7. Mill Neck Manor

Mill Neck Manor
Mill Neck Manor has been featured in television shows like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Gotham.

Mill Neck Manor sits amid an 86-acre scenic estate overlooking the Long Island Sound. The 34-room Tudor Revival-style mansion was used as a second summer residence by the cosmetic heiress Lillian Sefton Dodge and her husband Robert Leftwich Dodge, Designed in 1923 and built at the cost of $2 million, the Manor, inspired by English Gothic country houses, is two-and-half stories high with a flat roof and a full basement. Mill Neck estate features numerous examples of fine craftsmanship, since Dodge, being an artist himself, employed what he saw as the very best. The formal gardens were designed such that between the fountains and the temple, a sundial was formed which could be seen from the house. Also worthy of note, is that because of the acoustics of the temple domes of the garden — which was often used for courting — even soft conversations could be heard throughout the rest of the garden.

In 1949, the Lutheran Friends of the Deaf purchased the Gold Coast estate for $216,000. The organization founded the Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf there in 1951, which opened to 19 deaf boys and girls. However, the manor was vacated in 2001 when the organization moved to a new Deaf Education Center and has since then undergone renovations that have made it more suitable for hosting events. Today, the manor hosts tours, and also serves as a venue for events and weddings. It has also been featured in television shows like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Gotham.