The back facade of Old Westbury Gardens. The gardens at this Gold Coast estate are amazing!
John and I are crazy, insane, over the moon, nutty for Old Westbury Gardens.
If you live in the Tristate region and have not visited this amazing, historic home and gardens in Old Westbury, Long Island, it’s time to make a trip. Actually, you probably HAVE visited the glorious brick-clad estate if you have seen films such as North by Northwest (Cary Grant is forced to drink a bottle of bourbon here at the “home” of Mr. Townsend. Jason’s favorite quote from this flick is, “Not Lara’s Mercedes!” Fabulous!), Love Story, and Cruel Intentions with the hot Reese Witherspoon and even hotter Ryan Phillippe.
The 18th-century gates to Old Westbury that were shipped from England to Long Island.
And the estate has been featured prominently in ad campaigns for everyone from Asprey to Ralph Lauren. When I was the Editor in Chief of Gotham magazine, we used to shoot fashion stories at the property all the time. Gold Coast glamour, all within an hour of Manhattan!
A duo of sphinxes hold court in the gardens at Old Westbury. I adore a good vintage sphinx. So chic and quasi-Egyptian!
Completed in 1906 for John Shaffer Phipps and his British-born bride Margarita, this sprawling, 160-acre property eventually fell out of private ownership and opened to the public in 1959. The rooms are amazing (I am crazy for the John Singer Sargent portrait of “Mrs. Henry Phipps and Her Grandson Winston” hanging in the dining room. By the by, Winston would marry this week’s Demystifying Design heroine C.Z. Guest!) and the gardens are glorious, especially the walled garden. Gorgeous!
Viva C.Z. Guest! Long live C.Z. Gone, but not forgotten!
Inside the gorgeous walled garden at Old Westbury. I want to move in here. So glorious.
Plan to spend a half day at this Gilded Age estate and give generously if you can. The home needed a new roof, last I heard. And that’s a several million-dollar capital improvement. There aren’t many estates like this left on Long Island, so appreciate its glory and historic merits.
The property is out of this world.
Tags: c.z. guest, garden, long island, old westbury, old westbury gardens
John and Jason, Thanks for the description of Old Westbury Gardens. I have a few tidbits/updates for you. The property has totaled 200 acres for a few years. We were able to acquire the land next door, formerly owned by our founder, Peggie Phipps Boegner, who died in 2006 (just a few weeks prior to her 100th birthday). For North by Northwest, exterior scenes only were shot here. The interior was at a studio. (As were the Mt. Rushmore shots, interestingly). Our roof is fine. We were able to find a retired quarrier/slater in England who had a supply of Collywestton limestone slate. The wild flowers and early spring flowers are already here. We’re going to be open on weekends starting April 2, and daily (except Tuesday) starting April 25. We hope you and your readers will visit us soon.
Regards,
Vince Kish
Director of Communications
Old Westbury Gardens
Who owns Westbury Gardens?
The city of Old Westbury, it seems.
Old Westbury Gardens is a non-profit charity. Thre is no goverment involvement, at any level.