The Historic Home of Cereal Heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post

The magnificent Tudor/Elizabethan-revival style mansion that houses the administrative offices of the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University in Brookville, Long Island, New York is the former residence of cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post. Although no longer functioning as a private residence, the exterior and parts of the interior retain the original appearance and character it had when it served as a private home.

Marjorie Merriweather Post and her husband Edward F. Hutton, purchased the property (177 acres) in 1921 from Mr. William A. Prime and his wife, Nina for $400,000. A more modest house in the Spanish style, designed in 1911 by Addison Mizner of Palm Beach fame, was already on the site. The house was named Warburton Hall by the Primes. With the exception of Prime's reception room (the current Great Hall) and dining room (current entrance hall/foyer) as well as a portion of the staff wing, nothing of the original house remains.

Hillwood, as the Huttons named the estate, was designed in the half timbered Tudor revival style by Charles Mansfield Hart of the New York City firm Hart & Shape. In 1921 E.W. Howell and Company of Babylon, Long Island, constructed a major portion of the building, which included a wing of bedrooms and a library. Marjorie also converted the Prime's kitchen into a dining room (the Hunt Room.) In 1928 Hart was again commissioned to design further additions and alterations to the house, which included the removal of the bedroom wing (constructed in 1921). The first floor was replaced with a solarium, new entranceway, new guest bedrooms and a newly designed library. On the second floor were new master bedroom suites, two sleeping porches and children's bedrooms. Watts and Sinclair Inc. of New York City was responsible for constructing these additions.

Hillwood is located south of Northern Boulevard (Route 25A) in the Village of Brookville, Town of Oyster Bay, Nassau County, New York. Construction on the mansion began in 1921 and continued for nearly 10 years. The mansion is a magnificent example of an English manor house of sixteenth century England.

The mansion stands majestically at the top of a magnificent Great Lawn and is surrounded by formal gardens as well as natural woodland. The exterior of the house is detailed with roughhewn half-timbered patterns as well as Tudor and medieval period designs. In critical areas, the intervening stucco is conveniently absent revealing the brick and stone beneath. Numerous decorative soffit portray various animals such as bears, tigers, and exotic birds of prey, as well as flowers and ornamental designs so common in Tudor architecture. The mansion contains leaded casement windows, several of which contain images of ships, crests, flowers and medieval characters. (Purchased from Thomas Jones Decorative Glass Co.) Within the enormous windows of the Great Hall, the Hutton and Post ancestral crests are beautifully depicted in stained glass.

The West facade overlooking the Great Lawn contains seven picturesque gables, three of which are carved with vines and what appear to be grapes. The façade ornamentation at this elevation is quite simple with the exception of a decorated soffit above a doorway just north of the solarium. This soffit is one of the most elaborate to be found on the mansion. Two terrier dogs on either side frame the soffit. Within the front panel can be found a court jester as well as a fox with a medieval hunter in tow. The two side panels contain cornucopias with flowers. A second decorative soffit can be found on the east side of the mansion directly behind what had once been the solarium porch (enclosed in the 1960s by the University). Supported by stone lions, the carvings display a monkey, birds, a flying squirrel as well as a snake. Grapes, figs and acorns also grace this lovely carving. From the top of the soffit, wooden vines appear to be creeping up the wall of the house toward the roof line.

A less ornate, but charming soffit can be found to the right of the solarium porch, underneath what had originally been the nursery. This soffit contains scenes reminiscent of nursery rhyme figures. Images of a monkey, an elephant, giraffe, tiger, goose, and a bear standing on its hind legs are depicted within a jungle setting. A first floor window to the right of this soffit is flanked by magnificently carved stucco and features Tudor roses, vines and budding flowers. The arched soffit above the window contains a decorative fan. Above the far are curly cues with five petalled flowers, budding flowers, tulips and grapes.

Located on the northern section of the mansion is the staff wing. Although this section of the mansion has less ornamentation than other areas, its overall atmosphere blends perfectly with the remainder of the structure. This section features two porte-cocheres (archway). Above the porte-cochere on the western elevation is a room with leaded windows containing stained glass. The two-and-one-half story staff wing at one time contained the kitchen, laundry room, staff dining room, sewing room, security office as well as numerous staff bedrooms and social areas.

Since the University purchased the Hutton property, alterations to the mansion's exterior have been few. The entrance porch off the driveway (near the Great Hall entrance) was enclosed in the 1960s. Another entrance slightly north of the solarium (now the Provost's Office) overlooking the Great Lawn was enclosed around 1957. This was done with such high regard of the architecture that it could almost pass as original to the structure. The small porch (the Provost's filing room) behind the solarium as well as a larger one (Assistant Provost for Campus Services) on the first floor of the children's /guest wing were enclosed in 1973. The windows used when enclosing the larger porch nicely match those existing windows of the mansion. Due to fire regulations, four fire escapes have been added to the house. Although a necessity, these fire escapes do obstruct some of the detail in parts of the house. The only addition to the structure that is unflattering is outside of the entrance foyer on the eastern elevation. This glass and aluminum vestibule was added sometime in the 1980s. It most certainly will be removed when the mansion is restored in the future.

ROOF

The gabled roof of the mansion is made of exquisite slate in variegated colors. The roof spans 30,000 square feet. The slates are consistent with those quarried in Vermont. Due to the roof’s enormous weight (some tiles are 1 1/2 inches thick), the individual slates were brought to Long Island via the railroad and then trucked to the site for installation. Interestingly, the slates that were installed in 1921 are much larger than those installed on the 1928 addition of the mansion’s south wing. The life expectancy for a slate roof of this type is about 120 years. Slate roofs of this kind were commonplace on dwellings built and owned by the more affluent members of American society. The house features nine terracotta and brick chimneys. Some of the chimney designs are reminiscent of those commonly found in Tudor manor houses.

GREAT HALL

The interior of Hillwood has undergone some structural changes over the years to accommodate various University offices, however, the character of the front entrance and the main living room has remained intact. The front entrance features a room with thick ceiling beams, leaded windows and a stone fireplace adorned with carved figures of medieval monks. The walls in this room are linen-fold carved panels. This same paneling can be found in other areas of the mansion. The entrance hall contains a doorway leading into the two-story Great Hall, with its exquisite wood rafters supported by ornately carved columns. This room truly can be considered the heart of Hillwood. On the east wall a huge fireplace (its andirons are original to the house) surrounded by massive leaded windows is quite an impressive sight. On the north wall of the Great Hall is a carved staircase that leads to a beautifully carved balcony, created by Marius Anderson Stairbuilder, 1445-47 36th Street Brooklyn in 1925 at a cost of $855.

A close look at the original carvings and decorations of the Great Hall reveals a nautical motif. A large model of an English galleon once hung from the ceiling.Brass sconces on the face of the balcony depict ships with billowing sails, while similar pieces across the room and flanking the fireplace feature dolphins and seagulls. Images of ships also are found scattered among the panes of the room’s tall windows, and the decorative plaster border that encircles the entire room features the head of the mythological god Poseidon throughout. Mr. Hutton’s love of the ocean certainly influenced the theme.

At the bottom of the Great Hall staircase is the doorway to the Hunt Room. A leaded glass pocket door can close off this room from the Great Hall. The Hunt Room walls are paneled to the mid-way point. The top portions of the walls are reminiscent of the exterior of the mansion with half-timbered wood and stucco. The ceiling of this room is made of hand-hewn wood panels. Four small brass lanterns with eisen glass hang from the ceiling. Four additional lanterns hang along the walls of the room. A charming stone fireplace with an arched bay is located in the center of two ingle nooks. To the right of the fireplace is a small cabinet that in an authentic Tudor home would have been a bake oven. On the eastern wall of the Hunt Room there are two glass pocket doors similar to the one off the Great Hall.

FORMAL DINING ROOM (now the office of the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences)

Passing through the doors of the Hunt Room, you enter a very small butler's pantry. Past the butler's pantry you enter the formal dining room. The decor of this room is in the Federal style rather than the Tudor style of the other public rooms. Now used as an office, the dining room has not changed very much. Originally the walls were painted with outdoor scenes. Sadly, these murals have been painted over. The fireplace's beautiful wood mantle piece with marble is still as it was originally. Doorways on either side of the fireplace have been covered over by bookcases. A wonderful feature in this room is the window seat on the south wall. Images of a horse, pelican, rooster, wolf, sheep, fish and bird are represented in these windows.

ENTRANCE TO LIBRARY

On the south side of the Great Hall, a smaller pocket door leads into a short hallway. You can enter the library from this hallway or the formal foyer. Depicted in the stucco in these hallway walls are figures of geese, owls, a sea monster, lions and a wild boar. This motif is continued into the foyer. The foyer contains a magnificent plaster ceiling from which hangs a wrought iron light fixture. Four smaller identical fixtures can be found at the top of the staircase, as well as in the hallway connecting the master bedroom suites on the second floor.

LIBRARY (now Provost's Library)

The mansion library can be accessed through three entrances: from the foyer, from the Great Hall and from a corridor leading from the Venetian Room. A pocket door leading from the small hallway is made up of 12 linen-fold panels with more Tudor-themed carving in the arch-top of the door (carved by Bottino & Degata.). A carved cornice above this pocket door has six intricately carved panels. The lower center panel contains an owl sitting on top of a book. An ink well with plume pen sits next to a candle sitting on top of books. On the top center panel is a crest that closely resembles the Hutton ancestral crest. The other panels contain images commonly found in Tudor architecture. The remaining panels include images reminiscent of Poseidon (similar to the ones found in the Great Hall) and mythological sea creatures. A magnificent carved floor to ceiling fireplace dominates the library's southern wall. The fireplace is certainly the centerpiece of this room. The carving of the fireplace is enhanced by the simplicity of the other woodwork in the room. The carvings that adorn the fireplace are truly magnificent. The wood is much lighter than the woodwork in the Great Hall. To continue the nautical theme into this room, carvings on either side of the top of the fireplace wall resemble ship bowsprits. These images feature two women whose legs have been replaced with anchor chains. The mantel appears to he held up by what appear to be half man and animal figures. The craftsmanship of these figures is quite impressive. The stone portion of the fireplace contains some symbolism as well. On the left are four fishes. On the right, an enormous Tudor rose reminds one that this is an Elizabethan dwelling. Four built-in bookcases are framed with a simply carved leaf design, outlines the rest of the room. The library ceiling is made of rough-hewn panels. Two large beams in the ceiling are carved with vines and bunches of grapes. The University painted the flat ceiling panels white to brighten the room. Originally the ceiling was not painted. Located on the western wall of the room are leaded windows. These windows originally hung in the Great Hall, and were retained after the Great Hall windows were remodeled in 1928. These windows were re-installed in the library when it was constructed in 1929.

THE VENETIAN ROOM (Provost's Office)

To the right of the library fireplace is a doorway that leads to a long corridor. At the end of the corridor is the Venetian room. The door to the Venetian room is made of heavy wrought iron and leaded glass. Above the doorway inside the Venetian room is a head of what appears to be a Greek god. It is thought to be that of Poseidon. Another doorway leading to what had once been an opened porch (now enclosed) has this same figure. This room has a tropical feeling to its décor. The floor comprises multi-colored slates. At one time the floor beneath the huge bay windows had been soil, where small fruit trees and other plantings once grew. (This has been covered with matching slate.) Huge timbers frame out the three bay windows. On the north wall of the room features a fountain. The fountain, which no longer functions, is made of natural stones and boulders and is recessed into the wall. (The largest boulder was acquired from a Port Washington sand pit.) Hanging on either side of the fountain are two wrought iron lanterns.

AMERICAN GUEST BEDROOM (Provost's Reception Area)

Another room off the corridor that connects the Venetian room and library is the American guest bedroom, which can also be accessed from the main lobby. The room is in the Federal style. Walls in this room are decorated with wallpaper depicting events leading up to and including the inauguration of George Washington. One view depicts St. Paul's Chapel in lower Manhattan where Washington worshipped just prior to the inauguration. The private bathroom connected to this room is of particular interest. This bathroom is tiled mid-way with green tile. Above the tile the entire wall surface is covered with antique Christmas cards to Marjorie. Some of the cards have personal notes written on them. All the plumbing fixtures have been removed from this room. Today the room houses a copy machine and table with microwave and refrigerator. Recently a window on the east wall was created to make a doorway into the porch behind the Venetian Room.

FOYER

The foyer staircase outside the American bedroom contains several beautifully carved figures. Underneath the balustrade of the staircase is a lovely carved motif with figures of hunters on foot as well as on horseback chasing deer through a forest. This motif is found underneath the entire balustrade. The staircase landing contains magnificent windows within a beautifully carved frame. Directly underneath these windows is a decorative wrought iron heat register depicting Tudor roses as well as other flowers. Looking down from the stairwell landing toward the foyer is an intricate carved arch that separates the foyer from the foot of the stairwell. Cherubs and flowers are represented in this carving.

BEDROOM OF MARJORIE MERRIWEATHER POST (Chancellor’s Office)

The room that had originally been the master bedroom suite for Marjorie is at the end of the second floor hallway (now the Office of the Chancellor). The hallway ceiling is a gothic ribbed plaster ceiling with decorative capitols. Just outside of the entrance of the room is a small alcove with decorative plaster ceiling. There are three doorways in this alcove. One leading to the master suite, one into the adjoining dressing room and a third into another room, which once was a screened sleeping porch. Lovely carvings adorn the tops of these three doorways. Originally Wedgwood medallions had adorned the center of these carvings on both the outer and inner sides. The medallions are now located at the Washington International School in Washington, D.C. (another former residence of Marjorie and third husband Joseph E Davies).

Marjorie's bedroom was decorated in the Adam style. Unlike the rest of the house with its dark wood and numerous carvings, this room is quite bright and airy. Although presently used as an office, the room still retains its warm charm. The magnificent Adam style plaster ceiling and crown molding are quite impressive. Sadly, Marjorie removed the original crystal chandelier (now located in The Hillwood Museum, Washington, D.C.) when the mansion was sold to the University. The fixture that hangs in the room today is obviously out of place in this splendid room. The fireplace in this room is located in an Olympian alcove with niches on either side. This mantel formerly contained Wedgwood medallions as well. (All the Wedgwood was removed and re-installed in another Washington, D.C. residence purchased at the time Hillwood was sold. (Now the Washington International School, Tregaron Campus) The floor in front of the fireplace is made of marble. The base molding in the room is also of marble. (Marble work in this room was by P.M. & W Schlichter).

A door to the right of the fireplace leads to what had been the private bathroom/dressing room of Marjorie (now a Student Affairs office). The walls in this room are framed with marble arches and ceramic tile. The eastern wall is entirely of marble. The marble bathtub and sink as well as the gold fixtures and crystal chandelier and sconces have all been removed. The door to the left of the fireplace leads to a large walk-in closet. This closet has two small windows with leaded glass windows.

EDWARD F. HUTTON BEDROOM (now, Associate Provost's Office of Student Affairs).

Mr. Hutton’s bedroom suite originally featured murals of Mar-a-Lago, the Huttons’ Florida residence. Sometime in the early 1930s, these murals were either covered or removed and replaced with knotty pine paneling. The fate of the murals is unknown. At the request of Marjorie, this room was dismantled at the sale of the estate to the University. A different shade of knotty pine was then installed, giving the room a darker appearance. Although a charming room, it was much more impressive when its original appointments were in place. Interestingly, the original mantel removed with the other interiors was replaced with an exact duplicate of the Spanish mantel today found in Marjorie’s former bedroom. This coincidence further reinforces the belief that the mantels from the Prime residence were saved for possible use in the future.

DINA HUTTON BEDROOM/CHILDREN'S WING

At the top of the Staircase and to the right, near the master bedroom suites, is a corridor leading into what had been the children's wing. The entrance to this corridor at one time had been opened. The University installed a decorative door similar to the style of the interior of the mansion. The corridor ceiling is exactly like the ceiling of the corridor outside the master bedroom suites. A plaster medallion with an image of a small child is depicted in a doorway arch where the hallway turns on the way to the former sleeping porch. Next to the curved wall of the children's wing hallway is a door that leads to what had at one time been the bedroom of the Hutton's daughter, Nedenia, (the actress Dina Merrill). The room originally was very bright with simple wallpaper. The lower portion of the walls being covered with wood wainscoting. A window seat on the south wall overlooked the once splendid walled garden and magnolia allée (restored). The wooden fireplace, though not ornate, fits very nicely in this environment. To the left of the fireplace was a doorway that led to a former screened in sleeping porch. (The University closed off the doorway.) The walls of the sleeping porch are framed with half timbers and stucco. The University replaced the original screens with windows. The leaded glass windows installed at the time the room was enclosed nicely matched with the other windows in the mansion.

In 1973 the University enclosed the first floor open porch, located directly below the sleeping porch of the children's wing. An attempt to mirror the original architectural theme of the mansion was somewhat successful. Unfortunately, the carved pillars of the porch were not properly incorporated into the enclosure and the upper portions of the pillars protrude through stucco the walls near the top of the porch ceiling. The beautiful stone and slate floor was another casualty of this alteration project. Originally one step down from the house, the University desired that this newly enclosed room be the same level as the connecting rooms. Concrete was poured over the floor to bring it to the desired level with the house.

GUEST ROOM AND STAFF QUARTERS

To the top right of the Great Hall double staircase was a guest bedroom now the Office of the Associate Provost for Enrollment Services. The University altered this room and its attached bathroom and closet. The wall that once divided these rooms has been moved to the center of the original bedroom. The walls that once divided the bathroom and closet have been removed to make a larger room.

Also at the top of the Great Hall staircase is another door that leads down a corridor to several guest rooms. There is no ornamentation whatsoever in this part of the mansion. Before the first turn in this unusually curved hallway is a doorway that leads to the first guest room of this wing now the Public Relations Office. As with the previous guest room at the top of the staircase, a bathroom and closet have been combined to make another office. Another guest room (PR room 212) connects to that original bathroom. The most appealing feature of this guest room is its balcony, situated above the window seat of the first floor formal dining room. The main entrance to this guest room is located in a short hallway, which connects to the main outer serpentine quality hallway, which runs along the second floor. At the end of the smaller hallway is a large room (PR room 212 B) which originally had been two staff bedrooms possibly used by staff members of visiting guests. At one time, each room contained a sink and mirror. An L shaped lavatory was located next to these rooms. This room has been gutted and now serves as a storage and file room for the Public Relations Office. A doorway at the opposite end of this "L" shaped room leads back to the small hallway.

MAIN HALLWAY

Returning to the main hallway and turning to the right you come to a doorway that is one step up from the remainder of the hallway. Two doors are located on the left side of the hallway. The first door is a closet; the other is a very small room. Just past this small room is another doorway. Through this doorway you travel down two steps into staff areas of the mansion. Numerous bedrooms, sitting rooms and this staff dining room line both sides of the hallway. Some of these rooms have been enlarged, or divided depending on the need for office space.

The room directly over the main porte-cochere has leaded windows containing stained glass symbols. This room could possibly have been the bedroom of the major domo of the mansion. At one time this room contained a sink and medicine chest. The hallway outside the major domo's room continues and turns right. There are a few more rooms along this hallway. The last room at the end of the hallway possibly had been a sitting room. A closet in this room at one time was actually a doorway. The doorway once connected a small passage above the second porte-cochere into another staff wing (now Graduate Admissions). This last section of the mansion could easily be a considered a small residence. This section contains numerous rooms on the first and second floor. The first floor rooms are believed to have contained staff sitting rooms and work areas. Some of the interior walls on this floor have been moved to accommodate University offices. Bedrooms and bathroom facilities have changed little since the university purchased the mansion.

It is worth mentioning that a staircase across from the believed major domo's room leads down to a small area that at one time had been four rooms. Exactly what purpose these rooms served is unknown. An original corner sink and medicine cabinet (now gone) leads one to feel that some sleeping accommodations were available here at one time. In the early 1960s the University installed the original service windows and mailboxes of the Greenvale Post Office. The Secure Windows and Mailboxes were removed in 2003. The space currently is used for classrooms. A door in the lobby leads directly outside underneath the west elevation porte-cochere.

ESTATE GARDENS

The formal gardens that surround the Administration/Winnick House and Admissions building at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University was designed by renowned landscape architect Marian Cruger Coffin. These gardens, originally created for E.F. Hutton's Hillwood estate, were considered to be one of Coffin's greatest triumphs.

There is no known documentation detailing the layout of the grounds at the time the property was owned by William and Nina Prime. All the documentation currently available relates solely to the Hutton gardens. Views of the gardens as they appeared at the time of their creation in 1922 and through the 1940s are located in numerous repositories throughout the country. The University is currently seeking to acquire duplicates of these photographs to assist them with the restoration of the gardens.

Coffin was commissioned by the Huttons in 1922 to create gardens that would complement the Elizabethan home, which was being constructed at the same time. Coffin often worked very closely with her client's architects to achieve the appropriate balance between the house and the surrounding gardens. Lewis and Valentine Co. of Greenvale, Long Island was hired to supply the plantings for the gardens according to Coffin's specifications. Some of the Nurseries that supplied plantings, shrubs, seeds and trees to Lewis and Valentine were Bobbink & Atkins of Rutherford, New Jersey and Henry A. Dreer of Riverlon, New Jersey.

One effect that Coffin mastered was the transplanting of fully grown trees from other locations to into the gardens she was creating. A letter dated February 23, 1922 proves that this actually occurred here at Hillwood. A 1925 photograph showing the eastern side of the mansion shows two mature vase-shaped elm trees, which are anchored to the ground with numerous ropes. Coffin believed that transplanting fully-grown trees gave one the impression that the mansion and its gardens were older than they actually were.

Coffin left no detail untouched. Her work started at the main gate on Northern Boulevard and continued up to and including the mansion and its immediate surroundings. The driveway was planned to give the visitor the impression that he/she was entering the grounds of an authentic Tudor estate in England. The driveway curved past simple outer buildings and then turned east toward the manor house. Coffin most likely believed that the first view of the mansion had to be an impressive one. With the vast Great Lawn on the right and numerous manicured trees and shrubs on the left, the impression as you travel closer to the house is majestic.

Coffin designed numerous gardens for the estate that each has its own character; however all together they function as a whole. The red-bricked walled flower garden just south of the solarium is still in existence. This garden has beautiful brick paths with stones set within diamond-shaped medallions. Four brick benches are located toward the center of the walled garden. Just south of the walled garden is a round putting green from which a tiered woodland walk can be seen.

ENGLISH BRICK GARDEN

Outside of the solarium is a walled garden. Coffin designed this garden not only with brick walls, but with brick paths and four lovely brick benches. The original statuary that stood at the four openings in the garden walls are now gone. A wrought iron arch in the shape of vines with a lantern hanging in the center is also gone. Early records from 1921 pertaining to the planning of this garden state that the flowers chosen for this garden bloomed in April/May and again in mid fall. Since Hillwood was not the family’s principal residence, the blooming timetable gives a hint to what time of the year the family was in residence. Although the plantings have changed, the walled garden does retain the original feeling it had in the early part of the 20th century.

ROSE ARBOR

At the top of the putting green on the eastern elevation can been seen the arched brick rose arbor. A double staircase leads from the putting green. The arbor goes in an east-west direction and defines its eastern limit in a circle of arched brick piers. A semicircular bench incorporated into this circle is a signature design element found in many gardens created by Coffin. Thirty eight brick piers make up the arbor.

MAGNOLIA ALLÉE

A small flight of brick steps on the eastern wall of the garden leads to the former double row magnolia allée. Originally framed by sheared cedar hedges, the area featured beautiful Chinese magnolia trees edged by dwarf English boxwoods. The magnolia allée extended from the children's wing of the mansion and ended in the center of the rose arbor. In September 2003 new magnolia trees were planted in the same location as the original trees.

A tennis court surrounded by a wood trellis with flowers was up another flight of stairs just east of the magnolia walk. The tennis court no longer exits; a labyrinth (built in 2000) is currently on this site.

TOPIARY GARDEN

Particularly appropriate for houses in the Tudor style was a topiary garden. This garden was not in existence very long. The Hutton's swimming pool had been built on the site of this garden. Rabbits, ducks and chickens as well as other animals were represented in this garden. Numerous topiary figures (possibly moved from the original topiary garden) could be found in the walled garden and the courtyard on the north side of the Great Hall. Unfortunately, the figures no longer exist.

ESTATE POOL

An in-ground pool was installed by Marjorie Merriweather Post sometime after the estate was purchased in 1921. The pool was 20 by 80 with a depth that ranged from 3 to 8 feet. The inside of the pool (around the top) had a 10-inch wide border consisting of small aqua green ceramic tiles of various size (one inch to two inches) that were installed by hand individually. The ladder to enter the deep-end of the pool was made of bronze. The steps were made of bronze with a wooden plank on top. It was believed that many of Marjorie’s famous guests swam in this pool. The pool was located a few feet from the Deen-Wee (doll house). After the University purchased the estate, the pool was enclosed. The pool was demolished on December 14, 2001 because the university had built a Recreation Center with an 8-lane swimming pool on the other side of the campus. A greenhouse, donated by former Miracle-Gro CEO Horace Hagedorn of Port Washington, NY, was erected on the site of the former estate pool in 2002.

WATER GARDEN

The final feature that Coffin created at Hillwood was a water garden. The water for the stream flows from under the octagonal tower of the smaller house (Admissions) next to the main house (Administration/Winnick House). The water is supplied by a domestic water line inside the Admissions building. In its heyday, this flower-lined stream flowed from the smaller house past the tennis court into a small pond just east of the magnolia allée. Over the years, the overgrown foliage had cut off the flowing water. To restore the water garden, Blanche Karlan, a neighbor and friend of the university, donated $100,000 in 2001. These funds were used to remove the overgrowth, fix the pond so that the water circulates, complete a 47-foot labyrinth, and build a bridge to it, repair the current bridge and path behind Admissions, and add some benches along the walkway. The area is now known as the Karlan/Geisman Meditation Garden, in memory of Mrs. Karlan's husband Lazarus, daughter Penny, and son-in-law Richard.

DEEN WEE (DOLL HOUSE)

East of College Hall is a small play cottage originally called the "Deen Wee". This structure was built sometime around 1934 for Marjorie's daughter, Nedenia (Dina), and granddaughter, Marjorie, also known as Marwee. With its half-timbered and stone walls, this charming little cottage is reminiscent of the nearby main house and smaller residence. Originally the roof was made of thatch that had been grown nearby on the estate. Due to its age, the University replaced the thatch in the early 1960s with slate reminiscent to the other two structures near it.

Although scaled smaller to accommodate children, the interior workmanship has not been overlooked. Hand hewn wooden beams frame plaster walls. The beamed ceiling is reminiscent of the Hunt room in the mansion. Directly opposite the front door is a small functioning fireplace. To the right of the fireplace is a built-in bookcase. A door to the right of the bookcase leads into a small kitchen. The original child size sink and little faucets still exist. To the right of the kitchen sink is a door with a leaded glass panel. This door leads to a small covered patio with a brick floor. Recent renovations to the cottage revealed that the kitchen floor is also made of brick.

A lovely alcove with five leaded windows is located to the left of the main room. A miniature staircase next to this alcove leads to a second floor bedroom. The second floor of the cottage is comprised of one room. A small lavatory is located next to this bedroom at the top of the stairs. There is no ornamentation on the second floor as on the first floor.

University officers recently announced that the Deen-wee will be refurbished to serve as a security outpost station. The cottage will receive much needed attention sometime in the near future.

In a letter to Long Island University President David J. Steinberg in September 1993, Dina Merrill recalled fond memories of living on the estate and her childhood playhouse: “I’m so pleased with the great success of the C.W. Post College and I know my Mother would be as well. I had such a happy childhood there, growing up on a “farm” with every vegetable and fruit imaginable, flowers galore, a grassy hill to roll down (and sled down in winter) a pony to ride through the woods and imagine I was an Indian brave and cows in the barn where I used to go on winter afternoons after school and milk myself a glass of warm foamy milk. Then the Deen Wee cottage appeared, built for my niece and me where we played house, took naps, baked cookies in a mini-oven and made ice cream from scratch, churning it with ice and salt until it froze. There were also pet rabbits, two raccoons (who also ate the ice cream with great gusto) and some bantam hens who laid tiny delicious eggs. When we were made to take naps in our houses, we strung up a basket between the two sleeping porches in which we could pass message back and forth. Those were good days.”

FORMER ADELAIDE CLOSE RIGGS RESIDENCE (Admissions)

Just east of the mansion lies another small structure. Marjorie constructed this house in 1928 for daughter, Adelaide, and her first husband, Thomas (Tim) Durant. Although similar to the main house, this structure has a character all its own. The first floor of the structure is entirely made up of a combination of stucco, brick, stone and layered slate. The second floor, though less ornate, is reminiscent of the half-timbered style of the mansion. There is no carving on this structure with the exception of two small decorative brackets located on the west top corners of what had originally been a second floor sleeping porch. Flowers and vines are depicted in these brackets. The most striking characteristic of the structure is a brick and stone octagonal turret on the south elevation of the building. The turret, which rises one floor above the roof, has the appearance of a medieval tower. At the base of the turret is a small waterfall made of boulders, which at one time led to the rock garden.

With the exception of the first floor porch located on the western elevation, the exterior of the building has remained virtually as it was when constructed. The University enclosed this porch sometime in the late 1950s. The character of the structure was taken into consideration when this porch was enclosed. The types of windows used through out the enclosure are reminiscent of the metal-framed casements containing leaded glass that are found throughout the entire house.

The interior of the building had extensive alterations over the years. The front door leads into a long narrow hallway that goes nearly to the back of the building. This hallway has remained the same, with its walls made of distressed stucco. To the left of the front door is a large room. It is possible that this room had been the living room of the house. Toward the end of the central hallway is the main staircase, paneled mid way up the wall and topped with stucco as in the main hallway below. Mid-way up the staircase is a platform with two leaded windows. The staircase turns here and continues to the second floor. The interior of the second floor has been changed so dramatically over the years that it would be impossible to speculate as to how the rooms were laid out. From the second floor, the staircase continues up to the attics. Another platform mid way up has three smaller leaded windows made with diamond shaped glass. At the top of the staircase there are three doors. Two go into unfinished attic spaces. The center doorway goes into the turret. Inside of the turret; there is a small room with two narrow windows. To the left of this small room, is a narrow staircase that takes you to the top of the turret. The turret room is all windows. The view of the gardens at this level must have been quite impressive in earlier days. From the turret one can see the beautiful slate room of the structure. The slate used on this roof is identical to that of the mansion next door.

POST COTTAGE (now Kumble Hall)

The guest house, known as Post Cottage when the estate was privately owned, is by far the most impressive of the property's out buildings. According to former Prime and Hutton family's employee Sylvester Cangero, the structure was constructed in 191l as a chicken coop. In 2001, a photograph of the building was located in a photo album of construction by builders E.W. Howell Contractor and Builder (of Babylon, Long Island, now of Woodbury, Long Island). E.W. Howell worked for the Huttons from 1922 to 1925 and the photo album contained photos of all the buildings they worked on or constructed; perhaps the chicken coop was converted by Howell into a guest house. The original structure remains intact, although an addition was connected to the rear of the structure in 1968 by the University.

The central portion of the building is three stories tall. The first two stories are sided with cedar shingles. It is possible that the building was originally clapboard. The exterior of the third floor appears to be stucco but is in fact a smooth wood. The building is scheduled to be covered with vinyl called "Cedar Impressions." This type of vinyl siding will allow the charm of the building to remain but with more modern and cost efficient siding. There is a lovely Victorian cornice with dental molding directly under the roof cornice. The roof was capped by a cupola copper dome. The detail of the cupola dome was very impressive with arched openings and dental molding below its cornice. In August 2004 the cupola was removed due to its advanced age and the excessive weight on the roof. Two one and a half story wings protrude east and west from the central section of the structure. On the end of the eastern wing is a small sun porch. This porch has a flat roof. The roof of these one-story wings contains 12 dormer windows, six on each elevation. Dental molding underneath the eaves of these wings is identical to the third floor roof line.

The interior of the former guest house has had some alterations. The first and second floors each contain a central or great room. A fireplace and mantle can be found in each central room. The fireplace on the first floor is very simple with no ornate detailing. The fireplace directly above on the second floor is a lovely white colonial fireplace more in style with the building. The one and a half story wings can be accessed from the central rooms. The first floor of the wing on the western elevation of the building has had some alteration over the years. These areas now serve as space for University departments.

The wing on the eastern elevation appears to be intact with the exception of minor changes. The first room on the left has a small fireplace. This room has been divided into offices. The second room has a lovely corner cabinet with a decorative shell top and delicate glass door. Enclosed staircases located in the center of each wing lead to the small attic storage areas above. These attic rooms contain simple built-in cabinets for storage. There are six curved dog house windows in the roof of these attics. Located at the end of each attic are more windows. The windows on the eastern wing originally were comprised of a square double hung central window flanked by two smaller rectangular windows. The western side has a large rounded window in the center.

GARAGE

The structure that currently houses the campus Craft Center was originally the estate garage. With the exception of a 1960s addition to the eastern elevation to enlarge the structure for classroom use, the structure looks virtually the same as it did when constructed in 1928 by the Huttons. The exterior of the building like the guest house is sided with cedar shingles. The building has a charming "ski-jump" curve roof line with dental molding beneath the eves. Six sets of garage doors (three on the east and three on the west elevations) were removed and replaced with windows similar to those original to the building.

It is now impossible to get an idea as to the original floor plan of the first floor. Since the structure housed numerous automobiles, the space was probably a large open room. On the northern end of the building a few small rooms probably stored tools and parts for the vehicles. Numerous walls have been added to provide classroom and office space. The original staircase (located in the center of the building) leading to what had been the estate chauffeur's quarters has been relocated to the center of the building and replaced with a fireproof staircase.

There are 14 rooms located on the second floor, which has been unused for many years. Air conditioning ducts and telephone wiring been laid directly on the floor. In the center of the second floor, there is a large room that most likely served as the parlor. Smaller rooms, each with a window, sink and medicine cabinet and small closet, once served as bedrooms. These bedrooms open onto a central hallway that runs the entire length of the second floor. (The university has removed all the sinks and medicine cabinets.) It is unclear where lavatories and showers were located. Remains of a kitchen are evident at the south end of the building.

POTTING BARN

The Huttons constructed four greenhouses featuring prized orchids and the present brick potting barn in 1928 on the site of an original potting barn belonging to the Prime family. The central portion of the potting barn is a one-and-a-half story brick structure complete with a dirt floor cellar. The university installed a new roof on the building in 1997. Four glass greenhouses were attached to this brick structure, two on the western elevation and two on the eastern. Due to deterioration, the greenhouses were removed by the university over several years; the university demolished the last greenhouse on July 20, 2001.

HORSE STABLE

The estate’s former horse stable now serves as the site of the J.M. Ladge Speech and Hearing Center and the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Sometime in the 1960s, the two original one-story wings of the stable were removed and relocated to the south side of the Campus. Soon after, the University constructed two new one-story wings of classrooms, laboratories and the Campus radio station, WCWP. The two-story center section of the original building is the only part of the stable that remains in this location today. Also moved to the south side was the nearby goat shed. The two wings were attached to each side of the goat shed to form the Campus’ current horse stables. The North Shore Equestrian Center operates from this location today and is home to the award-winning C.W. Post Equestrian Team.

Researched and Written by Kenneth Mensing, Archivist & Historian
C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University

Editing and Research by Rita Langdon, Associate Provost/Director of Public Relations,
C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University

For further information write or call:

Kenneth Mensing
Archivist & Campus Historian
Office of Public Relations
C.W. Post Campus
Long Island University
720 Northern Blvd.
Brookville, New York 11548
(516) 299-2333/4178
Fax (516) 299-2622
Email: Kmensing@liu.edu