Long Island, particularly the North Shore, was the site of some of the most lavish and extravagant residences in the world. The island's beauty, its proximity and easy travel access to New York, and its suitability for yachting and other recreational pursuits made it the perfect place for the leisure class. From the Civil War to World War II, almost 1000 estates were built there, often by the nation's richest families--Morgan, Vanderbilt, Hearst, Astor, Woolworth, Chrysler, Whitney, Tiffany, Frick, and Guggenheim, to name a few.Long Island's rich architectural history is presented in this important and long-awaited volume. It is at once a fascinating glimpse at the homes of some of America's wealthiest families and a complete compendium of the architects who designed these breathtaking houses. Among them are Delano & Aldrich, Cass Gilbert, Richard Morris Hunt, McKim, Mead & White, Horace Trumbauer, Calvert Vaux, and Warren & Wetmore.