"The Chimneys" (Sands Point, New York)

USA / New York / Sands Point / Sands Point, New York
 residence, Tudor (architecture), LIGC - Long Island Gold Coast, historic remains
Estate home designed c. 1929 in the Tudor style on originally 45 acres of land by Edgar Irving Williams for Bettie Fleischmann Holmes who was a daughter of Charles L. Fleischmann, founder of the food/yeast products company that bore their name. Her husband, Dr. Christian Holmes, founded the Cincinnati General Hospital.

Every major room in the three-story mansion had a fireplace, and the home featured the unheard of technologies of central air conditioning, central vacuum systems and built-in fire hoses. The home featured numerous carvings moved from overseas; the main stair was a repurposed boat mast. Daily operation required a staff of 40-60. Bettie's brother Julius Fleischmann lived nearby at "The Lindens", which he built in 1910. Her other brother Max and cousin Raoul Fleischmann also had summer homes for a short period of time in Sands Point; Raoul also lived in Manhasset at "The Willows" in Plandome Manor. Fleischmann’s third great-granddaughter, Elizabeth Holmes, was the founder of Theranos which declared bankruptcy in 2018 after being found fraudulent.

In 1955, estate became The Community Synagogue, which was recently greatly expanded. The garage/stable on the southeastern part of the property is now a private home. More recently, a major addition was added to the backside which appears to somewhat match the original.

www.oldlongisland.com/2014/09/the-chimneys.html
www.oldlongisland.com/2013/01/the-chimneys.html
archive.org/details/prhp-00000356-if-0010037-05970-0000...
hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015007549739?urlappend=%3Bseq...
archive.org/details/discoveringsands0000kent/page/109/m...
archive.org/details/mansionsoflongis00rand/page/72/mode...
books.google.com/books?id=er88eh9jA0wC&lpg=PA49&...
dp.la/item/be8212e623de89b2ce2911a76fa2d63d?q=%22sands%...
findingaids.library.columbia.edu/ead/nnc-a/ldpd_1213601...
asia.si.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/09//Holmes-Mrs.-Chr...
digitalcollections.smu.edu/digital/collection/ryr/id/23...
www.scribd.com/read/262121031/The-Fleischmann-Yeast-Fam...
library.metmuseum.org/record=b1389357~S1
primo.getty.edu/permalink/f/19q6gmb/GETTY_ALMA211367162...
primo.getty.edu/permalink/f/19q6gmb/GETTY_ALMA211290142...
primo.getty.edu/permalink/f/19q6gmb/GETTY_ALMA211289300...
www.aaa.si.edu/collections/jacques-seligmann--co-record...
Photos - tinyurl.com/2bet5dn
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_Coast_Mansions
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   40°51'22"N   73°42'31"W

Comments

  • Dr. Christian Holmes died on January 9th 1920, and it is unlikely that the home was built for both Christian and Bettie Holmes. It is likely that the Holmes did live elsewhere and may have visited her brother Max Fleischmann, and that other relatives lived in the area.
  • We visited this home in early February 2007. It is a Jewish synagogue, attached to the left side of the house, and there is considerable construction behind the house. Thus, the picture here is not up to date.
  • Christian,Sr. and Bettie Holmes married in 1892 and lived in Cincinnati where Dr. Holmes and the Fleischmann family were instrumental in founding University of Cincinnati Hospitals and Medical School. Dr. Holmes died of cancer in 1920. In 1929 Bettie completed The Chimneys and moved permanently from the Fleischmann homestead built by her parents in Cincinnati to Long Island where her brothers and cousin had homes and the second original yeast factory (the first was in Cincinnati) was located nearby. (Source: 'The Fleischmann Yeast Family' By P. Christiaan Klieger)
  • I visited the house in the 70's. My father worked on the telephone wiring in the house when it was being rennovated. There were several others who worked on it before him, particularly in the basement. But they refused to stay there alone. They all said they had an overwhelming feeling someone was watching them. The one thing I remembered the most was the bowling alley in the basement.
  • Yes that is correct. LOL. P Christiaan Klieger
This article was last modified 2 years ago