Imagine growing up poor and unexpectedly inheriting a billion dollars, what would
you do with it? Hi everyone, Ken here, welcome to "ThisHouse" !!
Today we are exploring the home of William Coe in Oyster Bay,
New York. Make you’re subscribed so you never miss an exciting episode of "ThisHouse"
In the 1880s, when William Coe was just a teenager, his family emigrated to the new
world from England. His father supported all 10 of his children by working as
a cashier near Philadelphia while living in New Jersey. When William turned 15 years old,
he set out to find a job in Philadelphia near his father and was hired by a successful
insurance broker to do all the errands around the office. As the years went by and he began
to learn about the innerworkings of insurance, he was promoted to various positions, then,
when Johnson and Higgins Insurance Company bought out the company he was working for, William was
promoted to the role of Manager and sent off to New York City to manage the adjusting department.
He fell in love for the first time and married Jane Falligant, but she passed away only a few
short years later. In 1900, following her death, William decided to take a trip back to England
while he grieved. But just as fate would have it, he met his second wife, Mai Rogers. Mai was
the daughter of oil baron, Henry H. Rogers who had amassed a fortune while working with Standard Oil.
For the first time, he was exposed to a life he never knew existed.
Mai frequented balls at palaces around the world, and when the two returned to New York
City as a couple, he found himself rubbing shoulders with high society.
Of course, no son-in-law of an Oil Barron could continue working in middle management,
the family pulled some strings and by 1910 William had been named the President of the Johnsons and
Higgins Insurance Company and was placed on the board of directors at the Virginian Railway.
However, with a higher level job title came more responsibility. Back At Johnsons and Higgins,
He personally took on his most infamous account, insuring the “unsinkable” RMS
Titanic. On the 15th of April in 1912, the Titanic embarked on its maiden journey, striking
an iceberg and sinking. On board were several of his new friends and family through his wife.
Of the 1500 people who lost their life that day, many were captains of industry, barrons, and
tycoons. This caused a massive transfer of wealth as their estates were divided amongst their heirs.
Mai Rogers was one such trustee, receiving large sums of money through deceased family.
The young couple now had serious cash to burn. In 1913, They headed out to Long Island New
York to purchase Upper Planting Fields Farm, an estate which boasted expansive botanical gardens.
The original house mysteriously burned down and the insurance claim, through Johnson and Higgins
Insurance Company paid for it to be replaced by a sprawling 67 room mansion. They hired the
architecture firm of Walker and Gillette to design for them a Tudor Revival style palace to be faced
in Indiana limestone with artisan terracotta accents along its many prominent chimneys. The
stone work featured intricate and ornate details while the half timbered sections boasted wooden
busts extending from corbels. The mansion known as Coe Hall was to stand out proudly above perfectly
curated gardens designed in part by the Olmsted Brothers. More than 10,000 species of flowers,
trees, and bushes were planted along trails and streams throughout the 400 plus acre estate.
Approaching the entry, we will pass below stone relief work and pass through the iron
and wooden doors to arrive in the entry corridor. Upon entering the home, our eyes are directed
down the long, wide corridor flanked with thin stone pilasters supporting heavy stone arches.
First, we will step into the reception room off to the side to be welcomed by
a spring time assortment of cheerful greens and yellows decorating the wood paneled walls.
Directly above us, a crystal chandelier reflects light to
illuminate the hand stenciled floral motif of the cornice.
Next, we will return to the entry hall and wind our way through the shadows to find the
dining room furniture appearing silhouetted the little sunlight penetrating the hall.
As we continue our approach, the room opens up as light pours in from two directions,
allowing us to see the lively colors of the persian rug and feel the warmth
of old growth wood beams coffering the ceiling.
We will continue our tour to the Gallery where European tapestries and
trophies decorate the walls below a vaulted ceiling joining on gothic pointed arches.
The great hall, with half height book shelves,
is interrupted by the windows’ stone limestone mullions below a playful ceiling
displaying a banner of geometric designs complimented by exposed, fluted beams.
After winding through colonnades decorated with elaborate fretwork,
we will find the reading room offering a quiet retreat where William collected americana in
the form of letters and journals from early American settlers and pioneers.
For more serious matters, including discussing business,
the study could accommodate a small group for a private conversation.
After making our way up the stairs,
we can continue down the second floor corridor to find the bedrooms.
William’s bedroom was finished out in layers of floral textiles with heavy
and overstuffed furniture covering the floors.
Mai’s bedroom was considerably less colored with light, dainty furniture sparingly placed
about so as to not distract from elaborate wall murals and the delicately stenciled ceiling.
Of the many guest rooms in the mansion,
perhaps you would be assigned this one with half timbered walls and a large bay window.
The couple lived happily in the house until 1924 when Mai unexpectedly passed away.
Over the next couple of years, William became enamored with breeding and racing horses,
adding state of the art stables to the property. By 1937, he had competed
with 6 different horses in the Kentucky Derby, earning second place in the races.
In his later years, he began to reflect on his success in
life and give back through charitable donations.
He established American Studies programs at 40 universities, both public and private. He then
headed out west to Wyoming where he purchased a ranch and made significant donations. He opened
hospitals, donated artwork, paved streets, and built Coe Hall at the University of Wyoming.
Finally, in 1949, he deed Coe Hall to the State of New York with a hefty endowment.
His former estate was to be opened to the public as the Planting Fields
Arboretum and the historic gardens were to continue being cared for.
A few years later, in 1955,
he passed away while vacationing at his beach house on Palm Beach, Florida.
To this day, most of the colleges he donated to have continued building on their American
studies programs, and Coe Hall at the University of Wyoming welcomes history majors every year. As
for Planting Fields Arboretum, it remains opened to the public, preserved as time capsule
both inside and out where visitors can fully immerse themselves in a beautiful, bygone era.
Which part of William Coe’s estate did you like the best? Let me know down below in the comments
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