Whitney Boathouse

Introduction

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Constructed in 1910 and gifted to John Hay "Jock" Whitney, the son of business tycoon Payne Whitney, this historic home is one of the largest private residences along the coast in this area of Long Island. The elder Whitney built a lavish estate known as Greentree, and he gifted his son this structure which was used to store a yacht and other lavish possessions. A highly successful businessman in his own right, Jock Whitney used the property as a vacation home, guesthouse, and to store his yacht, the Aphrodite, which he used to commute back and forth to Manhattan. He also used the property as a dock for his seaplane. The Whitney Boathouse remains a private residence and sold in 2020, reportedly for more than $11 million.

Images

Jock Whitney

The Whitney Boathouse

Part of the boathouse as it appeared in Jock Whitney's lifetime

Backstory and Context

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John Hay "Jock" Whitney was the younger child and only son of Payne Whitney, noted businessman and philanthropist who inherited a substantial fortune and then enlarged it through his personal business dealings. The elder Whitney built a lavish estate, Greentree, overlooking Manhasset harbor, for his wife. In 1910, he built the boathouse for Jock, who used the building for both his yacht, the Aphrodite, and his seaplane. The home featured six bedrooms and seven bathrooms as well as what is now the largest private dock in the area.

Jock Whitney began his professional career humbly, working for $65 a month as a clerk and eventually working his way up to $50 a week at a banking firm. While still working for this modest salary, he began investing in Aviation Corporation of America, which would eventually become PanAmerican World Airways. He became a venture capitalist and established the John Hay Whitney Foundation, which offered support to individuals who had experienced discrimination on the basis of race or gender discrimination to make improvements in their communities. He also became a prolific art collector, possessing what was then reportedly one of the largest private art collections in the United States. He had a keen interest in the arts, particularly theater and film, and helped finance the Broadway production of A Streetcar Named Desire as well as Gone With the Wind.

Although he was a dedicated philanthropist (contributing at least $1 million annually to the John Hay Whitney Foundation), Jock Whitney also enjoyed a lavish lifestyle. He socialized with a number of the most well-known celebrities of his time and had a longtime friendship with Fred Astaire. Whitney is considered by some to be the inspiration for F. Scott Fitzgerald's Jay Gatsby, although there are other possible contenders for that role. Whether he inspired the fictional Long Islander or not, there is no question that Jock Whitney lived a life that afforded him every material comfort and an impressive list of celebrity friends and connections.

Over the years, the Greentree estate was divided and sold, and portions of it were gifted to various organizations. Parts of the original estate are now used by the United Nations. The boathouse sits on a bit less than an acre and includes a guest house, a deep water dock, an indoor swimming pool, a private beach, and a clubroom. Every room in the home has waterfront views. The home, a private residence, sold in 2020, reportedly for more than $11 million.

Sources

John Hay Whitney Dies at 77, Publisher Led in Many Fields, New York Times . February 9th 1982. Accessed May 15th 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/1982/02/09/obituaries/john-hay-whitney-dies-at-77-publisher-led-in-many-fields.html.

Cary, Bill . Now a Lavish Home, Whitney Boat House on the North Shore of Long Island was Once an Extravagant Hangar , Mansion Global . April 12th 2021. Accessed May 15th 2021. https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/now-a-lavish-home-whitney-boat-house-on-the-north-shore-of-long-island-was-once-an-extravagant-hangar-226276.

Bonfiglio, Briana . Manhasset Mansion with Great Gatsby Ties Asks $11.8 M, Long Island Press. November 10th 2020. Accessed May 15th 2021. https://www.longislandpress.com/2020/11/10/manhasset-mansion-with-great-gatsby-ties-asks-11-8m/.