Centre Island, New York recent comments:

I installed the 1st alarm system in the Ansary's house late 79 early 80s that was a huge house and the "boat" stern on the shore behind the built in pool was amazing we also alarmed that guest house something that I wish I could have in my back yard, it was gone last time I looked back in the late 90s demolished? Storm damage? True treasure anyone know what happened to it?

Jack, would you happen to have any pictures of the estate?

I have copies of many E R Knowles lantern slides from the Bromell side of the family.

I have been a regular boater in Oyster Bay for the last 40 years, and have a friend who dated the owner's daughter of this house in the 80's. I am pretty sure this house was not razed in the early '90 (possibly the beach house, but not the main). Conversely, I watched in amazement as the west Centre Island Oliver's Point House (~1/2 mile west of Yeadon) was demolished and rebuilt - to what finally looked astonishingly like the original house - around the early 90's...but the main Yeadon house I can't remember ever being drastically changed.

I'm also related to Bejamin. George Bullock was my Great grandfather.

This house is currently owned by Billy Joel. He renamed it 'Middlesea'. 'Middle C' was the first note he learned on the piano.

The house never belonged to Princess Ashraf Pahlavi. It was bought from the Gubelmanns by Ambassador & Mrs. Hushang & Maryam Ansary in 1979. The house was bought by the Altschuls partly because Mr. Altschul was not very mobile any more and the two-story house was equipped with an elevator.

Kenneth E Knowles III, if your watching. I am your 2nd cousin once removed, from the Ludlam,Smith, Sullivan line. I have pictures of the Big House, Charles Dutcher Smith, your ancestors and mine. R Jeff Barth

I think " The Anchorage" was the Weeks house.

Mine too

Had the privilege of staying in this house in the 80's with a group of thought leaders involved in the sport of Sailboarding. Gordon and Claude and the cats on the stove were gracious hosts and supporters of efforts to create a training system to bring new people into the sport. Recall a screening room in the basement of a guesthouse as well. Great memories !

"Who needs a house out in Hackensack?" Thank you for sharing this history which I discovered while researching my family tree. I am descended from Benjamin Bullock of Yeadon, West Yorkshire, England. In fact, my father is a Benjamin as well.

This property is now the home of famed American songwriter Billy Joel.

We lived on the estate when I was a child. My sister was born on the estate. We have many stories.

Centre Island had some classic american success stories. Gubelmann "the father of calculating machines", Oelsner who started time chartered shipping, Kohler - hydrolic jacks, Remington - foundation company and typewriters and quite a few more.

Thanks for this. I have now found the obituary in the NYT, which confirms it is the same person. He designed a dynamo electric machine for a 1883 electric typewriter designed by Bryon Alden Brooks.

According to the NY Times 5-FEB-1935 "Oyster Bay, NY. Edward R. Knowles,engineer and inventor who assisted in the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, died tonight at his home on Centre Island near here." ... "He was survived by a daughter Mrs. Estelle K. Smith." I know that Augusta Knowles did live there as per property records. I have no other reference for Edward owning a home on Centre Island. The Huntington Long Islander noted a sale of 2 acres from A.L.Smith to K.E. Knowles in 1918. I suspect Kenneth Knowles was the builder and his father was staying there with his daughter in law in 1935 when he died.

Just a bit confused here. Kenneth Emerson Knowles "resided here AFTER Sr Mr Knowles's death". Yet you say Edward Richardson Knowles died in 1935, and Kenneth Emerson Knowles in 1925? Do you know if this is the same Edward Richardson Knowles who was born in California in June 1851, graduated from the Polytechnic Institute of NYU, 1870-71, designed search lights for the US Navy and invented the storage battery? I think it may be.

Alfred Bromell(1863-1925) married Josephine Brumley (1864-1917) in 1883. Josephine's older sister was Mary Elizabeth Brumley (1853-1923). Both Joesphine and Mary Elizabeth were children of Jerome Brumley(1825-1870) and Mary Duff(1836-?). Mary Elizabeth was married to Edw. Richardson Knowles in 1875. They had Kenneth Emerson (1886-1925) and Estelle May (1895-1969). Estelle May married Alfred Bromell in 1915 and then Charles Arthur Smith(1894-1973) in 1928. Sources are various including NY Times, Bklyn Daily Eagle, Census, etc. Let me know what you think is incorrect.