Harry Guggenheim's Falaise Mansion and Mille Fleurs Manor, designed by the firm Polhemus & Coffin, AIA, are located on the grounds of Long Island's Sands Point Preserve.
I am sure you already know this, but my approach to these facts come from a different angle altogether;
Headquartered mostly at 232 Madison Ave, NYC, and with deep ties to the city, many of Polhemus & Coffin's most distinctive commissions are found along the shores of Long Island Sound, and are today considered categorically representative of the distinct popularity of French Revivalist and French Eclectic and Manor architectural styles.
Lewis Augustus Coffin, Jr, my grandfather, co-founded the firm in 1919 just before making a trip to Normandy to research what would become a significant era in architectural history.
The Falaise Mansion at the Preserve is my favorite of all of my grandfather's designs. Falaise's eclectic and neo-medieval style, to me, is richly exotic, loaded with historical interest as a "single" family (yes, yes, i know.. haha) style house, full to the brim with Guggenheim curiosity. I don't get a sense of novelty when looking at this house, despite the numerous details that seem almost - dare i say - Disney-esque. At least in terms of imagination. (see the "grotesques" at the front door of Falaise)
What's even cooler to me is the mansion was built in 1924 -3 years after the firm returned from Normandy France and published their first, book Small French Buildings. The book documents the journey and research findings Lewis and Henry encountered as they explored the Norman countryside seeking early French architectural specimens.
The book is no longer in print (although I am working to change this), but thanks to technology, you still see the pages scanned by Google Books, and see some stark yet eerily fascinating photos and even some rendering/sketches of of characteristic early French country manors, chateaux etc.
Small French Buildings
You can see what inspired the team (including renown architect, Frederick J Sterner), was clearly what was discovered during their overseas journey. Aside from the obvious derivations, there are also some remarkable interpretations that ultimately became characteristic of the firm's signature style moving forward.
I hope you won't mind me interacting here to learn more about the Long Island area and some of what makes it so unique.
-tristram coffin
Also, pardon my ignorance, but is this house technically considered located on Long Island?
$39M Southampton
I wasn't even aware of this P&C house until I came across this listing.
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