Cornelia Guest's Former Long Island Estate Is Demolished
The property, known as Templeton, hosted friends of C.Z. and Winston Guest like the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the Kennedys, Truman Capote, and Andy Warhol.
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Templeton, the Long Island estate where legendary social figure C.Z. Guest (above) lived and entertained, has been razed.
Guest's daughter Cornelia sold the 12,000-square-foot, 28-room house in Old Westbury, New York for $5.8 million in 2012 (after a price drop form an initial $20 million asking price in 2008), and "the demolition does not come as a surprise," Newsdayreports.
Businessman and restaurateur Ray Sidhom bought the 15.5 acre property, and "when they were in contract, everyone sort of knew the intent of the buyer was to subdivide it into a couple of lots and tear it down," local realtor and Gold Coast estate historian historian Paul Mateyunas told the newspaper.
Cornelia Guest, a designer, animal activist, and caterer, who was named "Debutante of the Year" in 1982, is the daughter of C.Z. Guest and Winston Guest, a polo-playing cousin of Winston Frederick Churchill Guest and a Phipps steel heir. She inherited the house from her parents, who hosted notables including Cornelia's godparents, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the Kennedys, Truman Capote, and Andy Warhol.
She told the New York Times that she listed the house because she "wanted a place to make my own memories now." She moved to a 450-acre property in Copake, New York, where she launched an animal rescue organization for donkeys and mini horses called Artemis Farm Rescue.
"Of course, I feel a little sad, but I have a lot of wonderful memories from Templeton and nothing could ever take those away," she told Newsday upon learning of Templeton's demolition.
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