"Wild Bank" - Sands Point, New York

"Wild Bank" in Sands Point was designed c. 1907 by the firm of Trowbridge & Ackerman in the Mediterranean Revival/Arts and Crafts style on 2.5 acres of land for Alexander Buel Trowbridge {architect}. Trowbridge graduated from the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts in 1890 and served as a named partner of the architecture firm of Trowbridge & Ackerman which had their offices at 114 East 28th Street in New York City. He also served as Dean of the College of Architecture at Cornell University from 1897-1902. Considered among the ‘who's who’ of New York, he was a member of the Century Association, Boston Architectural Club, and the Architectural League of New York.

Courtesy of Lionel Pincus & Princess Firyal Map Division, The New York Public Library (1914)

The Trowbridge estate first becomes visible in the 1914 edition of the E. Belcher Hyde "Atlas of Nassau County, Long Island, N.Y" which served as a desk atlas for those in the real estate or insurance industry to identify ownership of land holdings. It is not known if he had a specific name for his estate. Earlier maps by created by surveyors Beers, Comstock & Cline in 1873 and Hyde & Co. in 1896 only described the area as Idlewild Grove owned by Cap. Cornwall. Prior, it is believed that the land was part of an 1676 land grant given to John Cornwall that amounted to 1/3 of the entirety of Cow Neck county at its prime. The Cornwall family was the first to settle on Cow Neck which came to be known as Sands Point, Port Washington, Plandome, and Flower Hill. It was later inherited by William Cornwall before the 20th century. The estate was built on the subdivided former lands of the 1898 homestead of Frederick Cocks Hicks, from which the street name of Hicks Lane is derived. The main road leading to the estate, Barkers Point Road, was laid out in the 1900's in order to connect the lots overlooking Manhasset Bay with Sands Point Road and the rest of the village.

The architect of "Wild Bank", Trowbridge & Ackerman, was considered one of the fine firms of 20th century New York for both domestic and commercial architecture (it seems there was no relation to the firm of Trowbridge & Livingston which operated around the same period). As partners, Ackerman typically handled their commercial works while Trowbridge oversaw their residential ones. A favorite architect of the Pratt family, they were responsible for the estates of "Killenworth" for George du Pont Pratt, Sr. and "Whispering Pines" for Theodore Pratt, Sr., and the Beachhouse for Dosoris Park in Glen Cove. They also designed several other works in Ohio and Pennsylvania. The firm went as far as to spend an entire summer residing in Pratt's "Killenworth" estate to solve an unspecified peculiar concern about the site. Nonetheless, that decision ended up winning them the award for the best country house in America for 1914.

In April 1921, the partnership dissolved and the two leaders established solo practices. Trowbridge served as consulting architect to the Folger Shakespeare Library and Library of Congress Annex Building in Washington, D.C. and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, while Frederick L. Ackerman went on take on roles as supervising architect for residential developments like Queens' Sunnyside Gardens and Munsey Park at Manhasset. Ackerman was also known for publishing a handbook in 1932 entitled Architectural Graphic Standards which was known as one of the first modern architectural reference books. As an authority on city planning, Ackerman was regarded as the first practitioner after Louis Sullivan to be fully alive to the social responsibilities of architecture.

It was not uncommon for 20th century architects to have lavish estates of their own like their clients. In fact, it was almost compulsory to be part of high society in order to receive commissions. Other peers like Arthur Loomis Harmon, Leonard B. Schultze, Julian L. Peabody, William Lawrence Bottomley, J.E.R. Carpenter, Stanford White, and William Delano designed their own somewhat modest but refined country houses which they used to both show off their sensibilities but also entertain potential connections. Trowbridge's membership in professional and social clubs exemplified his connectedness to the upper-class world. His relation by marriage to the Pratt family as a brother-in-law to George D. Pratt also furthered his ties to the upper class, and could have helped pay for building his estate home. It was intended to be used by the Trowbridge family for only three months of the year during the summertime.

Photos courtesy of "House & Garden" (Sept. 1909)

The 2 1/2 story main house is composed of a dormered, cross-gable roof intersected by a front gable which was clad with slate shingling (since replaced) that purposely extended beyond the roof edge. The exterior is built of brick with a veneer of smooth stucco on lath atop an exposed brick base with a basement that has 12" walls. The Mediterranean Revival/Arts and Crafts design emphasized the use of stucco from a pre-machine, handicraft era. This created an eclectic style which was seldom seen in the period or region. Popularized by Elbert Hubbard and Gustav Stickley in the early 1900's, Arts and Crafts emphasized clean lines and natural, unadorned craftsmanship from the decorative arts tradition. The design of "Wild Bank" is especially reminiscent of the bungalow style from India which featured strong horizontal lines, open porches, and bands of windows. Rather than being popularized by architects, the style was mainly spread through builders' plans which could be sold as patterns. It also referenced both the Shingle and Tudor Revival styles.

Having been trained in the renowned École des Beaux-Arts, Trowbridge was well-versed in the classical mannerisms of design which made working in this style very fitting. The core of the instruction was in the  five orders of architecture and study of great buildings and monuments. Architects at that time were usually capable of handling most of the period revival styles. After all, the classical vocabulary of architecture could be made to work in any context. It is a noted departure from Trowbridge's expertise in Tudor Revival and Italian Renaissance works but still within their grasp of high-style design with a hint of eclecticism. The modern house of the 1900's was supposed to answer to the need for functional planning and a closer relationship to the natural world. Despite the advantages of having electricity and poured concrete at the time, the style very much harkens back to Arts and Crafts but was not overly-specific about a referring to a singular place and time in history. It is almost channeling storybook architecture by having an organic, asymmetrical form that is unlike other estates of its time.

The design sought to understandably maximize views of Manhasset Bay even if it employed an unusual footprint. The broad porch supported by substantial Doric columns specifically took advantage of the waterfront view, while the street-facing side employed a less imposing entry of an asymmetrical front with an arched porte cochère surmounted by a shed roof. Excavated dirt used to build the foundation was used to raise the level of the porch. It also had to compensate for a long but narrow site which had a natural slope. In order to keep the back-facing portico on level ground, a staircase was built in the front as it was naturally on a lower elevation due to the sloping bluff. The plot of land had been subdivided to be narrow in width but also to accomodate a winding driveway. However, this unusual plot shape was also an advantage because the grade of the land slopes downward in the back which promotes natural rainwater drainage to the bay.

While seemingly unimportant, the character of the landscape played a role in the final architectural result which was an expression of the landscape. Before visitors even reached the estate, they were greeted by an allée of trees which ran the length of Hicks Lane that were presumably added to beautify the street. Barkers Point Road also had its own pastoral quality. For "Wild Bank", the landscape was largely kept in an intentionally uncultivated state with numerous tall trees which were likely transplanted on site by Hicks Nurseries or Lewis & Valentine which specialized in mature tree transplanting. Keeping with the Arts and Crafts ethos, natural beauty was paramount. A tennis court was installed not far from the main house for recreation. 

Beyond the estate grounds, the surroundings were mostly open fields which could be used for equestrianism or sport. For much of the early years of "Wild Bank", Sands Point was still beginning to change from farmland to large country estates. With the advent of the Long Island Rail Road opening their Port Washington Branch in 1898, the area became more developed. Sands Point was also seen as a very desirable place to live because of the social clubs like the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club and Sands Point Golf Club which were founded in the early 1900's.

Courtesy of Mui Ho Fine Arts Library, Cornell University (1921)

Despite the uncommon Arts and Crafts vocabulary employed by Trowbridge & Ackerman, the estate stays true to their Beaux Arts design training by paying careful attention to the functional relationships of the spaces of the estate. Visual aesthetics of scale and balance were also critical. The choices made were deliberate to make a successful design while providing proper circulation for its occupants. Rather than make the site conform to a preconceived plan, the design was truly dictated by the land itself to emphasize its most flattering qualities. 

Throughout the floorplan, the doors and windows are aligned carefully to allow for space to flow easily from within and out-of-doors to the outside. There is a character of openness with a reduction in ornamentation, favoring instead a focus on the generous program of eight-over-eight sash windows with louvered shutters. By having the entry on a separate level, it defined the space without having to use a traditional front door. Likewise, the expansive rear covered porch extends the living area to take advantage of the backyard and views. The approach cleverly hides the grand waterfront until visitors entered the living room as a way to give a bit of drama.

The northern side of the main house was designed to function as service rooms for the household staff. Like with other larger estate homes, interior circulation was provided to account for the swift movement of household staff to serve with minimal intrusion on the family. In contrast to the dining or living room, the kitchen was not meant to be seen by guests. The kitchen's purpose was largely to prepare and serve meals. It also held the servant's dining room where the household staff ate separately from the family. A separate staircase could have presumably served as a loading area where food would have been brought into the house and into the kitchen. Sousa later combined the  former living and dining room under Trowbridge's tenure to make a larger room.

Photos courtesy of the United States Department of the Interior - National Parks Service (n.d.)

Photo courtesy of Kay Ullman (n.d.)

Photo courtesy of "John Philip Sousa: American Phenomenon" by Paul E. Bierley (n.d.)

Photo courtesy of the Huntington Historical Society (n.d.)

Photo courtesy of  "House & Garden" (Sept. 1909)

Photo courtesy of the Nassau County Planning Commission (1924)

In October of 1916, the estate was purchased through the Pell & Tibbits brokerage by John Philip Sousa {composer/entertainer} who happened to be a friend of the Trowbridge family. Sousa was seen as the best-known musician in the world, for arranging over 100 military compositions and conducting the acclaimed Sousa Band. Akin to The Beatles of his day, the concert band's patriotic music was an arbiter of building up pride in America. They were considered celebrities in their own right even before the advent of mass media--a household name known across the world. All other activities would cease when the band came into town; schools were dismissed, businesses would close, and people would travel for miles to see them perform. The band travelled over a million miles during their tenure and it made Sousa a millionaire in the process. Among his best known compositions are the official march of the United States Marine Corps, 'Semper Fidelis' and the national march of the United States, 'Stars and Stripes Forever'. Sousa also lived at 80 Washington Place in Greenwich Village for a time but eventually gave it to his daughter.

Impressed by the beautiful views the site afforded of Manhasset Bay, Sousa's wife, Jane, decided to name their estate "Wild Bank". Before they decided to purchase, they had leased the estate from Trowbridge. In furnishing the estate, the family chose comfortable Stickley-esque pieces that complemented the Arts and Crafts look with their rustic aesthetic. Sousa constructed a 2 1/2 story wing to the designs of Charles Volz in 1922 which extended off of the north end at a right angle to create the dining room. Volz also designed a tea house which was situated at the western edge of the property but is no longer standing. Despite being smaller in acreage than most estates, his Town of North Hempstead taxes in the mid-1920's were roughly $28,000 per year.

Photo courtesy of Irmgard Carras (n.d.)

Beloved in many social circles, Sousa was respected nationwide for his patriotism. Having traveled widely, he befriended many of the celebrities of the period who would often visit the estate. Frequent guests included the Guggenheims, du Ponts, and John Lagatta who lived nearby and were friends of the family. Sousa's close neighbor, Frederick Hicks, would host a noteworthy 4th of July party each year that involved servicemen who would give an exhibition drill on their lawn, followed by a meal of clam chowder. For his 70th birthday, Sousa was treated to a luncheon organized by friends to enjoy a 250lb birthday cake while being serenaded by a band of schoolchildren playing his compositions. Sousa was a member of the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club and Sands Point Bath & Racquet Club alongside other local figures like Bernard Baruch and W. Averell Harriman.

"Wild Bank" served the purpose of providing a place for the Sousa family to engage in recreation, both passive and active. This is especially evident in the surviving photographs from their time at the estate. During the second period of Sousa's career, most of the music he composed was done in the estate's library. In his spare time when he was not entertaining guests or the Sousa Band, he spent a great deal of his time outdoors when the weather permitted. The family had the opportunity to engage in water sports utilizing the estate's private beach. Very much fond of pets, the family had three pet dogs and would spend time reading or gardening outside with them. They also enjoyed trapshooting which could have been done easily on the open land around their estate. His daughter, Priscilla, was a member of the first Campfire scout troop established in Port Washington.

Photo courtesy of the United States Marine Band Library & Archives (n.d.)

Photo courtesy of "Marching Along: Recollections of Men, Women and Music" by John Philip Sousa (n.d.)

Photos courtesy of "John Philip Sousa: American Phenomenon" by Paul E. Bierley (n.d.)

Photo courtesy of the P.S. du Pont Longwood Photograph Collection, Hagley Museum & Library (n.d.)

Photo courtesy of the United States Department of the Interior - National Parks Service (n.d.)

Photo courtesy of the Port Washington Public Library Local History Center (n.d.)

Photos courtesy of Sousa Archives & Center for American Music, Urbana-Champaign (n.d.)

 

The estate was occupied by Sousa's family after he had died in 1932. In recognition for his contributions to American musical history, one of Port Washington's elementary schools was named after him in 1959. His descendants sold the house to Raymond Hubbard, a Westinghouse Company executive, in 1962 after being vacant and in disrepair for several years prior. The Hubbards then renovated the interior and sold it in 1969 to William Bourke who was an executive of the Narda Microwave Corp. of Hauppauge. It was under Bourke's tenure that the estate was put up for landmark consideration. 

In May of 1966, "Wild Bank" was accepted by the United States Secretary of the Interior for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark for having the most exceptional value in commemorating the history of the United States. It is the single highest form of recognition that a property can receive in America and of considerable status. One of just 2,600 in the country and only one of 15 of its kind on all of Long Island with this designation, the property is recognized alongside Pearl Harbor, the Apollo Control Center, and the Stonewall Inn as one of the most emblematic historical sites in the nation. "Wild Bank" was also made a Village of Sands Point local landmark in 1991 which prevents from inappropriate exterior alterations. 

After a succession of later owners, "Wild Bank" remains proudly maintained as a private residence and beloved family home.

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Entering past a set of stucco gates off Hicks Lane, visitors are first greeted with "Wild Bank"'s cottage which served as a garage and staff quarters outbuilding. As an avid equestrian, Sousa had the cottage expanded to house a stable for his several horses, with his favorite being an Arabian named 'Aladdin'. At a later point, the space was repurposed partially to serve as an automobile garage. The front portion of the stalls and paneled tack room manufactured by J.W. Fiske Iron Works have luckily been maintained intact while a portion of the space was enclosed to become a wine cellar. Seldom preserved on most estates, the intact stable area is as a unique reminder of a time when automobiles were not the predominant form of transit. Likely first used as staff quarters, the second floor has been renovated to serve as a guest apartment. For a period of time, it was occupied by Charles Bourke Wildbank who is a noted artist.

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Approaching down the 400 ft driveway towards the front of the main house, visitors are greeted by a unique porticoed main entrance. Second set of stairs led to the former service entrance off of the kitchen which is a separate walled-in porch clad in wood. Beneath the service stair is a large dog house built into the wall. Beyond providing architectural interest, the portico offers an overhang from the shed roof and protection from the rain. A pair of brick archways frame the front door, which is up a flight of stairs past a plaque recognizing the listing of "Wild Bank" as a National Historic Landmark. Three windows carved into the east wall signify the upward progression of a stair towards the balcony while a whimsical bell in the shape of a whale hangs from the roof. Due to age, the handrail--like most of the exterior woodwork--was rebuilt closely following the original design.

The front door opens to a foyer leading to the principal rooms which are connected in a clear progression. A staircase to the second floor features a large painting of John Philip Sousa; hanging on the wall just beside the entry is a photo of Sousa in his band-leading regalia. As an owner who appreciates a sense of place, many of the home's decorations have been sourced to fittingly honor Sousa's legacy.

Along the stair on the western wall is a built-in alcove with a cabinet which was outfitted by Sousa to hang his robes. While this is quite curious given the small size of the cabinet, it nonetheless could have been used to store and display memorabilia of his professional career. It could have also been used to house some of Sousa's white glove collection of over 1,200 pairs which were purchased in 1921 at $5 a set and reportedly insured for $5,000 at the time. He believed that in order to avoid bad luck, a pair of gloves could not be used for conducting more than one performance. Another peculiarity of Sousa's was his promptness; he was relentlessly punctual while Mrs. Sousa wasn't, sometimes referring to her in jest as the "late Mrs. Sousa".

To the left of the foyer is the library which Sousa had outfitted with bookcase shelves to become a music room which he would write compositions in. Many of the compositions from the second period of Sousa's career were written here. Sousa collected over 3,000 texts on music theory, orchestration, composition, and biographies. He also kept books on his personal interests of American history and artwork among other subjects. Most of those holdings were donated to the United States Marine Band Library & Archives in Washington D.C. where they remain today. The Sousa Band library--which was separate from his own personal one--was likely the largest privately owned music collection of its time, with an insurance value appraised at $500,000. When a large portion was donated to the University of Illinois, it took 40 truck loads to move it. To put it in perspective, another 30 truckloads was donated to Stetson University. In all, the collection weighed over 24,000 pounds.

Just inside of the doorway in the library is a small circle button that was connected to the enunciator box. This common feature of estate homes would have signaled to the servants for attention by pressing on a button discreetly placed on a wall or in the floor. Each room of the house would have had its own independent connection to the system. The popular invention allowed household staff to respond without having to be physically present in each room. Unfortunately, the enunciator box is no longer installed.

Subsequent owners kept two of Sousa's trunks here until they were all donated to the Cow Neck Bay Historical Society for permanent safekeeping. A set of two trunks containing his encore arrangements were thought to be lost by the Sousa family until they were found by a neighbor in a New York City warehouse in 1940 as unclaimed property (his personal trunk was reported to have been filled with small bottles of whiskey even throughout the Prohibition era).

A pair of pocket doors separates the living room from the front foyer and main stairway. The living room runs the length of the house on the western side, giving a visitor their first glimpse of the grand water view of the estate. Pairs of French doors provide cinematic-quality views of Manhasset Bay and the New York City skyline in the distance. It is not hard to imagine Sousa playing at their grand piano while guests gathered to sing and dance after dinner. In the days before the ubiquity of television, it was very common to people gather in the parlor around a piano and sing songs. These gatherings also presented opportunities to think and talk about contemporary events.

A small vestibule separates the living room from the dining room and kitchen. This was created as part of the addition Sousa built in 1922 for the north wing to provide articulation between the living and dining room spaces.

One of the showstopper rooms is the formal dining room which was clad in wallpaper manufactured in France by Zuber & Cie titled 'Les Vues d’Amérique du Nord' (Views of North America). Originally designed in 1690 by Jean-Julien Deltil, the scene depicts the early development of the county when ships and carriage travel were the norm. As Deltil had never actually visited America, he used a set of lithographs by Jacques-Gérard Milbert who was an engineer for the Erie Canal Commission as his inspiration. It provides a remarkable view of a bygone era through a series of romanticized vignette impressions designed to show a multitude of stories at once: New York City as viewed from Weehawken, fortifications of West Point, Boston's Harbor, the Natural Bridge of Virginia, and Winnebago Indians dancing at Niagara Falls against an ombré sky backdrop. Despite the theory that wind cannot blow two ways at once, the pennants of the sailboats flowed eastward while the smoke from the steamboats trailed westward. It is nonetheless a formal, civilized view of pre-industrialized America against the untamed but alluring wilderness of the new world.

The realism of these wallpapers allowed viewers to look through their walls to far away places and times that was not otherwise possible, much like early panorama exhibitions that debuted throughout the country after the Civil War. Commercialized scenic wallpapers became popular in America largely through world's fairs like the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo and the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. The products of Zuber and others offered a tranquil experience, unlike other repeating wallpapers, that was more similar to that of an original painted work. The expression of vividness and nostalgia for the outdoors would have been very in line with Sousa's values; it is no surprise why this pattern was chosen for the dining room. When the Diplomatic Reception Room in the White House was being refurbished by Jacqueline Kennedy in the 1960's, the same pattern was chosen by Henry Francis du Pont and Sister Parish to decorate its walls.

Over 1,500 wood blocks dating back to the French Revolution were hand-pressed with a combination of over 220 different colors of tempera paint. In order to align the many different colors, tiny registration marks in the form of dots were hidden throughout the image. The painstaking process took roughly a year to create. Figurines were oftentimes painted by hand onto the paper. Once it was complete, the product would be wrapped in tin foil for shipping overseas. It is likely that Sousa purchased the wallpaper through A.L. Diament & Co. at 34 E. 53rd Street in Manhattan. Diament & Co. was the exclusive distributor of Zuber wallpaper in America from the 1920's onwards. Although it is unclear what he would have paid for the set, they were costly but not cost-prohibitive to purchase.

While the majority of the scene is fully intact, one of the panels was replaced due to age with a modern counterpart still in production using the same exact wood blocks as the original. The remainder has been stabilized over the years by a private conservator. It remains a rare in-situ installation for future generations to enjoy.

Courtesy of Zuber & Cie North America

In moving from a servant-dominated to family-oriented lifestyle, the industriousness of a cooking kitchen has been replaced with one that is more attuned to familial interaction and entertainment.  Kathryn Hutchings served as Sousa's longtime head housekeeper and chef. The working kitchen, pantry, and servants' dining room were combined to create one large space in the 1960's under the Hubbard family. The present kitchen cabinetry continues on the craftsman-style vocabulary. The door leading off the porch was retained from its days when food would have been loaded in much like a service entrance.

Heading back up to the second floor, a staircase leads to the upper levels, which would have provided space for the family bedrooms as well as more modest quarters for the domestic staff. The second floor has five bedrooms and the third floor has another two. The newel caps and handrail of the main staircase are the original wood that has gracefully aged over time. The large portrait of Sousa that hangs above the stairs reinforces the sense of place.

Directly across from the staircase was the original master bedroom, which has been used as a children's room. Over time, most of the floors on the first floor of the house have been replaced except in the dining room. The second floor bedrooms still feature the original heart pine floors which are a lovely honey-colored hue. The second floor sitting room also retains the original brass wall lantern sconces and the bedroom door fixtures maintain oval bronze and hand-blown glass doorknobs, which were manufactured by P.E. Guerin & Co., the oldest decorative hardware firm in the United States.

Also remarkable from the former master bedroom is a set of French doors which lead out onto a balcony above the first floor loggia. From this viewpoint, one can truly admire up close the texture of the tiles which give the roof a rich, textured rhythm. The red slate roof was replaced with Ludowici terra cotta tiles which, although not original, effectively reinforces the Mediterranean Revival style.

Other bedrooms on the upper floors continue the understated Arts and Crafts vernacular. The current master bedroom echos the same window scheme as the dining room. The third floor was originally intended as servant's quarters which would have been more akin to dormitory accommodation, holding multiple beds in the original three rooms.

Heading back downstairs, it would be remiss to forget about the loggia which punctuates the back façade facing Manhasset Bay. The loggia gives a fitting transition from the indoors to the openness of the outdoors. Its paired Doric columns break up the openness of the porch while also providing support to the deck above. For comfort, a retractable awning was affixed to the east section.

Framed by the loggia's columns is one of the most incredible views of Manhattan to be seen from any Long Island estate. It is even more impressive in the evening as dusk begins to set and the city lights reflect onto the water. At this point, it is obvious why Sousa and his family were so drawn to the site. Instead of an ordinary backyard, the skyline is the backdrop for every event. The horizon was a front-row seat of the physical manifestation of future progress practically growing out of the ground in New York City. Visitors are now given the opportunity to see boats coming and going on the bay, the Throgs Neck and Whitestone Bridges, and gaze the Manhattan Skyline in the background. 

A long wooden staircase leads from the backyard to the estate's private dock which is situated on a small beach front. While no longer standing, the remains of the former tea house can be found amidst the brush with a bit of searching or potentially reconstructed at a future point from the original plans which have been meticulously stored in archival housing.

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While uniquely different from many of the surviving peer estates on Long Island, "Wild Bank" remains a remarkable place to live. It is the embodiment of the American country home as a respite from the hustle and bustle of New York City, but within close commuting distance by train. Despite being understated, the Arts and Crafts design reflects the classical training that the estate's architects undertook to create a functional estate home with an overarching connectedness to the outdoors. The interior is elegant and well-proportioned without being fussy, and with some of its original fixtures intact. There is a careful restraint which really exemplified the acclaimed work of Trowbridge & Ackerman.

The estate remains very much the same today as a tribute to Sousa's purpose-driven lifestyle. It is an intimate look into lives one of the legendary figures of America's history, and a rare opportunity be immersed in the environment that Sousa occupied with his family for many years. Some of his fondest memories were made here; spending time with his family, entertaining others, indulging on deep conversations on nearly every imaginable subject. Sousa was a man of values, trying to live the best possible life he could at every possible moment. He believed in treating all people, and especially his fans, with the utmost respect. It is a life of morals that we all can seek to emulate.

Just as important as the physical structure itself is the way the estate is able to remain relevant for the 21st century. "Wild Bank" has the unique quality--perhaps due to its demure nature--to serve as sort of a living landmark. The estate is very much a place of both belonging and beauty that nourishes connectedness. It is also a place that people come back to; whether the children of former owners or members of the U.S. Marine Band to pay their respects to Sousa. An intangible link was formed for the many generations of people who have been able to interact with the estate as occupants or visitors.

The notion of walking the same halls as someone who has made such an indelible mark on our nation's civic and cultural history as John Philip Sousa is quite incredible. Although it is a home that is meant to be adapted over time, it is evident that there was a sense of reverence to keep that spirit alive. The many families who lived here have carefully preserved, protected, and nourished the historic character. Soon the new owners will write a new chapter in "Wild Bank"’s remarkable history.

"Wild Bank" was sold in 2022. For more information, please contact Maggie Keats of Douglas Elliman Real Estate at (516) 883-5200 or maggie.keats@elliman.com.

A special thanks goes out to the Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society, Bridgette Hirsch, the Irma & Paul Milstein Division of United States History at the New York Public Library, Rebekah Potter, Liz Rowland, and Zuber & Cie North America for helping make this post possible.