Oheka Castle History: From Humble Beginnings to Grandeur

Built in 1919, Oheka Castle was a labor of love for its original owner, Edward Franklyn Davison. It took over a year to complete.

The castle's design was inspired by European chateaux, with a mix of French and Italian architectural styles. This unique blend gave Oheka Castle its distinct charm.

The castle's construction was a massive undertaking, requiring over 300 workers to complete. Their hard work paid off, creating a stunning estate that would become a beloved landmark.

Oheka Castle's grandeur was not just about its architecture, but also its opulent interior design. The castle featured lavish furnishings, intricate moldings, and ornate details that reflected the wealth and status of its owner.

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Oheka Castle was built in just two years, a remarkable feat considering the complexity of the project. The construction of the castle involved building a large hill on which the castle would stand, making it the highest point on Long Island at the time.

This hill was a crucial part of the castle's construction, and it added to the grandeur of the estate.

Oheka Castle is the second-largest private residence in America, after the Biltmore estate in North Carolina built by George Vanderbilt.

The castle boasts an impressive 127 rooms, including a ballroom, a formal dining room, and a greenhouse.

Standing in the middle of its 443 acres, Oheka Castle offers an elegant French garden that opens into a forest of Linden trees.

The grounds cover 109,000 square feet of land, making it a sprawling estate that's hard to miss.

You can tour the grounds for $30 as an adult and $10 as a child, giving you a glimpse into the grandeur of this private residence.

Take a look at this: Visit Oheka Castle

When Kahn commissioned OHEKA, it was the highest point on Long Island. This was made possible by building a large hill on which the castle would stand during its two-year construction period.

The construction team's efforts paid off, and OHEKA Castle became the highest point on Long Island. However, this title no longer holds.

The current highest point on Long Island is Jayne's Hill, which stands between 387 feet and 400.9 feet above sea level.

The Roaring Twenties was a time of great extravagance and excess, and Oheka Castle was right at the center of it all. With 39 working fireplaces and 129 full-time employees, the castle's parties were the epitome of wealth and status.

Women dressed in embellished headbands and flapping dresses would ascend the Grand Staircase in the Entry Foyer, a grandiose structure inspired by the Chateau de Fountainebleau in France.

The Grand Staircase was a sight to behold, with royalty, heads of state, and Hollywood celebrities often walking its steps. This was the height of luxury and sophistication, where the who's who of society would gather to see and be seen.

These parties were the stuff of legend, with guests dressed to the nines and the castle's opulence on full display.

After Kahn's passing in 1934, the estate was sold and used for various purposes, including a retreat for sanitation workers from New York City.

The estate changed hands again in 1948, when the Eastern Military Academy bought the castle and 23 acres of land.

The academy removed the gardens and divided the large rooms, transforming the castle into a functional school building.

The academy used the castle until it closed in 1979, marking the end of a 31-year chapter in the castle's history.

For the next four years, the building stood empty, but it proved to be a resilient structure, surviving over 100 attempts to set it on fire.