Sagtikos Manor, where George Washington once slept, turns 325, revives tours after pandemic hiatus

It began as a modest four-room home before multiple expansions transformed it into a sprawling 42-room mansion on 1,200 acres. The British occupied it during the Revolutionary War. President George Washington slept there during his 1790 tour of Long Island. And, fast forward: almost two decades ago, the historic home was also featured in a Nicole Kidman movie.

Sagtikos Manor, Islip Town’s oldest home, which this year celebrates its 325th anniversary, has struggled to draw visitors due to the coronavirus pandemic, which shuttered mansion tours in 2020. The rambling West Bay Shore mansion, which relies on annual events for revenue, took a financial hit, manor docent Phyllis Chan Carr told Newsday.

Although there are no birthday plans, staff is working to reintroduce annual events to the public for the first time since 2019. Chan Carr hopes that reviving beloved events — such as the fall festival, antique show and Christmas tours — will showcase the "treasure trove of history" at Sagtikos. 

“Sometimes it’s not that easy to get people interested in history,” she said, adding volunteers have been creative with programming. A previous fall festival was themed "Mourning at the Manor," where visitors learned about Victorian mourning customs. 

While Suffolk County owns the 11,000-square foot home, the Sagtikos Manor Historical Society oversees daily operations and manages tours. During the summer, visitors can tour the mansion on weekends, where guides unwind the clock and transport visitors back in time as they walk through the maze of rooms, expansive garden and small cemetery plot. 

“When we reflect on the manor, we think about the preservation of history,” Chan Carr said.

Town historian George Munkenbeck said the manor and grounds have played witness to history, the development of the country and the growth of the town.

"Sagtikos Manor allows us to briefly meet the history of times, both good and bad, that shaped us as a nation and a town," he said. 

From four rooms to 42 

The manor was built by New York City Mayor Stephanus Van Cortlandt in 1697 before the Thompson-Gardiner family purchased it in 1758. The last Gardiner family member to own the home was Robert David Lion Gardiner. 

While the property is in decent shape today, that wasn’t always the case. Gardiner’s six-figure repairs were so costly they flagged an IRS audit. When Suffolk purchased the property for $1.5 million in 2002, the paint was crumbling, the porch was collapsing and the garden was an overgrown jungle. 

The top floor’s peacock wallpaper alone — a nod to the birds that once roamed the property — is estimated to cost up to $70,000 to repair. The two-story carriage house will one day become a visitor’s center, Chan Carr said.

Suffolk County did not respond to Newsday inquiries about the total cost of upkeep and renovations.

Three centuries later, the home is still cloaked in mystery. The historical society believes the manor might have been used for hunting lodging. Former servants’ quarters are stuffed with documents, clothing, trinkets and family heirlooms that the society is combing through in hopes of unearthing an exciting discovery.

"Sagtikos Manor is more than a place that was home to Van Cortlandts, Thompsons and Gardiners," Munkenbeck said. "It is also an observer of the history of our nation and Islip Town." 

By Brinley Hineman

brinley.hineman@newsday.com

Brinley Hineman covers the Town of Hempstead and the City of Long Beach for Newsday. She previously was a reporter in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a West Virginia native.