The House Of Justice Horatio Gates Onderdonk From the collections of the Manhasset Public Library History Center

e Onderdonk family was one of the rst Dutch families to settle on the North Shore. As early as the 1700s members of the Onderdonk family became prominent, successful businessmen, and large land owners in Manhasset.

At the entrance to the North Strathmore development on Northern Boulevard stands the four-columned Greek Revival-style house that Justice Horatio Gates Onderdonk built in 1836. Horatio married his cousin Elizabeth, daughter of George Onderdonk, and lived at this house with their six children, farm laborers and servants. George was the son of Adrian Onderdonk (1726-94) and a very successful businessman owning a cotton factory at Cow Neck. Elizabeth died in 1857. Two years later, in 1859, Horatio married Anna Kouenhoven Cortelyou and had two sons.

A graduate of Columbia University, Horatio Onderdonk became a judge of Kings County in 1848. His position as Judge as well as proceeds from the Wilmington, Charlotte and Rutherford Railroad in North Carolina made him a very wealthy man. He was also known as a generous philanthropist.

Upon Horatio’s death in 1886, his son Andrew Joseph from his first marriage took title to the house. He and his wife, Annie Frost had no children and eventually the mansion was inherited by George O. Linkletter, grandson of Judge Onderdonk, son of his daughter Anna.

Anna Onderdonk married Justus Linkletter on August 20, 1876, at the age of 37 years old. Her only child, George, was born on June 25, 1880. Anna died in a carriage accident on Feb. 7, 1885. Her sister,

Catherine Elizabeth, married Anna’s husband and raised Anna’s son George. Both the Judge’s first wife Elizabeth and their daughter Anna are buried in the Christ Church cemetery, one block away from the house.

George O. Linkletter, a lawyer by trade, was a leader in the Manhasset community, serving as President of the Manhasset Board of Trade, Treasurer of the Manhasset Bay Branch of the American Red Cross, Director of the Nassau County Cancer Committee and director of several banks. He married Elizabeth Kearsley Wysong and had three children: Elizabeth (Mrs. John T. Ricks), George O., and James.

The Onderdonk house was sold in 1932 to “Levitt and Sons Builders” who were responsible for the Strathmore development. They, in turn, gave the mansion to the Strathmore Association, who have been responsible for its upkeep. Grant funding received from the Natural Heritage Trust in the 1980s allowed for the restoration of the lower gutter, lower roof, one column and the porch of the house. Due to the efforts of Barbara Juliane Cordovi the house was put on the National Register for Historic Places in 1980 in time for Manhasset’s tricentennial celebration. In 1985, it was designated as a historic site by the Manhasset town board.

—The History Center at Manhasset Public Library