Old Long Island Estates: A surviving James W. O'Connor Playhouse

Long Island is famous for its Gilded Age Estates, immortalized by F. Scott Fitzgerald and chronicled, with vigilance by Zach L. in his blog Old Long Island.  The American Country house movement was propelled by the tremendous fortunes earned in steel, railroads, shipping, coal and oil. Vanderbilts, Whitneys, Phipps, Morgans, Pratts, Graces and Hearsts, to mention a few, erected spectacular weekend estates in Nassau County as private country clubs. Palatial homes in every idiom sprouted with architectural stables, polo fields, and Playhouses. Architect James W. O'Connor  cornered the Playhouse market. A Playhouse is a separate house, containing an indoor tennis court, occasionally a swimming pool, guest rooms, and a large gathering living room overlooking the tennis courts. This Playhouse survives today, and is one of the few private Playhouses remaining in the country.

This is an exterior photograph, from the family archives, depicting multiple elevations. The first landscape architect on this estate was Olmsted, of Central Park, followed by Ferruccio Vitale.

The exterior of the house today.  

O'Connor, educated at Columbia and The Ecole des Beaux Arts, was known for his colonial style using 18th century Georgian models. He was equally at ease with Tudor, Gothic, French, Manorial, and Italianate vocabularies. 

As an Irish Catholic, James W. O'Connor's entree to the social elite came through the patronage of his childhood friends within the W.R. Grace shipping family. His commissions grew steadily with his magnificently scaled manor houses, yet Playhouses were his oeuvre. 

The same ornamental facade from the old estate days

Many of the ancient trees on Long Island Estates were brought over on barges from Connecticut with the innovation of maintaining the large root ball intact. Ferrucio Vitale adhered to classical geometric principles in his designs, combining circular and rectangular elements with cross axes and interconnected parallel spaces. See the aerial view below to see how the pool is visible from both the main and Playhouses. 

The aerial view provides insight into the scale of the Playhouse relative to the main house. The second owners were heirs to the Jello fortune, and I would say their motto: "There's always room" must have resonated. Vitale's outdoor rooms are well defined, and illustrate his intention of creating a "gentleman's farm." In the top left hand corner, orderly gardens for vegetables and flowers provide sustenance and beauty for the estate. The greenhouse, practically invisible is above them. 

 The entrance to the tennis courts is a simple back door. The balustraded roofline is an O'Connor signature. The door opens directly to the right of the lower sitting room. 

"I tell you what. You slip away first. I'll meet you at... The indoor tennis court. ..." 

Sabrina Fairchild

O'Connor tennis courts have a signature double gallery with substantial ornamental mill and ironwork defining their space. 

The family has maintained the Playhouse with many original features, including the old furniture that came from the previous owners. Old coal boilers, large enough for a man to walk into, have been replaced by modern, efficient heating. It used to cost $10.50 an hour to heat the tennis courts for a match. The price is now $1.50. Lighting technology has improved dramatically, with double the candle power on the court. 

The old tennis racquet room has stayed virtually the same. Bobby Riggs was the house pro and would have restrung your racquet for you here. 

The entertaining portion of the house is upstairs. Spectacular paneling is certainly on par with the main house, but the furnishings were more in keeping with a men's club. 

The original furniture is timeless with fresh fabric and color. Mrs. M. decorated this room in the English country style with the legendary Sister Parish of Parish Hadley. At the time, Bunny Williams was her assistant, so there was a double infusion of genius to spread around! There has been a great deal of discussion of center table placement in large living rooms to break up the seating areas. This is a perfect example. 

The french doors open to the upper gallery of the tennis courts and allow the party to socialize while they enjoy the match. 

The old Playhouse living room was arranged very differently, with the same Aiken style, deep upholstery. The contemporary interpretation of the same room and furniture is eminently more feminine.

The long corridor divides the living room from the guest rooms traversing part of the tennis court on one side and the pool on the other. Bright chintz's on the upholstery play well against the dark paneling. 

Believe it or not, I was having trouble orienting myself and was wondering where the swimming pool entrance was hiding. Opening the door to the pool from the corridor is a truly unexpected vertiginous transition into light and space. 

This is a family photograph of the pool area. It is usually left empty due to moisture issues and is filled for parties, with magical floating candles illuminating the murals. The house is filled with Currier and Ives prints, and the murals were perfectly chosen to depict the era.

Moving towards the main entrance area, the guest rooms have been refurbished by the Grand Daughter of the third owners with the assistance of Megan de Roulet of Windham House design.

Megan is fluent in English and French country house styling, with a unique American twist. Working with the existing pieces from the second owners, she continues with the fresh aesthetic initiated by the wonderful Mrs. M. I think its time to head to the bar! Megan and Mrs. G. chose this exotic Digby's tent pattern by Charlotte Moss for Brunschwig & Fils.

In conclusion I'll end with some of the happy memories that have generated from the wonderful tradition of fun and hospitality this Playhouse has provided for many. 

             

My parents were wonderful tennis players. I found these photos in the family album of them relaxing with a cocktail after a match. Its hard to believe, but they are younger than me in these pictures! 

The gallery watching the finals of the annual "Divorce Doubles" tournament. The rule is: you must play with your spouse!
We hope you enjoy this post. Thanks very much to friend's for sharing. If you have guessed the origins of this estate, please keep it confidential for the privacy of the family who so generously shared their home with us. Please do not use the pictures without our permission.
Best,
Liz