By Kelli DeWalt and Maggie Biuno
The University sits on one of the most extravagant cities on the east coast. While it isn’t easy to see this grandeur by glancing at the surrounding area, when stepping outside of Hempstead, luxury is everywhere. From cars and boats to jewelry and country clubs, money is abundant. The houses, however, are truly the real treat.
To call them merely houses would be an understatement. Mansions, chateaus or even castles would be a better description. Some of the grandest homes built on the island date back to the early 1900s.
One of the most famous chateaus is the Oheka Castle, which began construction on the prestigious Gold Coast in 1914 by William Adams Delano and Chester Holmes Aldrich. Its name is derived from the initials of its owner, financier and philanthropist, Otto Herman Kahn.
Situating itself on 443 acres and containing 126 rooms, the Oheka defines extravagance. It sits atop the highest point on the Gold Coast in Cold Spring Hills, on a specially crafted man-made hill. It still holds the honor of the being the second largest estate in America.
Kahn was nicknamed the King of New York by Will Rogers, author and fellow philanthropist, for his vast love of the city. He demonstrated his love by using bricks from old cobblestone streets in New York to pave his courtyard.
The Oheka Castle’s reputation became so great that director Orson Welles actually modeled Xanadu, the home of Charles Foster in the movie “Citizen Kane,” after the castle. Sadly, the beautiful home, which once had frequent visits from celebrities, suffered when Kahn passed away just 20 years after building began.
A transitional period took place where the castle was used in many different. In 1939, the castle was a place for the New York City Sanitation Department members to spend vacations. With 15,000 members visiting the estate, which was nicknamed “Sanita,” the locals were not thrilled and threatened to shut down the resort.
From that point on, the Oheka Castle became inhabited by Merchant Marines and the Eastern Military Academy, who used the space for training.
These schools were responsible for the horrible destruction that began to occur around the estate. After transforming parts of the house and virtually destroying its elegance, the school went bankrupt and in 1978, the castle became an empty home that soon became swarmed with arsonists, drug and alcohol users.
The fate of the Oheka Castle seemed gloomy until real estate developer, Gary Melius, saved the day. In 1983, the Queens native purchased the property after stumbling across it while looking for a home. With the Oheka Castle now restored to the beauty of the Kahn’s Castle, Melius still works to make his home even better.
“He started off as a dish washer,” said Kelly Melius, Gary’s daughter and the director of sales at the castle. Past his dish washing days, her father got into real estate and remains a developer, but the castle is his main concern. “It’s his baby.”
The Oheka Castle has since been made into a 26-room luxurious hotel for the lucky few who can afford it. With prices ranging from $295 to $1,650 per night, lavishness is guaranteed. It’s also a popular venue for weddings, where one can “ascend the sweeping marble staircase and celebrate in the opulent salons once graced by heads of state, stage and screen stars and members of royalty,” according to www.liweddings.com.
The Oheka Castle remains a private property, but graciously is open to visitors. Only about 20 minutes away, located on 135 West Gate Drive, in Huntington, the Oheka Castle is now accessible to all. Call ahead if you plan on arranging a visit to the castle at (631) 659-1400.
The interior of Huntington’s Oheka Castle.