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Weighing in at 109,000 square
feet and 126-rooms, Oheka |
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After Otto's death in 1934 the castle was sold to New York City who turned it into a retreat for sanitation workers. By 1948 all the land was sold off except the castle and 23 acres around it. It then became Eastern Military Academy. The military academy installed drop ceilings and drab panels, covering some of the castle's beauty. The academy shut its doors in 1979, leaving the castle to decay. Arsonists tried to set the place ablaze many times but were unsuccessful because of its fireproof concrete, brick and steel construction. Before constructing Oheka, another of Otto's homes burned, so he decided to make Oheka fireproof. Businessman Gary Melius bought the castle in 1984 and has since restored it. Now it serves as a wedding and conference hall, with elegant rooms for rent. |
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Otto was
a philanthropist who supported the arts, including motion pictures.
Charlie Chaplin was a guest at the castle on occasion.
The renovated castle now features a small pub dedicated to the memory
of Chaplin. Almost all of the wall space is covered by pictures,
illustrations, and other memorabilia of the comedian. The room is
nothing short of a shrine in Chaplin's memory. |
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 This
hallway was once the end of a tunnel that went all the way to the
nearby Cold Spring Harbor LIRR station. The tunnel was used to bring
workers to the castle. This arch is where the tunnel left the castle. |
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| Located on one of LI's highest points, the house had water tanks that supplied water to the neighborhood. The basement of this huge dwelling was quite impressive. Also located down here is the laundry area and the bakery. | The library shelves are made of concrete, though they look like wood. It's all about fireproofing. One of the panels was a door to a secret passageway. It was used by Otto Kahn to escape from dull gatherings. If it were still openable it would lead into what is now an adjacent woman's room. | |||||||||||||||||||
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was
once the second largest private dwelling in these United States.
Oheka is named after railroad financier, Otto Herman
Khan, who built the castle as
his LI residence in 1914. It took 5 years to complete. Otto Khan
built oheka after being denied membership to a nearby country club.
The property originally consisted of 443 acres, including a private
golf golf club.