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| © Old Westbury Gardens, Jim Large |
February is always a romantic month and a time for grand gestures, but many of the residents of the North Shore took gift giving and wedding proposals to a whole new level.
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| © Old Westbury Gardens |
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| © Old Westbury Gardens |
Most memorable was John S. Phipps's wedding proposal to his future bride Margarita Grace. To fully convince her to leave her beloved England, Phipps promised to build her an English-style home and garden like the one she would be leaving behind.
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© Old Westbury Gardens
Halcyon Days by Peggie Phipps, Richard Gachot, 1905 |
He did not disappoint, after their wedding the couple broke ground and began construction on Westbury House (now Old Westbury Gardens).
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| © Old Westbury Gardens, Richard Cheek |
Margarita’s beloved walled garden stands a reminder of that romantic promise and inspires countless visitors to the gardens every year.
