Though the United States may not have a monarchy like the United Kingdom, we sure have a history of elitists in the country. In fact, the son of one of the wealthiest and most influential financiers of the Gilded Age, Howard Gould, son of Jay Gould, even erected a castle to echo it.
Located in Sands Point, New York, and just under a two-hour drive from the city, lies Castle Gould, a 100,000-square-foot limestone behemoth of a mansion. You might recall the Sands Point peninsula was the inspiration behind the fictional neighborhood known as the “East Egg” in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.
The property on which the castle now sits was first bought by Howard Gould and his actress wife, Katherine Clemmons in the early 1900s. Castle Gould was intended to be the main residence on the estate for the pair to live in. However, after Katherine’s disapproval that it didn’t suit her, it was turned into a stable, carriage house and servants’ quarters instead.
This left many of the remarkable residential features either unfinished or repurposed. Howard then built what is now known as the Hempstead House for them to live in.
Castle Gould was completed in 1904, now standing as Sands Point Preserve Conservancy’s Visitor Center and Great Hall more than 100 years later. It’s also home to The Black Box, a 7,000-square-foot New York State-certified sound stage used for events, performances and film productions.
Onlookers today can admire Castle Gould’s fully renovated Great Hall, filled with vaulted ceilings, wrought-iron chandeliers, and gigantic windows looking out onto the Preserve’s grounds. It can even be rented for private events.
The original design was influenced by Ireland’s Kilkenny Castle with medieval-inspired stonework and it’s symbolism of power. Castle Gould was meant to show off the family’s social standing and affluence.
There are currently no tours inside Castle Gould, but many school programs, cultural events and so on take place within the Great Hall.
You can learn more about Castle Gould and the Sands Point Preserve Conservancy on its official website.