Killingworth

Written By Dino DiPietro

Here’s the early-to-modern history of the Killingworth estate (also known as Underhill Farm) on the North Shore of Long Island, located in Lattingtown/Oyster Bay:

🏡 Colonial Origins

  • The estate’s name comes from Captain John Underhill (1597–1672), a professional soldier who played a pivotal (and notorious) role in the Pequot War of the 1630s. He was rewarded by the English Crown and settled on a 150-acre tract along Oyster Bay, naming his new home “Killingworth” after his ancestral estate in Warwickshire, England. [amanoutoft...ournal.com], [bing.com]

  • A historic marker on Bayville Road in Lattingtown commemorates the approximate site of Killingworth and notes Underhill’s significance as a military leader, statesman, and pioneer. [bing.com], [amanoutoft...ournal.com]

🏠 Early 20th Century Transformations

  • Around 1922, industrialist and diplomat Myron C. Taylor (1874–1959) — who chaired U.S. Steel — acquired and significantly enlarged the original pre-Civil War farmhouse on the property. [Old Long I...lingworth'], [amanoutoft...ournal.com]

  • Renowned architect Harrie T. Lindeberg oversaw the renovation, adding:

  • The estate’s landscape design was crafted by Ferruccio Vitale & Geiffert, with contributions from Annette Hoyt Flanders, centered around a 6-acre lake overlooking the home. [Old Long I...lingworth']

🎬 Cultural and Modern Notability

  • In the mid-1960s, the lavish setting of the Taylor‑expanded mansion was used as a filming location (“Poplar Lodge Sanitarium” scenes) in the movie Lilith (1964) starring Warren Beatty and Jean Seberg. [amanoutoft...ournal.com], [Old Long I...lingworth']

  • Though the original Underhill-era home is long gone, the 1922 mansion (Taylor’s Killingworth) remains and reflects layers of architectural evolution—from colonial settlement to Gold Coast expansion.

📌 Summary Timeline

1630s–1672 Captain John Underhill establishes Killingworth estate.

c. 1790s–Pre‑1922 Original farmhouse survives through centuries.

c. 1922 Myron C. Taylor renovates and dramatically enlarges property.

1964 Mansion featured in film “Lilith.”

The estate embodies Long Island’s transformation—from colonial frontier to Gold Coast luxury—carrying traces of military, architectural, and cinematic history.

Dino DiPietro