'Wolver Hollow' Original Estate Lands (Upper Brookville, New York)

 LIGC - Long Island Gold Coast, historical layer / disappeared object

Wolver Hollow was built c. 1914 on 160 acres in Upper Brookville to a design by Hoppin & Koen for C. Oliver Iselin and his wife Hope Goddard Iselin. Subsequent alterations to Wolver Hollow were carried out to designs by Warren & Wetmore and Mrs. Iselin made further alterations in 1941 based on designs by Harrie T. Lindeberg.

During the Iselin's ownership, the Olmsted Brothers, Beatrix Farrand and Ellen Biddle Shipman were all major contributor's to Wolver Hollow's landscape design.

The Iselin fortune was begun in the first quarter of the 19th century by Isaac Iselin, a Swiss emigree, who founded the family business in the China Trade and New York real estate. The next generation of Iselins expanded the empire to Iron and Coal mining, firmly positioning the family as one of the country's wealthiest by the start of the 20th century. C. Oliver Iselin, an heir to the family fortune, was married in 1894 to Hope Goddard, heiress to the Rhode Island Goddard, Brown and Ives fortunes founded on land grants in the 18th century and later diversified into holdings whose value was estimated at over $30 million in the 1890's.

Mr. and Mrs. Iselin owned 4 yachts that competed in the America's Cup, and C. Oliver Iselin was made a member of the Americas Cup hall of fame. Hope Goddard Iselin, was the first woman to sail in an America's Cup race.

At the time Upper Brookville was incorporated as a village in 1932 eight of the land owners in the yet to be formed village proposed the name "Lower Brookville". When Hope Goddard Iselin,heard the name Lower Brookville proposed, she is said to have haughtily replied: "I refuse to live in lower anything. If you must call it something, and I suppose you must, call it Upper Brookville." In 1970 Mrs. Iselin died at the age of 102. The estate has since been subdivided with the original home remaining on just under 8 acres.
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