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History of the Mackay Estate Gate Lodge

The Mackay Estate Gate Lodge is architecturally significant as a representative example of a country estate building and of the country estate architecture of Stanford White of the firm of McKim, Mead & White, one of the most prestigious architects active in America at the turn of the century. Designed in 1899 and built in 1900-1902 as a component of Clarence Mackay’s Harbor Hill Estate, the 2,000-square-foot gate lodge is an important survivor from the period when much of Long Island was developed with great estates. Clarence Mackay was one of the original directors of the Long Island Motor Parkway.

The Mackay estate was one of the most extensive and most significant built on Long Island during the period, at the turn of the century, when large country estates were being established by some of America’s wealthiest families. The country home of the estate was demolished in 1947 while the Harbor Hill 512-acre estate was sold in the late 1950s and became the Country Estates housing development.

The still-standing gate lodge is especially interesting because it was designed as a miniature version of the main house, identifying the location and architectural grandeur of the private estate from the public road. Both the main house and the gate lodge were designed in French Baroque style with stone walls and steep roof slopes. Its style and sophisticated but understated design set the stage for the entire estate design and layout.

The building remains a significant architectural survivor of an important period in the history of the Roslyn community and of Long Island in general. The Mackay Estate Gate Lodge is one of only three buildings still standing from the Mackay Harbor Hill Estate (Dairyman’s Cottage and the John Mackay III Stonehouse). In 1983, Dr. Roger Gerry, founder of the Roslyn Landmark Society, described the Mackay Estate Gate Lodge as historically "the most important structure in East Hills." On April 12, 1991, the Mackay Estate Gate Lodge was listed on the New York State and National Register of Historic Places.

From approximately 1970 to 2008, the Mackay Estate Gate Lodge was used as the Country Estates Swim Club. The Mackay Estate Gate Lodge and surrounding 3.2-acre property was sold to G.A.D. Development in 2009. The new owners were required by the Village of East Hills to restore the lodge and maintain it as part of a six-lot subdivision approval. With the assistance of then town historian Howard Kroplick, G.A.D Development considered transferring the gate lodge property either to the Town of North Hempstead or the Village of East Hills. On September 3, 2017, the Village of East Hills decided to acquire the Mackay Estate Gate Lodge. The Town of North Hempstead agreed with the decision.

When the subdivision was approved by Nassau County in December 2021, the deed to the gate lodge was transferred to the Village of East Hills. With the guidance of the Roslyn Landmark Society led by its co-presidents John Santos and Howard Kroplick, the restoration of the Mackay Estate Gate Lodge began on January 25, 2022 with the removal of debris and trees that were dangerously overhanging the structure. Kroplick thanked village officials and specifically Mayor Michael Koblenz for their efforts to secure the Mackay Estate Gate Lodge. “They really made an extra effort to preserve this historic building,” Kroplick said. “In 2017, they made the commitment to make this happen, and it’s very exciting the restoration has begun.”

Upon obtaining future funding grants, the vision is to return the building to the way it looked in 1902 including: repairing the slate roof, gutters and gates, cleaning the limestone walls, new landscaping and installing a clock and gas lanterns. Progress on the restoration can be found on the Roslyn Landmark Society website  roslynlandmarks.org .