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Community Corner

No. 66: Oheka Castle

This French chateau built almost 100 years ago by banker and philanthropist Otto Hermann Kahn has a rich history and remains, to this day, the second-largest private residence ever built in America.

When Otto Hermann Kahn purchased 443 acres in Cold Spring Harbor in 1914 to build his family retreat, he not only created a train station to bring workers onsite, but also had them construct a hill where his 109,000-square-foot residence would eventually sit. Completed in 1919, Kahn called it Oheka Castle, an acronym for the beginning letters of his first, middle and last names.

This “Gold Coast” estate changed hands several times after Kahn’s death in 1934. In the early 1940’s, it was used as a retirement home for the sanitation workers of New York City and renamed “Sanita.” From 1948-1979 it was the home of Eastern Military Academy. After the school went bankrupt, the rich history of the castle was in danger of coming to an end. Oheka fell into disrepair and was a target of vandals who set over 100 fires. Thankfully, Kahn had the foresight to build the structure out of fireproof steel and concrete instead of wood.

In 1984, developer Gary Melius purchased the estate and has been painstakingly restoring the castle ever since. His mission has been to combine historic preservation and stewardship with an aim to create what Oheka tour docent Laura Bartholomew calls a “working castle.”

Although the restorations continue, Melius’ hard work has paid off and Oheka is as stunning as ever. Despite its history, Bartholomew stresses “the castle is not a museum.” An historic hotel with 32 luxury guestrooms and suites, Oheka also hosts society weddings, celebrations and many events open to the public. From the first wedding of Kahn’s daughter in 1920 to last year’s Jonas brother’s affair, Oheka has become such a hot nuptial site that We TV named it the No. 1 wedding destination in the country.

Even if you’ve never seen or heard of Oheka, you may be more familiar with the castle than you think, owing to its supporting roles in TV and film. From its earliest stand-in as Citizen Kane’s Xanadu to myriad photo shoots and the hit series “Royal Pains," Oheka is a small piece of Hollywood right here in Huntington with a guest list that includes Charlie Chaplin, Bill Clinton, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher. Perhaps its most famous resident was Kahn himself, whose visage was the inspiration behind the ubiquitous ‘Monopoly Man'.

Oheka Castle is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, and it would be easy to sit back and enjoy this distinction, but Melius has no inclination to do so. Bartholomew explains, “Oheka has been an economic boon for the area, and Melius has a vision for the future.” Estimating he’s only 70 percent done with the restoration, work on a restaurant and spa are underway.

Re-imagining this historic estate is also a family affair. According to Melius’ daughter, Nancy, only 400-500 original “Gold Coast” estates remain. Ms. Melius is spearheading an effort called “Historic Long Island” to bring Oheka together with other Gold Coast mansions and historic sites with a vision toward improving tourism and preserving the wonderful architecture, gardens and history Long Island has to offer.

Oheka Castle is open to the public for guided tours by appointment. Visitors can arrange an appointment, or make an overnight reservation at the luxury hotel, by calling 631-659-1400. For more information visit www.oheka.com.

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