Mystery Friday Foto #50 Solved: A Grand Long Island Estate owned by Vanderbilt Cup Driver Foxhall Keene
Did you identify this grand Long Island Estate owned by Foxhall P. Keene?
Identify;
- The estate and location- is it still standing?
'Rosemary Hall', the Foxhall P. Keene estate designed by Freeman & Hasselman c. 1902 in Old Westbury. The mansion still stands today on Mansion Dr. in Old Westbury.
- The owner
Foxhall Parker Keene (December 18, 1867 – September 25, 1941) Keene was a millionaire sportsman and Wall Street broker.
- Link the owner to the Vanderbilt Cup Races
Foxhall P. Keene was the hometown favorite of the 1905 and 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Races with his #5 (1905) and #18 (1908) Mercedes.
- Name the food dish that may have been named for him
Many food historians claim that Foxhall Keene (or his father) suggested chicken à la king to the chef at New York City's Delmonico’s Restaurant, where it was originally served as chicken à la Keene.
Comments (7)
Congrats to Steve Lucas, Tony Pucci, Andrew Cronson, and Art Kleiner for completely answering this weekend's mystery photo.
Greg O.
The mansion during Keene's time, 1902-1930's
Foxhall Keene and William Luttgen on the driveway of Rosemary Hall.
Since the origin of the car determined the entry's representation, American-born Keene and his Mercedes drove for Germany. Regardless, spectators cheered wildly when Keene and his #5 racer reached to the 1905 Mineola starting line on Jericho Turnpike.
Keene suffered an injury when he crashed his car into a telegraph pole during that year's Vanderbilt Cup Race with Keene's mechanician William Luttgen pinned under the car. Luckily neither was seriously injured.
A 1913 NYTimes article mentions that Keene had broken his collar bone four times. He had "twice been carried from the polo field for dead. He has had falls as an amateur steeplechase rider, been blown up from an automobile, nearly drowned on a sinking yacht, dragged by runaway horses and bitten by dogs". (I surely hope he had excellent medical coverage!)
He retired in 1931 and moved to Canada to live with his sister, passing away in 1941
Keene on June 13, 1914, at the Meadowbrook Polo Club for the International Polo Cup
United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division
Rosemary Hall- 1940
Following the 1929 market crash, Keene sold Rosemary Hall to William Grace Holloway, who renamed it Foxland.
From the Grace Holloway Family Album: Photos of the Old Westbury Home Built by Driver Foxhall Keene
Members of the Holloway family in front of the mansion, 1950's.
In 1969, the estate was sold to New York Institute of Technology (NYIT). Later, the estate was sold to a land developer.
Rosemary Hall- 2007
In late 1999, the house was sold again and a major renovation began. The beautiful columns were removed.
2016 as the renovation starts to wind down.
Comments
That’s “Rosemary Hall”, home of Vanderbilt Cup racer Foxhall P. Keene who participated in the 1905 and 1908 races but did not finish in either one. It is still standing and is currently a private residence on Mansion Drive in Old Westbury. Traditional legend has it that Delmonico’s restaurant in NYC named a new dish “Chicken a La Keene” after it was suggested to the chef by Foxhall. The menu item has evolved into “Chicken a La King”. However, according to Delmonico’s website, it was actually suggested by Foxhall’s father, James R. Keene (see attached).
The estate is called “Deepdale” located in Lake Success, the home is still standing and is located at 10 Westcliff Drive, Lake Success.
The home was built by William K. Vanderbilt II, and is the founder of the Vanderbilt Cup Race.
The “Saddle of Lamb”, which was served at his bachelor party on March 24, 1899
This is Rosemary Hall built by Foxhall Parker Keene who is credited with the creation of Chicken al a King. He was a driver in the Vanderbilt cup races. The estate’s property has been subdivided and is located at the end of mansion Drive in Old Westbury. I was involved with a renovation that took place there about 20 years ago.
This is “Rosemary Hall” on Mansion Drive in Old Westbury, built for Foxhall P. Keene who was a part of the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup Race. Chicken à la King was derived from his name.
The estate was called Harbor Hill- it was located in Roslyn/East Hills NY overlooking Hempstead Harbor.
It was torn down in 1947.
The owner was Industrialist and chairman of the Postal Telegraph and Commercial Cable company Clarence Mackay.
Mackay was friends with William K. Vanderbilt Jr., and a director of the Motor Parkway. Mackay would often attend the Vanderbilt Cup Races and entertain guests and dignitaries at his estate after the races.
The dish named after him was “Cotelettes de Volaille Clarence Mackay” a fancy chicken dish.
Rosemary Hall, yes still standing.
Old Westbury
Foxhall Parker Keene
Hometown favorite, driver of two Mercedes cars in the 1905 and 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Chicken à la king (Keene)
The estate called “Deepdale” was owned by William K. Vanderbilt II. The home is
self, still exists at 10 Westcliff Road, Lake Success, N.Y.
The estate also housed a golf course with a clubhouse, which is now owned by the Village of Lake Success. The original Deepdale golf course and clubhouse has been split, and what is presently called Deepdale is not what the village owns. Although decades later in 1954, the region began transitioning into suburbia, and the Long Island Expressway embedded itself right through the northern part of the course. After a failed attempt to reengineer the course, the club purchased the W.R Grace estate, which was located in close proximity. The current Deepdale course and club in Manhasset is the relocated Deepdale, but the Lake Success course and club will forever stand as a reminder for what once was.
The original owner, William K. Vanderbilt II was also the founder of the
Vanderbilt cup races.