St. Josaphat’s Monastery-A Former Long Island Gold Coast Estate

On the Long Island Sound, in the town of Lattingtown, John Edward Aldred, along with W.D. Guthrie, decided to establish themselves on Long Island’s Gold Coast. In 1910 they bought out the incorporated village of Lattingtown, leveled some 60 houses and businesses and built two mansions on the waterfront.

Ormston House was Aldred’s English, Elizabethan-Tudor style mansion on approximately 100 acres and work started around 1916 at a cost of nearly $3 million. The 74-room house was designed by Bertram B. Goodhue. Henry W. Rowe was responsible for the stables and gate cottage and Olmsted Brothers were the landscape architects.

Aldred had major stock holdings in Gillette Safety Razor Company, New York Gas, and his finance company, Aldred & Co. Aldred’s & Co. financed an empire of public utilities including Massachusetts’ Power and Light Company, Quebec Power and Light Company to name a few. Mr. Aldred’s life seemed to come to a grinding halt when Congress enacted the anti trust laws, along with capital gains taxes, income taxes and property tax, forcing the “Gatsby Age” millionaires to sell off or donate properties they could no longer afford. In 1940, the contents of the mansion were auctioned off.

In 1944, the estate was purchased for $75,000.00 by the Ukrainian Catholic Rite Basilian Fathers, and is called St. Josaphat’s Monastery. The first monks lived on pristine and luxurious grounds meant for entertainment of wealthy guests, but they did not have the 30+ workers to tend to the grounds. The estate was used as dormitories and a retreat center and today is still used for an annual pilgrimage which was started in the 1950’s. Surprisingly, they are managing better than you would think.

Here is what caught my eye. I hope you enjoy!

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One of the two gatehouses

This is the approach to the mansion’s entrance court.

Formal walled garden

Walled entrance court

Walled garden and garden building

The main entrance with dual staircase

Main entrance stairs

Main entrance facade

Looking up at the main entrance stone detail

The decorative mansion main entrance

Medieval wrought iron outdoor lighting

Wrought iron cat pull bell ring

This is a view from the dark-paneled entrance hall, with flag stone floor, looking into the Great Hall.

The two-story Great Hall architecture seems to be totally intact.

Dining room with white curved ceiling and rich dark wood paneling

The original breakfast room with built-ins

The dumb waiter in the small pantry, adjacent to the main kitchen

The original kitchen walk-in refrigerators

The entrance to the house from the arched terrace

Entry with flag-stone floor

Beautiful ceiling

Decorative wrought iron door

Arches

The balustrade overlooks the view that used to look down to the Long Island Sound from the terrace.

Interior decorative architectural feature on the doorway, leads to the armor hall and billiard room.

The stone staircase leading to the lower level

Corridor entrance on the lower level

All of the windows are leaded, some with inserts of old stained glass.

Garden statuary and bench

Garden fountain and pool

Another view of the mansion from the gardens

A neglected garage entrance

Arbor

Arbor

The rose garden

Formal gardens with love temple

View of the mansion from the garden

Garden entrance to the mansion

Barn complex

Neglected greenhouse complex

The sadly deteriorating greenhouse complex

Abandoned greenhouses with missing glass

Greenhouse complex

A forgotten greenhouse entrance

What you should know:

• Today the estate is still a functioning monastery and from time to time The New York Adventure Club will sponsor a tour.

Long Island Country Houses and Their Architects, 1860-1940

W. W. Norton & Company

The Mansions of Long Island's Gold Coast: Revised and Expanded

By Randall, Monica