"Oliver's Point"/"Ventura Point" (Centre Island, New York)

 residence, LIGC - Long Island Gold Coast

In 1912 the architect Herbert R. Brewster designed a large shingle style house for Herbert Ludlam Smith constructed on 17 and 1/2 acres purchased from Mrs. John (Mary) Underhill, great-great-granddaughter of Thomas Smith, the earliest Smith settler on Centre Island. Herbert Smith was himself a great-great-great-grandson of Thomas Smith.

Herbert Smith sold Oliver's Point to William F. Carey a self-made millionaire who started work as a young man on the Panama Canal and rose to the post of general superintendant of all steam shovel work in the Culebra pit. Carey became a very successful international railroad and public works construction contractor and was at one time the President of Madison Square Garden.

The Carey's sold Oliver's Point to George Fisher Baker Jr. Baker was the grandson of George Fisher Baker the "Dean of Wall Street" a founder of the First National City Bank. The Bakers renamed the home Ventura Point, after a favorite boat of Baker's, "Ventura". Walker & Gillette were hired to accomplish renovations to the house at which time its size was reduced and the large bays were removed.

In the 1990's the largest portion of the house was torn down, the property subdivided, and a new Norman style home designed by Oliver Cope constructed incorporating portions of the older foundations.