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Rafael Guastavino House
Bay Shore; Town of Islip, Suffolk County
landmark status: State and National Register-eligible.
threat: development
pressure and demolition (“tear-down”).
This unique 1912 residence was constructed
by Rafael Guastavino y Esposito, the son of Rafael Guastavino y
Moreno, the internationally acclaimed designer and builder of fireproof
structural vaults and domes. Rafael worked for his father until
1908 and then assumed control of the Guastavino firm. Under the
son’s leadership
some of the firm’s most daring and beautiful projects were
completed including the crossing of St. John the Divine, and the
Registry Room at Ellis Island. The Rafael Gustavino House embodies
the firm’s innovative work with the use of its signature
tile on the interior and exterior while the family’s origins
in Spain are recalled in the building’s Moorish design. This
waterfront property has been for sale for over a year and its location
makes its particularly vulnerable to the “tear-down” phenomenon
seen along the North and especially the South shores of Long Island.
In order to attract a buyer for the 1.2- acre property, the current
owner has expressed interest in offering a cleared site. The Town
has no landmark law as a tool to protect the property. The League
can assist with the creation and implementation of local landmark
provisions and advocacy at the local, state and national levels.
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