Lewis Howland Brown Residence (Plandome Heights, New York)

 residence, LIGC - Long Island Gold Coast, interesting place

 Upload a photo

The Brown residence dates back to farmland which was owned in the 1800's by the Pearsall family and later William Haviland and Bloodgood Cutter. On the estate was a large farmhouse and barn dating back c. 1800 as well as a gardener's cottage which was used in the 1920's by John Dietz to hire out horses.

The estate parcels were purchased in 1924 by L. Howland Brown {finance} who was a member of the New York Stock Exchange. He expanded and remodeled the barn into a white, pillared Colonial mansion. He also expanded a gardener's cottage to the east and built a dock for his large yacht. Both the barn and cottage were outbuildings of the original c.1710 Pearsall Farmhouse, which stood just to the west. During the prohibition era, the barn was used to store liquor which was smuggled in on Manhasset Bay. It was outfitted with a speakeasy which was likely an underground root cellar which was accessed through a trap door. This speakeasy room still exists to this day.

The estate was sold the late 1960's where it was subdivided while still retaining the main home. Brown passed in 1976 at the age of 96.

nyheritage.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16694...
bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53412018/?terms=%22manhasset...