Homewood
175 Warner Avenue, Roslyn Heights
This Colonial Revival was built for Charles Willis in 1923. Later, it was owned by industrialist William Prentice Willetts (1890-1964). Willets served as a partner in the White & Stanley stock brokerage firm and president of Airology, which focused on understanding weather. His sister Marion Willets married his neighbor George Ellsworth Brower who lived next door at Locust Hill. Willetts is buried in the Roslyn Cemetery.
Homewood's dining room and library are clad in oak and pine paneling and the main hall floor is inlaid with quarry tiling. The home is now adaptively reused as part of Shibley Day Camp.
William Prentice Willetts. Courtesy of the Bryant Library Local History Collection
Then (1926) & Now (2021): The easement entrance to Homewood. 1926 photos courtesy of Sea Cliff Village Museum and Robert L Anen.
2 Comments
What a treat to see the 1926 images of Homewood. I was facilities manager there and lived on the property over 35 years! Must have plowed that drive a thousand times. A few points: If one looks closely at the house in 1926, the wing to the left has not yet been built. That along with some other additions were added later. (Also noted on the blueprints.) I do believe the house was built for W.P. Willetts from the start. (Again noted on 1923 blueprints.) More research is needed on Charles Willis as original owner. Going out on a limb here, but I think he was actually the builder. Lastly, just a tidbit. Verizon destroyed the right brick column when installing FIOS. Obviously has since been reconstructed! Again, thanks for the photos. After Sandy I had doubts if the camp would reopen that year!
So beautiful