8. Beacon Towers

Image from Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons

The Beacon Towers, also known as the Mrs. O. H. P. Belmont estate, was constructed in Sands Point, along the coastline of the north shore. Built in 1917 to 1918 for Alva Belmont, the ex-wife of William Kissam Vanderbilt and widow of Oliver Belmont, the estate was replica of an Irish castle. It was eventually acquired by William Randolph Hearst, who went on to sell the property in 1942. Three years later, the estate was demolished to make way for a new development.

Although now in ruins, during its heyday, the mansion appeared to be a wondrous Irish castle on the sand. Today, only some fencing and other various small components of the structure remain since its demolition.