| Disclaimer: longer post because this has been my favorite so far! Kevin Jonas was married here, Taylor Swift's "Blank Space" music video was filmed here, and several movie (eg. What Happens In Vegas) and television (eg. Royal Pains) scenes were set here. Any by here, I'm referring to the fairy tale Oheka Castle on the North Shore of Long Island in Huntington. |
Oheka castle was built in 1919 by financier Otto Herman Kahn, hence the nickname 'Oheka'. He didn't start building it right away though. Otto and his wife Addie's primary home was in NYC, and at any point they owned up to six properties. However, Otto desired a home that was on a hill and overlooked water. Although LI is very flat, Otto devised a way to get both of his wishes. So he purchased a 443 acre parcel of land for $1 million. He didn't begin construction on a house until 1917, after he had funded extension of the Long Island Railroad to Cold Spring Harbor. Once the railroad was complete, he brought in loads and loads of dirt to build the hill he desired (now it is the second highest point on LI). In 1919, the 109,000 square foot mansion was complete, with a cost of $11 million. The property also included a private airstrip, golf course, horse racetrack, and dairy creamery. Because Otto's first home was destroyed by a fire, this new property was constructed entirely with stone and brick. Any floors or walls that had a wood appearance were not actually wood. The exterior walls are all 2-3 FEET thick. |