Sands Point Preserve will be highlighted this weekend during the PBS program, “NYC-ARTS.”
The episode – scheduled to air at 7 p.m. on WLIW on Friday, 12 p.m. on Thirteen on Sunday, 3 p.m. on Sunday on WLIW, and Sunday, 8:30 p.m. on NJTV – showcases the mansions on the Guggenheim Estate. It also features interviews with Friends of The Sands Point Preserve Chairman Karli Hagedorn, Executive Director Jean-Marie Posner and Michael Butkewicz of Nassau County Parks.
The 216-acre Preserve, located in Sands Point, offers a mix of natural and landscaped areas. Diverse natural habitats for a variety of plants and animals are supported on the the Preserve, which features six miles of wooded trails and a Gold Coast beach.
The Preserve is also home to three mansions.
Castle Gould, designed to look like Ireland’s Kilkenny Castle, was completed in 1904 for Howard Gould – the son of financier and railroad tycoon Jay Gould – and Howard’s wife, actress Katherine Clemmons. But when Clemmons found Castle Gould unsuitable, her husband saw to the building of Hempstead House, a 50,000-square-foot Tudor-style mansion developed in 1912. The home was later purchased by Daniel and Florence Guggenheim.
Falaise, one of the few intact historic houses left on Long Island’s North Shore, was built for Harry F. Guggenheim and his first wife Caroline Morton in 1923. Among their guest list was Charles Lindbergh, a close friend and frequent visitor. Harry and his third wife, Alicia Patterson, summered at Falaise and founded Newsday after their marriage in 1939.
To see Falaise's collection of art and antiques, docent-led tours run May 24 through Nov. 23, Thursdays through Sundays, at 12 p.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person; children must be 12 and older. And the Hempstead House, an authentic example of Gatsby-era opulence and elegance, will feature Designer Showhouse tours of the mansion Nov. 1-30, open daily except Tuesdays.
For local listings, visit the NYC-ARTS website, where the Sands Point Preserve segment can also be viewed online. The program is hosted by Philippe de Montebello, the former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and journalist Paula Zahn.
Friends of the Sands Point Preserve is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with the mission to protect and preserve the 216-acre waterfront grounds and historic mansions and to provide a range of cultural arts events and educational programs for families and schools in the Phil Dejana Learning Center and Outdoor Classroom.
For information about the Sands Point Preserve and to purchase a 2014 Annual Pass see www.TheSandsPointPreserve.com, call 516-571-7901or visit the Gate House at 127 Middle Neck Road, Sands Point, NY, 11050, open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
