This is Hempstead House today: In comparison, the below picture
was taken in 1940, shortly after Hempstead became a home for
refugee children from England, who had been sent to the US
because of World World II. The caption reads: “Huntsmen three
play safari in the jungle that once composed the formal garden.
Pith helmets were produced when children, used to English
climate, complained of America’s awful heat.” At this point, the
mansion had been shuttered, and was only opened at the
Guggenheim’s request. Life Magazine did a story in their July
22, 1940 issue about the situation (a month shy of 70 years
ago). According to the article, Hempstead House was just a
temporary stop until the children reached planned destinations.
However, it soon took on a new role as an orphanage. Compared to
today (note the dead grass where the above path once was): When
they left, the Guggenheims took everything, from statuary to
furniture, and the Navy wasn’t much kinder on the place.
Luckily, much of the first floor has been re