Oakdale Bankruptcy Lawyer

During the late 19th century and into the early 20th century, Oakdale’s landscape was adorned with opulent Gilded Age estates, marking a prominent feature of its history.

Idle Hour

In 1882, William Kissam Vanderbilt erected one of Oakdale’s most renowned estates, Idle Hour, spanning 900 acres along the Connetquot River. The extravagant 110-room wooden mansion met a tragic fate when it succumbed to fire on April 15, 1899, during the honeymoon of his son, Willie K. II, who, fortunately, escaped with his new wife. Swiftly rebuilt with red brick and gray stone, and adorned with exquisite furnishings at a cost of $3 million, the reconstructed mansion swiftly reclaimed its status as one of America’s finest homes. Notable figures such as his daughter Consuelo, who honeymooned there upon her marriage to the Duke of Marlborough in 1895, graced its halls.

Following Vanderbilt’s passing in 1920, the mansion witnessed various transformations and visitors, including a brief sojourn during Prohibition by the infamous gangster Dutch Schultz. Subsequently, during the era, the farm portion of Idle Hour underwent a peculiar metamorphosis, with cow stalls, pig pens, and corn cribs transformed into a fleeting bohemian artists’ enclave. Among its occupants were notable figures like George Elmer Browne, Roman (Bon) Bonet-Sintas, sculptor Catherine Lawson, costume designer Olga Meervold, pianist Claude Govier, and Francis Gow-Smith and his wife Carol. Most recently, Idle Hour served as the campus of Dowling College, which faced financial struggles and eventually closed its doors in August 2016.

Pepperidge Hall

In 1888, Christopher R. Robert II, the son of Christopher Robert, constructed a magnificent castle named Pepperidge Hall, situated just east of Idle Hour. The castle was lavishly furnished in the French style, intended as a gift for his wife. However, despite the grandeur of the castle, the couple’s relationship was tumultuous. Tragically, on January 2, 1898, the wife reported to the police that she had discovered Robert shot to death in his Manhattan apartment. His death was officially ruled as a suicide, and in the aftermath, his wife relocated to Paris. Despite its once glorious past, Pepperidge Hall eventually fell into disrepair and was demolished in 1941, after having been featured in silent movies from 1916 to 1920.

Indian Neck Hall

In 1897, Frederick Gilbert Bourne, who initially owned 438 acres (1.77 km2) of land but later expanded his holdings to reach West Sayville, completed the construction of his mansion, Indian Neck Hall, situated on the east side of Oakdale. Bourne was actively involved in the local community, serving as the commodore of the Sayville Yacht Club, and was known for his generosity towards the local fire department. Today, the eastern portion of his estate encompasses the West Sayville County Golf Course and the Long Island Maritime Museum, while much of the middle section has been developed into residential homes. Following Bourne’s death in 1920, the mansion, located on the western end of the property, was repurposed as the site of La Salle Military Academy six years later. Operated by the Christian Brothers, a Catholic order, the academy remained in operation until 2001 when it was purchased by St. John’s University of New York, marking the end of its tenure as a military academy and transitioning it into a kindergarten-through-high-school “global learning community”.