Box Hill Estate
Why it's listed
Box Hill is a country estate west of St. James on Long Island, set on a rise above Stony Brook Harbor. Architect Stanford White bought a simple mid-19th century farmhouse and a tract of land after his 1884 marriage, then remodeled and enlarged the house three times, in the 1880s, 1890s and around 1900. The result is a rambling, multi-gabled house covered in pebble-dashed stucco, with neo-colonial cornices, quoins and a columned veranda. Inside, White mixed a green tile staircase, split bamboo walls, gilded Italian columns and a dining room hung with majolica plates and Delft tiles. He also laid out formal boxwood gardens and designed shingled outbuildings, including an orangerie, carriage house and octagonal water tower. The estate was listed as a record of White's personal tastes and of the social world around him. His son Lawrence Grant White later enlarged the house, and the main block remains as White left it.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the estate is an invaluable record of Stanford White's personal design tastes and of the social setting of his time. Its interiors illustrate his belief that seemingly incongruous good elements can be combined harmoniously. White remodeled the house three times and designed the grounds and several outbuildings himself.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 73001276, listed December 4, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NW of St. James on Moriches Rd., St. James |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | December 4, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001276 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 19th Century |
| Architect / builder | Stanford White (McKim, Mead & White); later enlargement by his son Lawrence Grant White |
| Architectural style | Neo-colonial detailing (described as neo-Colonial mode) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Main house remains as Stanford White created it; some other structures are in varying condition and the family sought ways to preserve them. Used as a private residence; stable converted to an apartment in 1960. |
| Acreage | 20 |
| Coordinates | 40.89041, -73.17735 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 73001276.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4951529
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.