The Great Gatsby is a novel - and subsequent set of films - that has stood the test of time, capturing the essence of the Gilded Age in America.
Its descriptions of decadence, class, and power relations in the high society sects of the Gold Coast on Long Island, New York, during the Roaring Twenties paint a vivid picture of an area filled with the magnificent Gilded Age mansions of the Gold Coast area - inspiring artists, writers, and socialites alike.
____
Why California's Most Opulent Mansion Was Saved From Demolition: Hearst Castle: • Why California's Most ...
____
Claridge's Hotel: Where London Royalty and Hollywood Glamour Meet: • Claridge's Hotel: Wher...
____
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Introduction
0:48 #5 Beacon Towers At Sands Point, New York
4:25 #4 Lands End At Sands Point, New York
7:15 #3 Pembroke, Glen Cove, New York
9:48 #2 Harbor Hill, Roslyn
13:33 #1 Oheka Castle
____
In the midst of a time of eye-watering wealth and opulence Long Island’s Gold Coast, one house stood out - a house that was said to have inspired the creation of the iconic mansion of Jay Gatsby.
According to F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gatsby’s sprawling abode looked like:
“A factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy - with a tower on one side - spanking new under a thin bead of raw ivy, and marble swimming pool and more than forty acres of land.”
Indeed, as we can see - in addition to the word “tower” literally being in this palatial estates’ name - its spires overlooking the water would be an excellent living representation of Fitzgerald’s vision for Gatsby’s mansion.
Regarding its creation, Beacon Towers was the brainchild of Alva Vanderbilt Belmont - a woman who was known for her insatiable appetite for building.
Alva was a true build-aholic - commissioning architectural marvels left, right, and center.
From her famous Vanderbilt chateau on Fifth Avenue to the still-standing palace in Newport, Rhode Island called Marble House, she was a woman who knew how to make a statement.
Next on our list for sumptuous residences that inspired The Great Gatsby is an iconic Gold Coast mansion that stood for over a century.
It is most often cited as the inspiration for the home of Tom and Daisy Buchanan - although its architectural provenance are shrouded in mystery and rumor to this very day.
Known colloquially as Lands End, this grand estate has been the subject of much speculation - with some attributing its construction to none other than the esteemed architect Stanford White.
And yet, such claims remain unverified - for if the mansion was indeed erected in 1911, as some suggest, it could not have been the work of White, who had long since passed on by that point.
But even if we set aside such uncertainties, what do we make of this mansion?
Certainly, it possesses classic grandeur, with its white facade and imposing columns - features common to many mansions of its ilk.
Furthermore, Land’s End mansion was one of the last Gilded Age jewels of the Gold Coast and was a sailing landmark that rose above its surroundings with grandeur and grace.
If you take a look at maps of the immediate area, you’ll also notice that in the book, both the Buchanan mansion and Gatsby’s house are situated on the same side of the harbor - and they’re even within walking distance of each other along the beach.
On the other side of the water from Beacon Towers - or as we now can think of it, “Gatsby’s Mansion” - stood a home so grand, so spectacular, that it defies easy description.
This was Pembroke - a sprawling estate situated in Glen Cove, built by the illustrious Captain De Lamar before being purchased by Marcus Loew - the famed movie theater magnate.
It was at Pembroke that Fitzgerald likely attended some of the most raucous and extravagant parties of the roaring twenties, where the glitterati of silent cinema - including legends like Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino - would come to see and be seen.
One can only imagine the inspiration that Fitzgerald drew from these revelries - which served as the basis for many of the parties depicted in his novel.
And let us not forget the dock - a long, slender stretch of wood jutting out into the water, culminating in a light that shone like a beacon in the darkness. I’m sure many of us remember the key part the dock even in the recent 2013 adaptation.
It must have been a sight to behold, visible even from the windows of Gatsby’s own mansion.
Built for Clarence Hungerford Mackay and his wife Kitty Duer, this mansion overlooked Hempstead Harbor on Long Island’s legendary Gold Coast.
With some eighty thousand square feet of living space, this mansion ranks as the eigth largest historic house in the entire United States - a testament to the boundless wealth and ambition of its owners.
Yet this mansion was more than just a symbol of extravagance - it is likely a key inspiration for The Great Gatsby as well.