"Sunninghill" (Old Brookville, New York)

USA / New York / Old Brookville / Old Brookville, New York
 residence, Tudor (architecture), LIGC - Long Island Gold Coast
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Estate home designed c. 1928 in the English Country [Tudor] style by Roger H. Bullard of the firm of Goodwin, Bullard & Woolsey on originally 15 acres of land for L. Martin Richmond {financier}. Richmond had served as partner of Moore & Schley, Proctor & Borden, Blake Brothers & Co. and Richmond & Myles stock brokerage firms. He also served as a governor of the New York Stock Exchange and a trustee of Manhattan Savings Bank. He commissioned formal gardens which were jointly-designed by Ellen Biddle Shipman and Innocenti & Webel. A gatehouse was also built along Cedar Swamp Road.

The estate was later owned by Edgar Frederick Luckenbach Jr {shipping}. Luckenbach served as president and chairman of the board at Luckenbach Steamship Company.

It has undergone renovations in recent years that removed all semblance of historic character. It is a frightening sight!
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Shore_(Long_Island)
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   40°49'52"N   73°35'55"W

Comments

  • I drove up to the Luckenbach house today and whats being done to it is one of the most frightening alterations to a house that I think Ive EVER seen!! It was almost beyond all understanding... the interior and exterior are being obliterated by architectural alterations of a style and quality that are nothing short of cultural vandalism. Today was the first time I ever saw or heard of this amazing little estate and its ( IT WAS) truly a fine colonial Revival gem! Something is gravely wrong at the Village of Brookville if this kind of desecration can go on in todays climate of historic preservation. Thank you for all your Wikimapia notations they are a fantastic treat for an country house scholar.
  • What a shame. You would be surprised how this is going on all over! If you have the protection of a long drive with trees you can get away with alot.
  • WRONG....this is not Sunnighill....Sunnighill is futher north on Cedar Swap road
  • LONG ISLAND COUNTRY HOUSES AND THEIR ARCHITECTS, page 92. The house is by Roger H. Bullard, c. 1928, is called " Sunninghill" and was built for Martin Richmond.
  • the gates that lead to Ca Va (according to SPLIA book) say sunninghill what's the confusion about?
  • Sunninghill is at 873 Cedar Swamp
  • Both places have the Sunninghill name. After Ca Va owner Carroll Alker died in 1946 Herbert Dillion purchased property and renamed place Sunninghill.
  • Sunninghill was never owned by a Luckenbach. In its entire history, it was owned by Carroll Alker, Herbert Dillon, Lawrence Lever, Jim Hill, Don Carter and Prince Jefri. I ought to know.
  • The house I knew as Sunninghill as a child is now apparently called Ca Va. It is at 873 Cedar Swamp Road. My grandfather, Herbert L. Dillon, bought two parcels of land from Mrs. Louis J. de Milhau in 1929, which he added to the "recently purchased ... former Carroll B. Aker country estate, which adjoins the de Milhau estate on the westerly side." (NYT, 4/1/1929). The Dillon family lived there from 1929 - 1968, when he died. I think the estate was sold to someone named Levin by my grandmother at that time.
  • To DRA: The house was originally known as Ca Va when it was built buy Alker. Your grandfather renamed it Sunninghill. Your grandmother sold it to Lawrence Lever, a very successful and prominent Long Island real estate investor who was murdered in the house in 1977. The murder was featured on America's Most Wanted in 1991. The Lever estate then sold it to Dr. Jim Hill, the owner of Seattle Slew who owned it until 1987 when it was sold to Don Carter, who embarked on a three year major renovation including the building of four addition outbuildings and new plantings. It was sold by Carter in 1998 to Prince Jefri, the brother of the Sultan of Brunei. The house has been empty for about 12 years, save for a caretaker. With 28 acres, there is only one real Sunninghill, and its at 873 Cedar Swamp Road in Old Brookville.
  • My Great Grandfather was Martin RIchmond, the article above is correct with Sir Sam Salvage and sister Katherine next door. Three Salvage sisters and four RIchmond sisters and one Richmond brother all quite close cousins.
  • When my family lived there it was known as "Alewood" I am so saddened to see what has happened and that is just from the air. Edgar Luckenbach III
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This article was last modified 4 years ago