HEMPSTEAD HOUSE – Glimpse of an Elegant Past

Hempstead House, built originally by Howard Gould,

became the home of Daniel and Florence Guggenheim in 1917.

Inside the foyer of Hempstead House, one glimpse of the imposing vaulted ceiling stirs the imagination of a grand lifestyle that once existed at this Gold Coast estate. Even though the house is no longer furnished, its architecture provides a hint of an elegant time long gone.

In its heyday in the 1920s, Hempstead House revealed a taste for extravagance. In the Entry Foyer was an organ made of oak. The pipes still visible on the walls above were merely for show - the music reverberated through openings in the floors. Medieval tapestries once hung on the walls, and oriental carpets covered the floor. The sunken Palm Court once contained 150 species of rare orchids and other plants. An aviary housed exotic birds in ornate cages among the flowers. The walnut-paneled Library was copied from the palace of King James I; relief portraits of literary figures still decorate the plaster ceiling. The Billiard Room featured a gold leaf ceiling, hand-tooled leather wall coverings, and carved oak woodwork from a 17th century Spanish palace.

Even now, stone gargoyles around the ceiling peer down from above in the Summer Living Room. Other decorative features of the house during the Guggenheims’ occupancy included stained and leaded glass, red velvet draperies, Flemish tapestries, and artwork by Rembrandt, Van Dyck, and Rubens. In its prime, the estate employed 17 house servants, numerous farmers and groundskeepers, a golf pro, tennis pro, and a riding master.

After Daniel passed away, his wife turned the buildings over to the Navy for a training center. During the late 1940s, extensive changes were made to the interior. The Palm Court’s original leaded glass roof was removed, and acoustic tile and fluorescent lighting were installed to conform to Navy code.   

At present, most of the Navy’s modifications have been removed and Hempstead House is now operated by the Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums