land's end's glory days

It's with no small amount of heartbreak that I've been following along with the story of the demise of Land's End, the Long Island estate which supposedly inspired Daisy Buchanan's East Egg home.  To be fair, though I have a soft spot in my heart for The Great Gatsby, I view the demise of just about any residential grand dame with heartbreak.  And as it was designed by Stanford White, who was arguably the most famous American architect at the turn of the 20th Century (certainly in New York), this lady has a serious grand dame pedigree.

Built in 1911, Land's End played host to parties in the 20s and 30s which saw the likes of Winston Churchill, Ethel Barrymore, the Marx Brothers, and, of course, F. Scott Fitzgerald himself as guests.  It was clearly once an estate to be envied, and having only the photos of its decay to recommend it has been tragic.  To add insult to injury, the property has been purchased by a developer who plans to populate it with multi-million dollar McMansions.  Just what the world needs more of.

I'd love to see photos of the place from its heyday, but honestly, these few, from a publication issued sometime in the 70s or early 80s, are infinitely preferable to those of its decay.  So look, and enjoy, and try not to imagine the look on poor Jay Gatsby's face on the day of its demolition, standing in West Egg, watching it crumble.