"The Folly"/"Birchlea"/"Southerly" (Centre Island, New York)

USA / New York / Centre Island / Centre Island, New York
 residence, LIGC - Long Island Gold Coast, historical layer / disappeared object
Original Queen Anne style building designed by Stickney & Austin for George Bullock on 36 acres with frontage on both Oyster Bay and Cold Spring Harbor, burned in January 1899. A new Elizabethan style home designed by Renwick, Aspinwall & Owen was constructed in that year for the Bullocks along similar lines to the Wetmore's "Applegarth" up the road. George Bullock was the Chairman of the Erie Railways Company and the President of the International Burners Corporation. Bullock succeeded Nelson Burr to become the second Mayor of Centre Island.

"The Folly", on approximately 20 acres, was sold in 1913 for $200,000 to Albert E. Smith, the President and a founder of the Vitagraph Film Company - one of the precursors of Warner Brothers. The Bullocks retained ownership of the 14 acre portion on the western side of Centre Island Rd along with an early 19th century cottage which was eventually sold to Dr. Frederick Tilney. Smith sold the home to George Mahana, one of the founders of the Corn Products Refining Company, at the time the largest single producer of corn based sugar in the world. The Mahanas renamed the estate "Birchlea". Mahanas sold the property to Edward C. Oelsner, son of the owner of neighboring Seacroft. Walter S. Gubelmann, yachtsman, and an heir to the National Cash Register fortune, purchased the property from Oelsner in 1956. It was at this time that the stables on a 3 acre parcel were converted into a separate home. Gubelmann tore down "The Folly" in 1957 and replaced it with a neo-regency brick house designed by Palm Beach Architects Wyeth, King and Johnson.

The home was then sold to Ambassador and Mrs. Hushang Ansary in 1979, Ansary was the Iranian Ambassador to the United States from 1967 until 1969, and the Finance Minister of Iran from 1974 through 1979. The Ansarys sold the property to Arthur Altschul, noted collector of American impressionist art and son of one of the founders of General American Investors. Upon Mr. Altschul's death the property was sold and further subdivided with a 3.5 acre waterfront parcel directly south of the main house developed in 2007. In 2012 "Southerly" then on 11 acres was gutted, the central bay demolished, and a new home completely rebuilt on the site to a Georgian design.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   40°54'3"N   73°31'5"W

Comments

  • The house never belonged to Princess Ashraf Pahlavi. It was bought from the Gubelmanns by Ambassador & Mrs. Hushang & Maryam Ansary in 1979. The house was bought by the Altschuls partly because Mr. Altschul was not very mobile any more and the two-story house was equipped with an elevator.
  • I installed the 1st alarm system in the Ansary's house late 79 early 80s that was a huge house and the "boat" stern on the shore behind the built in pool was amazing we also alarmed that guest house something that I wish I could have in my back yard, it was gone last time I looked back in the late 90s demolished? Storm damage? True treasure anyone know what happened to it?
This article was last modified 6 years ago