Part 6/10:
Constructed over a decade from 1890 to 1900, under the guidance of McKim, Mead & White, Whitely was one of the largest and most meticulously designed Gilded Age estates on Long Island. Its centerpiece was a 200-foot-long mansion combining Colonial Revival and wooden shingle styles, perched atop a carefully terraced hill with expansive views of the Long Island Sound.
Morgan’s team built a massive stone retaining wall to create a broad plateau, ensuring the mansion’s commanding position. The estate featured independent electricity, sophisticated plumbing, central heating, an indoor swimming pool, a private squash court, and underground service tunnels—luxuries considered cutting-edge at the time.