansions that inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald's, " The Great Gatsby".

Some of the houses to be discussed are below,

Pembroke, the Captain De Lamar mansion at Glen Cove. Where many parties during the roaring twenties attended by some of the silent screens greatest stars took place when the house was later owned by Marcus Loew, the movie theater magnate.









Beacon Towers, Sands Point, The castellated mansion of Alva Vanderbilt Belmont which bears a very close resemblance to Gatsby's Mansion as described by Fitzgerald.

The Bayard Swope mansion beyond the Hoffstott mansion.

Land's End, Sands Point, The colonial revival mansion of publishing giant Bayard Swope,
which architecturally could have been the home of Daisy & Tom Buchanan.

A brief aerial tour of Long Island's Gold Coast circa 1926 and a look at some of the other mansions of the era such as Clarence Mackay"s, Roslyn mansion " Harbor Hill" where the Prince of Wales was entertained at a party befitting the Great Gatsby will be seen.

Please call the Three Village Historical Society to make reservations.The lecture will be given at the Emma S. Clark Memorial Library's Community Room, 120 Main Street, Setauket, New York. Cost is free and open to the public. 631.751.3730.

For future showings of this talk and others about the Mansions of the Gilded Age, please come back and look for further notices  or contact me Gary Lawrance, AIA at my email gmlawrance@gmail.com to book for Historical Societies, Garden Societies, Libraries, Clubs and organizations.

A partial list follows,

" Gardens of the Gilded Age"
" Gatsby's Mansions"
" Gilded Age Gardens of the Hamptons"
" Houses of the Hamptons, 1880-1930"
" Lost Houses of the Gilded Age"
" Lost Houses of the Hamptons" 
" The Lost Mansions of Newport"
" Mrs. Astor's Fifth Avenue, Secret Splendors of   the Gilded Age"
" Whitemarsh Hall, America's Lost Versailles"