Historic East Hills statue to be restored

The nearly identical Horse Tamer statues once stood facing each other in a formal garden and plaza at the Mackay Estate in what became the Village of East Hills. Now one is returning to its former glory; the other, crumbling.

The Mackay silver fortune did not last and the Gold Coast mansion was demolished in 1947. The statues, modeled on the Horses of Marly now in the Louvre in Paris, were split up.

One ended up in an East Hills back yard after the property was subdivided and developed. The other was restored and moved to Roslyn High School by a local artist in the 1950s. Weather and inattention eventually broke down the Tennessee marble from which they were carved.

Both statues depict a rearing horse, with a man by its side trying to control the animal. One has a limestone pedestal, the other is brick. Both tamers have lost their heads, though it's unclear when. The carved date is illegible, though Roslyn Landmark Society executive director Franklin Hill Perrell said they were likely created between 1910 and 1921.

The East Hills Horse Tamer was donated to the Town of North Hempstead in 2010 and the landmark society agreed to raise money for its restoration, estimated at $100,000.

It is expected to get its head back this week. By the end of the year, the 25-ton statue should be ready for display at its new home in Gerry Pond Park in Roslyn, said Hugh Tanchuck, owner of North Shore Monuments of Glen Head, which is restoring the statue.

The landmark society is willing to offer advice and technical assistance in restoring the school's statue, but can't take on fundraising.

"We're a small organization and we really stretched our resources and our friends to finance this one," Perrell said. "We're not in a position to take on the second one."

In addition to missing the man's head, the statue in front of the high school has lost an arm. The horse has no front hoofs and part of its side has fallen away. It's held together with red straps.

"That's not going to hold it indefinitely," said Barry Edelson, director of community relations for Roslyn Public Schools.

The school is hoping an alumni, parent-teacher organization or other group might take on the cost of repairs. "It's a big-ticket item and there's always so many other needs in the schools," Edelson said. He estimated restoration costs at $100,000, excluding moving the statue from its pedestal. "It's kind of a fixture."

The horse and school occupy a portion of Mackay land donated to the school district in the early 1900s.

Tanchuck secured the school statue with straps after a piece dislodged. "It has a lot more things we have to do [than the other statue], but it can be restored," he said.

Restoration saves pieces of public art that represent a golden age of Long Island roots, Perrell said. "From an artistic standpoint, it's got a certain . . . craftsmanship that sets it apart."

THE HORSE TAMER STATUES

Carved between 1910 and 1921, they were modeled from The Marly Horses, which once stood on the Champs-Elysees in Paris and now are housed in the Louvre.

They originally stood in the grand garden of the Clarence Mackay estate in what is now East Hills. The estate was demolished in 1947.

One ended up in an East Hills back yard after the property was subdivided and developed, and was later donated to the Town of North Hempstead. The other was moved in front of Roslyn High School.

The North Hempstead statue is being restored.

The Roslyn High School statue is crumbling.