See inside Coe Hall, a 65-room mansion built by a Gilded Age businessman who was booked on the Titanic's return voyage

Business Insider

21-06-2025

The mansion, Coe Hall, was built by William Robertson Coe, an executive who succeeded in the insurance and railroad businesses, and his wife, Mai Rogers, an heiress to a fortune built on Standard Oil money. In fact, Coe was the president of the company that brokered the insurance for the hull of what was known as an unsinkable ship: the Titanic. He was even booked on the return voyage of the Titanic from New York City to England, per the Long Island Press.
Coe Hall — the second mansion to be built on the property after the original from 1906 burned down in 1918 — looks like it was transplanted from the English countryside and dropped on the Gold Coast, a stretch of Long Island's North Shore that earned its nickname for the opulent estates built by wealthy families around the turn of the 20th century.
That's on purpose, as they wanted to make it seem like the home had been there for decades, making them " old money."
During my tour of the property this spring, a docent told me some architectural touches didn't match at the time of construction, as if to give the appearance that the home had been remodeled over the years.
In addition to the main house, which was designed by the architectural firm Walker & Gillette, the arboretum is home to beautiful landscaping and gardens designed by the famous Olmsted Brothers, who also designed Central Park and Oheka Castle.
Here's what it's like to visit one of the largest Gold Coast mansions left on Long Island.
Down the other hallway were the kids' bedrooms. They were all closed, though, because Netflix filmed season three of "The Diplomat" at Coe Hall, and these rooms were used as storage.
Coming back down the stairs, I got another look at just how intricate and intentional every detail in the house was.
Now it was time to check out the much-revered grounds.
Right off the bat, this fountain caught my eye.
I also enjoyed this courtyard. The landscaping was by the Olmsted Brothers, who also designed Central Park and Oheka Castle.
Near the house, there's a small pond and a bench off a hidden path. It's the perfect spot for quiet contemplation.
But the main draws of the backyard are the Blue Pool Garden and the Tea House.
Before the pool was here, this area was a tennis court. It took 16 workers to dig out 16,000 square yards of soil to build the sunken pool.
At the end of the garden is the Tea House, which was built in 1906.
The exterior makes the Tea House look like something out of a fairytale.
Can't you just hear someone saying, "Once upon a time"?
Rogers entertained her friends in the Tea House on nice days.
It looks like the inside of a Tiffany's box.
The other structure in this area of the park is the Playhouse, which was built so Natalie, the Coes' daughter, could have a place to play house.
As we continued walking around the park, we came to this archway made of pine trees.
Walking through it felt like walking through a storybook.
On the other side of the archway is the Main Greenhouse, built in 1914.
This was originally called the Hibiscus House, but now it's a mixture of tropical plants.
One corner of the building was anchored by this giant palm tree.
There were plenty of paths to walk down to get the full experience.
We then walked the Azalea Walk, one of 13 trails at the Planting Fields.
That led us to the other greenhouse on-site, the Camellia Greenhouse, built in 1917.
It has the largest collection of camellias under glass in the northeast.
However, camellia season is in January, so we missed it.
But there were still plenty of flowers and plants to check out in this greenhouse.
There are many more gardens to see at Coe Hall, including a rose garden, a hydrangea collection, and a dahlia garden.
Walking around Planting Fields and Coe Hall felt like stepping back in time and revealed the remarkable wealth of Gilded Age families. Any history buff should pay it a visit, if they can.