"Beachfield" (Centre Island, New York) | estate (manor / mansion land), LIGC - Long Island Gold Coast

 residence, estate (manor / mansion land), LIGC - Long Island Gold Coast

Estate home designed c. 1900 in the Spanish Renaissance style by and for J. Clinton Mackenzie {architect} on land purchased in 1908 from Jacob Smith and George M. Fletcher. Mackenzie was a major architect of Long Island country homes including "The Point", "Fort Hill", and "Ontare"

The Spanish stucco and green tile roofed villa survives with minimal alterations. The outbuildings included a water tower, and 2 1/2 story poultry house built in 1916. Renovations to the home have eliminated many of the "Spanish" features. The scalloped gable end walls no longer protrude above the roofline and the rounded windows have been modified to a more subtle arched top.

Townsend sold Beachfield to Joseph S. Stein head of the perfume house Lucein Lelong in 1941. Stein sold the property to George D. Besler who with his brother William J. built and flew the first steam powered airplane in 1933. Besler was a son of Board Chairman George William Besler of Central Railroad of New Jersey.

Besler sold the estate to Henry Dewez a banker and international financier whose interests included nickel and phosphates, who then sold to Leon C. Fabre Chairman of the French shipping line Chargeurs Réunis. Fabre sold to Mr. & Mrs. Frederick (Mabel E.) Pape son of Henry Pape a wholesale foods distributor in June of 1950.

The Papes sold the estate to Count Christian De Dampierre. The Countess De Dampierre was Lubov Rostova, a dancer with the Ballets Russes companies of the 1930's. As a member of Col. W. de Basil's Ballets Russes, Ms. Rostova achieved critical acclaim in 1932 when, at 16, she danced the mysterious Hand of Fate pas de deux with Valentin Froman in the premiere of ''Cotillon,'' one of George Balanchine's major early works. The Countess was a local fixture on the harbor, rarely missing a day out waterskiing.

Upon the Countess De Dampiere's death "Beachfield" was sold to the current owners.

www.oldlongisland.com/2011/11/j-clinton-mackenzie-estat...
Photos - tinyurl.com/3jmx739