The Farm House

Carl Holmes was a co-heir to the Fleischmann Yeast Company and for many years served as the President of the Holmes Foundation in Manhattan, a charitable organization established by his mother in memory of his father. In 1938, he married the English-born former Broadway actress Nancy Ryan (who only hours before had divorced Daniel Hagood Haynes) but also found himself in court wrangling over a $300,000 trust fund with his exotic ex-wife, Lemma, who he claimed was still married to her second of four husbands.

Carl and Nancy wintered in the Bahamas and summered at Glen Cove where they built a smaller house on the property to put up their staff of ten that they ferried to-and-fro. Carl inherited his mother's passion for floriculture and all of the garden to the right of the swimming pool was dedicated to growing flowers to be displayed in the house. They were also said to have transplanted the twelve-odd Weeping Hemlocks still seen in the gardens from a previous home - most likely Holmes' recently sold property in England.

Carl's third marriage to Nancy was a blissful success. She died here in May, 1983, and just over a year later Carl also died here too. Neither of them had any children and the house was presumably sold soon thereafter, and while its unclear who has lived here since, subsequent owners have continued to care for it and the house remains in excellent condition. If you can help fill in the gaps in its ownership, please leave a comment below.