Hempstead House

Hempstead House, also known as the Gould-Guggenheim Estate, 'Sands point preserve, is a large estate that was started by Howard Gould and completed by Daniel Guggenheim in 1912. It is located in Sands Point, New YorkThe estateThe grounds contain two castle-like buildings, Hempstead House, the main house, and a smaller house, known as Castle Gould. The main house measures 225ft, 135ft, and has three floors containing forty rooms, punctuated by an 80ft. Once construction had completed, the 300acre estate needed 17 house servants and 200 farmers and groundskeepers to maintain its upkeep. Hempstead House in its prime was regarded as one of the most lavish estates to occupy the Gold Coast (North Shore (Long Island)):In its heyday in the 1920s, Hempstead House revealed a taste for extravagance. In the Entry Foyer was an organ made of oak. The pipes still visible on the walls above were merely for show—the music reverberated through openings in the floors. Medieval tapestries once hung on the walls, and oriental carpets covered the floor. The sunken Palm Court once contained 150 species of rare orchids and other plants. An aviary housed exotic birds in ornate cages among the flowers. The walnut-paneled Library was copied from the palace of King James I; relief portraits of literary figures still decorate the plaster ceiling. The Billiard Room featured a gold leaf ceiling, hand-tooled leather wall covering, and carved oak woodwork from a 17th century Spanish palace.HistoryHoward Gould, son of railroad tycoon Jay Gould, began construction of the estate after purchasing the land in 1900. Initially, the plan was to build a castle that was to be a replica of Kilkenny Castle. Castle Gould, as it came to be called, was intended to be used as the main house. However, the Goulds did not like the castle so they decided to create another house on the estate which would serve as the main dwelling.