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Oheka Castle, also known as the Otto Kahn Estate, is a hotel located on the North Shore of
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
, in
West Hills, New York West Hills is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Huntington, Suffolk County, New York. The population was 5,592 at the 2010 census. Residents share a post office with the hamlet of Huntington but much earlier in its histo ...
, also known as the "Gold Coast," a hamlet in the town of Huntington. It was the country home of investment financier and philanthropist Otto Hermann Kahn and his family. The name "Oheka" is an acronym using the first several letters of each part of its creator's name, Otto Hermann Kahn, which Kahn also used to name his yacht '' Oheka II'' and his ocean-front Villa Oheka in
Palm Beach, Florida Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida. Located on a barrier island in east-central Palm Beach County, the town is separated from several nearby cities including West Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach by the Intracoas ...
. The mansion, built by Kahn between 1914 and 1919, is the largest private home in New York, and the second largest in the United States, comprising 127 rooms and over , as originally configured. The castle is now a hotel with 32 guest rooms and suites. It is a popular wedding venue for socialites, celebrities, and dignitaries, as well as the backdrop to many photo shoots, television series and films. It also offers a bar, restaurant, and mansion tours of the estate and gardens. In 2004, Oheka was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the
National Trust for Historic Preservation The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works in the field of historic preservation in the United States. The member-supported organization was founded in 1949 by ...
.


History


Early history

Kahn built Oheka in response to Jews being forbidden entry to clubs and golf courses in
Morristown, New Jersey Morristown () is a town and the county seat of Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. ...
and because in 1905, a previous country home of Kahn's, ''Cedar Court'', was virtually destroyed by fire. He was determined to build a fireproof building, so he had his architects,
Delano and Aldrich Delano & Aldrich was an American Beaux-Arts architectural firm based in New York City. Many of its clients were among the wealthiest and most powerful families in the state. Founded in 1903, the firm operated as a partnership until 1935, when Ald ...
, design it in steel and concrete, making it one of the first totally fireproof residential buildings. Two years were spent building an artificial hill on which to place the home, giving it views of Cold Spring Hills and
Cold Spring Harbor Cold Spring Harbor is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Huntington, in Suffolk County, on the North Shore of Long Island in New York. As of the 2010 United States census, the CDP population was 5,070. History Cold Spri ...
. ''See also:'' Kahn commissioned the Olmsted Brothers to design the estate's grounds, centered on a formal axial sunken garden in the French manner, of clipped greens and gravel in parterres and water terraces, screened by high clipped hedging from the entrance drive that runs parallel to the main axis. Other features of the complex included an 18-hole golf course designed by golf architect Seth Raynor, one of the largest private greenhouse complexes in America, tennis courts, an indoor swimming pool, a landing strip, orchards, and stables. Several years after Kahn's death in 1934, the estate was sold. After the sale, it was used for several purposes, including as a retreat for New York City sanitation workers. In 1948, Eastern Military Academy purchased the castle and of its property, bulldozed the gardens and subdivided the rooms. The school occupied the house until it closed in 1979. For the next four years, the building remained empty, during which time over 100 documented arson attempts occurred, all of which the building survived, demonstrating Kahn's success in building a fireproof building. In 1946 the golf course and stables became part of the Cold Spring Country Club, and the greenhouse complex operated as Otto Keil Florist. Much of the remainder of the property was developed into single-family homes.


Restoration

In 1984, Oheka was purchased by Gary Melius, a Long Island developer. Melius undertook the largest private residential renovation project in the United States to restore the house, which was in a state of almost total disrepair, and recreate the gardens from the original Olmsted plans. In 1988, unable to continue financing the massive project, Melius sold the property to Hideki Yokoi for $22.5 million. Ten years later, following a lawsuit, the building passed to one of Yokoi's daughters and her husband. They were unable to sustain the property themselves, so Melius reacquired it under a long-term lease and later re-purchased the estate, operating it as a weddings and events venue, luxury hotel and conference center.


Trivia

Celebrities who have been married there include Curtis Martin, Kevin Jonas,
Megyn Kelly Megyn Marie Kelly (; born November 18, 1970) is an American journalist and media personality. She currently hosts a talk show and podcast, ''The Megyn Kelly Show'', that airs live daily on SiriusXM. She was a talk show host at Fox News from 200 ...
, Joey Fatone, Brian McKnight, former U.S. congressman
Anthony Weiner Anthony David Weiner (; born September 4, 1964) is an American former politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1999 until his resignation in 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he consistently carried the district with at l ...
, and comedian
Yannis Pappas Yannis Pappas is an American comedian from Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York. Early life Pappas was born in Brooklyn, New York to Chris Pappas, an Army officer, and Anna Pappas née Mamalakis, a Greek lawyer originally from Rethymno, Crete. He w ...
. On February 24, 2014, Melius survived a gunshot to the head by a masked gunman in the parking lot of the castle.


In popular culture

* Oheka served as partial inspiration for Gatsby's estate in F. Scott Fitzgerald's '' The Great Gatsby''. * In ''Dream World'', his collection of songs, poems and stories, composer and musicologist
Roger Lee Hall Roger Lee Hall (born 1942) is an American composer and musicologist. Personal life Hall was born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey He grew up in Bloomfield, New Jersey and spent several years in the 1950s attending Eastern Military Academy at Oheka Cas ...
wrote about his years attending Eastern Military Academy at Oheka Castle in the 1950s. * In the 1941 film ''
Citizen Kane ''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American drama film produced by, directed by, and starring Orson Welles. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Herman J. Mankiewicz. The picture was Welles' first feature film. ''Citizen Kane'' is frequently cited ...
'', photographs of Oheka were used to portray the fictional
Xanadu Xanadu may refer to: * Shangdu, the ancient summer capital of Kublai Khan's empire in China * a metaphor for opulence or an idyllic place, based upon Coleridge's description of Shangdu in his poem ''Kubla Khan'' Other places * Xanadu (Titan), ...
. * The castle is shown in the 2008 movie ''
What Happens in Vegas ''What Happens in Vegas'' is a 2008 American romantic comedy film directed by Tom Vaughan and written by Dana Fox. It stars Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher as a couple who get married and win a casino jackpot prize during a drunken night in Las ...
'', with stars Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher. * It served as the mansion "Shadow Pond" in the television show '' Royal Pains'', which ran from 2009 to 2016. * R&B singer
Brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...
's 1995 music video "Brokenhearted", directed by Hype Williams and featuring Wanya Morris, was filmed inside the castle. * The science fiction novel ''Time for Patriots'' has a very thinly disguised military academy in a similarly disguised version of Oheka. * Oheka was the set of the fictional Avalon Castle in the 2010 soap opera '' As the World Turns''. * It was also shown in the 2010 film '' It's Kind of a Funny Story''. * It was the location of a charity event in the television show ''
Louie Louie may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Louie'' (American TV series), by comedian Louis C.K. * ''Louie'' (French TV series), animated series about a young rabbit who draws pictures which come to life * "Louie" (song), by Blood Raw * ''L ...
'', where
Jerry Seinfeld Jerome Allen Seinfeld ( ; born April 29, 1954) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He is best known for playing a Jerry Seinfeld (character), semi-fictionalized version of himself in the sitcom ''Seinfeld'', which he ...
and
Louis C.K. Louis Alfred Székely (; born September 12, 1967), known professionally as Louis C.K. (), is an American stand-up comedian, screenwriter, actor, and filmmaker. C.K. won three Peabody Awards, three Grammy Awards, six Primetime Emmy Awards, and a ...
performed for the event. * In 2013, the music video for
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
's "Haunted", was filmed featuring the Oheka mansion. * The castle was the primary filming location of the music video for Taylor Swift's 2014 song "
Blank Space "Blank Space" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, taken from her fifth studio album, ''1989''. The song was released to US radio stations as the second single from ''1989'' on November 10, 2014, by Republic Records in partners ...
". * The castle was also used in the music video "Cookie" by recording artist
R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and sex offender convicted of racketeering and multiple sex offenses. During his recording career, Kelly sold over 75 million records worldwid ...
. * The castle was shown in the 2018 movie '' The Week Of''. * The castle appeared briefly as the location of an economic summit in the 19th episode of the first season of American political drama '' Madam Secretary'', titled "Spartan Figures". * The castle was featured on Travel Channel's "Mega Mansions" that also streams on Netflix. The premise of the show was to give viewers an "all-access pass inside America's most enormous, opulent and advanced Mega Mansions." * The castle and grounds were featured in Liam Payne and Rita Ora's " For You" written for the ''
Fifty Shades Freed ''Fifty Shades Freed'' is the third and final installment of the erotic romance ''Fifty Shades Trilogy'' by British author E. L. James. After accepting entrepreneur CEO Christian Grey's proposal in '' Fifty Shades Darker'', Anastasia Steele m ...
'' movie soundtrack. * Oheka serves as a stand-in for a French mansion in Season 3 of the Hulu TV series '' The Path''. * Oheka was used as the setting for a castle in Hungary in season two, episode three, "
Hunting Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
", of the
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
series ''
Succession Succession is the act or process of following in order or sequence. Governance and politics *Order of succession, in politics, the ascension to power by one ruler, official, or monarch after the death, resignation, or removal from office of ...
''. * Oheka was used as the setting for the "Mr. Julius Caesar" rematch in the film ''
The Emperor's Club ''The Emperor's Club'' is a 2002 American drama film directed by Michael Hoffman and starring Kevin Kline. Based on Ethan Canin's 1994 short story "The Palace Thief", the film follows a prep school teacher and his students at a fictional boys ...
''. * The castle was featured in Season 2 Episode 4 of the Hulu show '' Ramy'', as the residence of the Emirati Bin Khalied. *The castle was used as the setting for the '' Real Housewives of New York City'' Season 12 reunion, the first in-person '' Real Housewives'' reunion filmed amid the
COVID-19 pandemic in the United States The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States is a part of the COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the Uni ...
. *The castle was featured in the music video for
Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...
and Maluma's 2020 song "
Pa' Ti + Lonely "Pa' Ti" and "Lonely" (collectively referred to as "Pa' Ti + Lonely") are two songs recorded by American singer Jennifer Lopez and Colombian singer Maluma for the soundtrack of the 2022 film '' Marry Me''. They were released on September 24, 20 ...
". * The castle was featured in a MrBeast video in which the MrBeast crew was tasked to stay in a $1 hotel to a $1,000,000 hotel (the million dollar hotel is Oheka castle).


See also

*
List of Historic Hotels of America Historic Hotels of America is a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation that was founded in 1989 with 32 charter members; the program accepts nominations and identifies hotels that have maintained their authenticity, sense of pl ...


Further reading

*''Crazy Rhythm: Memories of Eastern Military Academy and Oheka Castle''. Hall, Roger L. PineTree Press, 2019 *''Raising a Fallen Treasure: The Otto H. Kahn Home, Huntington, Long Island''. King, Robert B. The Mad Printers of Mattituck, 1985 *''Oheka Castle'', Sergol, Joan. Schaffer, Ellen. Arcadia Publishing (SC); 4 Jun. 2012, *''The KAHNS of Fifth Avenue'', Williams, Iain Cameron. iwp publishing, 17. Feb. 2022, The KAHNS of Fifth Avenue
book information and details.


References

Notes


External links

* www.oheka.com

on the "American Music Preservation.com" website
Gold Coast Mansions – Historic Long Island – Home
on "Gold Coast Mansions of Long Island" website {{Gold Coast mansions Castles in New York (state) Mansions of Gold Coast, Long Island Gardens in New York (state) Houses in Suffolk County, New York Historic house museums in New York (state) Hotels in New York (state) Houses completed in 1919 Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) National Register of Historic Places in Huntington (town), New York Landscape design history of the United States Delano & Aldrich buildings Châteauesque architecture in the United States Historic Hotels of America Gilded Age mansions