Town Boards Up Vanderbilt Mansion After Months Of Vandalism

OAKDALE, NY —On Monday morning, workers from the Town of Islip could be seen boarding up a historic mansion that's been the site of what local residents say has been months of vandalism and break-ins.

Idle Hour, a Vanderbilt family historic mansion, was part of Dowling College's Oakdale campus until it closed, leaving the site empty and attracting teenagers and young intruders.

Residents of the surrounding Idle Hour neighborhood told Patch last year that continued vandalism led them to create a neighborhood watch to monitor the empty landmark.

According to the Oakdale Historical Society, the neighborhood watchers will continue to be active. The group posted on Facebook:

"Vanderbilt's Idle Hour Mansion was boarded up yesterday by order of the Town of Islip. Work is continuing today. This included the fire escape which was a point of entry for vandals. We are thankful for this long-needed intervention. Neighborhood Watch will continue their nightly vigil to be sure that everything remains secure. If you see something, do not hesitate to call 911 and report illegal activity. Working together we can save this historic landmark."

The site is still owned by Mercury International LLC, which bought the closed campus in 2017 and has been continually cited by Islip Town for failures to maintain the property. No immediate plans for its development are known.

What would you like to see happen to the historic Idle Hour mansion? Tell us in the comments.