Demolition of the Mansion

The Demolition of Matinecock Point (circa 1980)
By: Koorosh Leibowitz

Matinecock Point met the same fate as most grand estates contemporary to the Gilded Age. In the wake of the Roaring Twenties, the United States entered the Great Depression and subsequently World War II. Whatever wealth was not wiped out during the Depression, was then divided by inheritance. Jack Morgan passed away in 1943, leaving his vast wealth to be divided by philanthropic causes and his children.

shortly after his death, the estate was sold by his sons to a development firm. After changing hands, the mansion was leased to the Soviet Union to serve as a retreat for United Nations diplomats. Matinecock Point's final tenants were the Sisters of St. John the Baptist. The Estate had been previously vandalized, allegedly by the Soviet Union delegates who stripped the house of its ornate interior architectural fixtures.

The surrounding tracts of land were subdivided and developed into homes. The once grand 140-acre estate grounds were reduced to a mere 3-acre lot situated at the end of present day Mansion Drive. Matinecock Point, fell into ruin as the nuns could not upkeep the maintenance of such a grand home, as was the case with many Gilded Age estates. The nuns sold the home and the new buyers neglected it, forcing an auction.

The Christopher Grant LaFarge designed home would finally meet its fate, complete total demolition, in 1980. Below are some photos detailing the event below.