George McKesson Brown Estate -- Coindre Hall
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Coindre Hall
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Location | Brown's Rd., Huntington, New York, USA |
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Coordinates | 40°53′41″N 73°26′13″W / 40.89472°N 73.43694°WCoordinates: 40°53′41″N 73°26′13″W / 40.89472°N 73.43694°W |
Area | 13 acres (5.3 ha) |
Built | 1910 |
Architect | Luce, Clarence; Schafer, J.V. |
Architectural style | Renaissance, French Chateauesque |
MPS | Huntington Town MRA |
NRHP Reference # | 85002493 |
Added to NRHP | September 26, 1985 |
Coindre Hall is a 40 room, 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) mansion in the style of a medieval French château constructed in 1912 for pharmaceutical magnate George McKesson Brown. It overlooks 34 acres (14 ha) of rolling land including a boathouse on the north shore of Long Island adjacent to Long Island Sound. Brown lost ownership of the property after the stock market crash of 1929. At the request of Bishop Monsignor Thomas Molly, the Brothers of the Sacred Heart bought this property to establish a boarding school and summer retreat. It was founded in 1939 by Brother Martinian, S.C., Provincial Superior, and was named in memory of Father André Coindre, the founder of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. The school was intended to generate funds for the formation and education of young Brothers. It operated under the supervision of the Brothers who have been active in Christian Education in the United States since 1847.
The school operated until 1971. It later reopened until the mid-1980s as "Eagle Hill School," a private coeducational boarding school for students with learning disabilities. Currently there is a gym that hosts soccer and basketball .
Since 1973 Coindre Hall Park has been administered by the Suffolk County Department of Parks, Recreation & Conservation. On September 26, 1985 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and dedicated to the Suffolk County Historic Trust. It is often used for hosting weddings.