Page 18 The story has it that Otto Kahn lived for a time in Morristown, New Jersey, but he and his family were shunned by the “Old Money” folks for being a self-made millionaire and the fact that he and his family were German Jews. Being one of the wealthiest men in the country he went and built Oheka, even including a huge gold course and then not allowing any “Old Money WASPs” to play. Personally I thought that this was a bad move on Kahn’s part as I never could grasp prejudice and I would have allowed WASPs on the course; but never allow them to play through. The name “OHEKA” is an acronym for Otto Hermann Kahn. After Otto Kahn died in 1934, the estate changed hands several times, serving as a retreat for New York sanitation workers, and a government training school for Merchant Marine radio operators. In 1948, the Eastern Military Academy bought OHEKA, bulldozed the gardens, subdivided the rooms and painted over the walls. After the school went bankrupt 30 years later, OHEKA stood abandoned, except by vandals who set more than 100 fires in 5 years. In 1936 Otto’s image was used for somebody we are all familiar with; the inspiration for the character “Mr. Monopoly.” In 1984, developer Gary Melius purchased OHEKA and the remaining 23 acres, which surrounded the estate and began the painstaking challenge of restoring the Castle to its original grandeur. These days you will find Oheka on television episodes of Royal Pains and the classic film Citizen Kane and many others. It is America’s #1 wedding venue and it is the weddings
DECEMBER 2012 • BACKROADS and events that keep the castle afloat in these hard times. The castle has 32 rooms and suites as well as a public bar and restaurant. With Shira’s birthday coming up we decided to take a ride east to the Long Island town of Huntington and Oheka. Riding through the gates, off Jericho Turnpike, and onto the original property that has been subdivided for very nice new home construction you do get the true feel for what Long Island looked like a century ago, before Robert Moses and the LIE ruined it forever. The long graveled drive is flanked by high trees and, riding through the arch to the main lot, you can be overwhelmed by how magnificent Oheka really is. The gardens created by the Olmstead Brothers are as gorgeous as they have ever been and the attention to detail and the passion that Gary Melius has poured into the castle is evident. And, he is not nearly done as a modern spa and expanded restaurant is in the works. Our room was spacious and very rich in feel and wandering about the castle was a pleasure by itself. Another guest commented to us how wonderful it was that you could actually sit down in rooms like the large library and enjoy Oheka, rather than be held off by ropes and Lucite barriers you find in so many historic places in these United States. Parked and unpacked we made our way around the grounds and then to the castle’s bar for a cocktail before adjourning to the dining