Vanderbilt Cup Races

That’s Willie K.‘s Centerport mansion “Eagle’s Nest” with its 10 hole private golf course. A full round of 18 holes was Par-60 requiring several holes to be played more than once. In addition to the main house, we can see the boat house, hall of fishes, carriage house, and tennis court but not the seaplane hangar which wasn’t completed until 1935. Therefore, I think I’ll guess the date to be around 1933.

From Mystery Friday Foto #38 Solved: A Fairchild Aerial of Willie K's Private Eagle's Nest Golf Course

A secret weapon….Removable wheels ended up being the reason why many won in 1906. Amazing to think technology was there for electric cars and other advanced items, but not an inflated spare tire.
While it initially helped, it could have hindered as well. during the 1906 Vanderbilt Elimination trials, Hubert LeBlon experienced more time lost due to the removable rim. When he had a puncture, he found himself at the Old Westbury tire station with a tire crew unfamiliar with the removable rim. After 5 minutes, he ended up changing the tire himself.

From The 1906 French Grand Prix-The Forerunner of the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Verrrry interesting!  Making the assumption we’re looking north puts it on the Sound.  First shot was the Creek Club in Lattingtown; nope.  Next, Sands Point Golf Club; N.G.  On Peconic - Sebonac?  No.  Not on Great South Bay.  Hmm.  Love it!  Sam, III

From Mystery Friday Foto #38 Solved: A Fairchild Aerial of Willie K's Private Eagle's Nest Golf Course

It is Willie K’s Centerport estate Eagle’s Nest.

The first tee was on the roof of his Hall of Fishes, in the lower left of the close up.  The main house is in the center, with the bridge that brought cars to the main entrance.

The Boat House and pier, at the top of the photo, is where he docked his yachts, the last being the Alva.

From Mystery Friday Foto #38 Solved: A Fairchild Aerial of Willie K's Private Eagle's Nest Golf Course

It is Willie K’ s Centerport estate Eagle’s Nest.

His Hall of Fishes, at the lower left of the first closeup, displayed his marine collections.  It’s roof was the tee for the first hole of the golf course.

The mansion itself is the building in the fourth closeup, while the fifth closeup is the Boathouse and the pier where he docked his yacht Alva.

I believe the photo is prior to the 1935 Memorial Wing addition.

From Mystery Friday Foto #38 Solved: A Fairchild Aerial of Willie K's Private Eagle's Nest Golf Course

It is Willie K’ s Centerport estate Eagle’s Nest.

His Hall of Fishes, at the lower left of the first closeup, displayed his marine collections.  It’s roof was the tee for the first hole of the golf course.

The mansion itself is the building in the fourth closeup, while the fifth closeup is the Boathouse and the pier where he docked his yacht Alva.

From Mystery Friday Foto #38 Solved: A Fairchild Aerial of Willie K's Private Eagle's Nest Golf Course

Currently the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum

180 Little Neck Road,
Centerport, New York 11721

Willie K. Vanderbilt’s original estate golf course

Eagle’s Nest

I would guess 1948 is the aerial.

From Mystery Friday Foto #38 Solved: A Fairchild Aerial of Willie K's Private Eagle's Nest Golf Course

With respect, but isn’t the blue line the present multi-lane Route 110; whereas, the old Route 110 starts near the Church in the Wildwood and then winds itself to finally come out near the junction of the new 110 and PineLawn Rd… or has age finally failed to catch up with memory (new 110 being the same as the former Cross-Island Trolley line)?

caught up ?whioch nows runs to Mr McCarthy…

From A 1946 View of the Broad Hollow Motor Parkway/Trolley Bridge in Melville

Location Centerport Long Island.
Golf course private course at Vanderbilt Estate
Buildings bottom left Mueseum of Vanderbilts world cruising.
Bridge which leads to the main gate tower to court yard
Large building the Eagles nest Vanderbilt Estate
Pier and dock for the Alva yacht
Semi circle of Roman coulums where I was photographed in my MGTF at a car show
Photo most likely in the 30s or 40s

From Mystery Friday Foto #38 Solved: A Fairchild Aerial of Willie K's Private Eagle's Nest Golf Course

That would be the par 27, 9 hole private golf course on Willie K’s estate, Eagle’s Nest in Centerport, NY.  Willie and freinds would tee off from the roof of the building in the foreground, looking at Long Island Sound.  In 1999, Suffolk County restored the golf course as a public course (I don’t believe its still around however). 

Major buildings are the main house, boathouse, chauffer’s quarters and the Hall of Fishes. 

Circa 1940s. 

First pic is from “North Shore Country Homes”, other two are The New York Times of Oct. 24, 1999.

From Mystery Friday Foto #38 Solved: A Fairchild Aerial of Willie K's Private Eagle's Nest Golf Course

This is Vanderbilt’s private golf course at his Residence in Centerport Long Island overlooking Northport Harbor (Eagle Nest)

From Mystery Friday Foto #38 Solved: A Fairchild Aerial of Willie K's Private Eagle's Nest Golf Course

1929 architect’s drawing of the proposed factory/hanger of the American Aeronautical Corporation’s facility on Manhasset Isle and two of its seaplanes - the S-56 and S-62.  From Air Transportation, June 22, 1929.

From Updated: Historic Seaplane Milestones at Manhasset Bay

Eagles Nest. Summer residence of William k Vanderbilt in Centerport NY
(See photo)
1) salt water pool (now filled in)
2) golf course
3) marine museum and 1st hole tee from the roof
4) carriage house / garage
5) mansion
6) boat house
7) corithian columns
8) power house
9) rose garden and tennis courts
10) seaplane hanger

Photo taken in 1947

From Mystery Friday Foto #38 Solved: A Fairchild Aerial of Willie K's Private Eagle's Nest Golf Course

Here’s the same location viewing south, Frank. Definitely the same pole line row.

From A 1946 View of the Broad Hollow Motor Parkway/Trolley Bridge in Melville

Just realized this photo was used previously in May 2017. Our guess on the year then, 1930

https://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/mystery_friday_foto_19_a_famous_long_island_estate

From Mystery Friday Foto #38 Solved: A Fairchild Aerial of Willie K's Private Eagle's Nest Golf Course

The history has been updated with a film of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt christening the Yankee Clipper and the Dixie Clipper’s first transatlantic passenger flight landing in Marseilles, France.

From Updated: Historic Seaplane Milestones at Manhasset Bay

The blue line in above photo is the center of former Highway from Melville to Amityville (Old Rt 110). The yellow line is the former Broad Hollow bridge. Could the current telegraph pole standing on the west side, be the same location as shown in 1945, and also in 1938? Their locations are very close.

From A 1946 View of the Broad Hollow Motor Parkway/Trolley Bridge in Melville

Amazing how this LIMP area on Rt 110 has changed over the years; first with the bridge’s removal, then with consequent road expansion. The bridge photo is unrecognizable today

From A 1946 View of the Broad Hollow Motor Parkway/Trolley Bridge in Melville

Sorry Art, no relation that I know of (unless very distant), but he definitely was a very interesting aviator with Long Island connections as his wife came from Garden City.  He truly proved the old adage that a landing you could walk away from was a good landing, having crashed numerous times!

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 4 - Buffalo, NY Wants the 1907 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Agreed!  However for purposes of sorting through lots of information for a particular topic you can’t beat the search and find functions.  But by relying on that only there’s so much that one would miss on other interesting finds.  Even when I use the search functions I usually scan the entire on-line document to pick out bits of useful information.  I’ve find many of the items I post on the blog that way.

Also, about your comment regarding LI being the “real” home of the Cup Races, I’ll be having an upcoming post about the 1907 race again being proposed on LI even after it was announced it wouldn’t.  And another post about offers to host the 1908 race off of LI. 

By the way, I’ve been coming across a name associated with aviation on LI in the early 1900s named Lee Hammond.  Any relation?

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 4 - Buffalo, NY Wants the 1907 Vanderbilt Cup Race