"Chieftains"

USA / New York / Rye Brook /
 residence, estate (manor / mansion land)
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No one knows why the estate is called Chieftains. It was built from 1911 to 1914 for Alfred Whitney Church, heir to the Borden milk fortune. It was designed by Augustus D. Shephard Jr., a New York City architect, on about 200 acres. The estate then was home to three generations of the Gimbels department store family from 1925 to 1982. Developer Peter Seaman bought Chieftains from the Gimbel family for a reported $11 million in 1983. Although the developer obtained site plan and conservation approvals for a subdivision he was unable to raise the money for construction.

He went bankrupt, and later died. The Gimbel estate languished in foreclosure and neglect until 1995 when the Fareris brothers bought it for "half of what the former developer paid," said Michael Fareri. Twenty three new homes were built on the original 200-acres.
www.historicaerials.com/?poi=13188
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Coordinates:   41°3'25"N   73°41'14"W
This article was last modified 7 years ago