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Ruled a natural death by heart attack, some think his second wife, Doris, was a government agent who poisoned him. Doris had Van Tassel’s body cremated and all his papers and documents were taken before the family was even told the visionary airplane mechanic had died. Throughout the home, the ceiling beams radiate out from the central point like spokes on a wheel. If one were prone to drinking, the potential spinning sensation could easily become overwhelming in this place. It is a monument to eccentricity, and a surprise- to be sure- as the product of the mind of a comedian and not that of a science fiction writer.
A Brief History of the UFO House
See Inside Jackie Gleason's Upstate New York Spaceship House - Q105.7
See Inside Jackie Gleason's Upstate New York Spaceship House.
Posted: Tue, 12 Oct 2021 07:00:00 GMT [source]
From the marble staircases and curving kitchen to the winding bar that can accommodate up to 14 people, each detail was built to honor Gleason’s lifelong love of space and science fiction. Between the main and guest house, there are five bedrooms, six baths, a library, card room, an office, and 7,450 square feet of living space. Gleason’s home is 50 feet in diameter and was constructed by a shipbuilder in an airplane hangar, disassembled, and then moved to the site.
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This consent applies even if you are on a corporate, state or national Do Not Call list. What were the materials used in the construction of the UFO house? The house’s frame was made of reinforced concrete, and the walls were constructed using a combination of concrete and steel. The circular shape of the house was achieved by using prefabricated concrete panels that were assembled on-site. Gleason’s interest in UFOs and his proximity to the area played a significant role in his decision to build the UFO house there.
Jackie Gleason’s UFO-shaped mansion hits the market for $12 million - Boston.com
Jackie Gleason’s UFO-shaped mansion hits the market for $12 million.
Posted: Fri, 03 Aug 2018 07:00:00 GMT [source]
How sweet it is! Jackie Gleason house for sale in Cortlandt Manor
How was the UFO house constructed, and what materials were used? The construction of the UFO house was a unique and challenging project that required a team of skilled architects, engineers, and builders. The construction process involved the use of advanced techniques and materials to create a structure that resembled a flying saucer.
By the time the TV made its way into millions of American living rooms, Gleason was one of the medium’s first true stars. His show featured a live orchestra, singing and dancing numbers, and a recurring cast of characters. Most impressive, perhaps, is the kitchen with its stainless-steel appliances and glass cabinetry following the curve of the room.
The two-story wooden building is ringed by a rotating wheel of metal spikes. To avoid interference with its conductive properties, it is metal-free. Using The Honeymooners star’s love of outer space and UFOs as inspiration, architect Robert Cika designed the house and an adjacent cottage in Cortland Manor, New York, from scratch. Everything in the two buildings — nicknamed “The Spaceship” and “The Motherhsip” by Gleason — is circular, with the structure supported by exposed wooden ship beams spiraling out from the middle. He also added a third level to the home, including a second bedroom and bathroom, contracting with the original architect and using the same marble. The home today has 3,950 square feet — though the original measurement of its 50-foot diameter still holds.
The Surrounding Area and Its Significance to Gleason and UFO Lore
All the flooring curves with the wood, and has been bent to a circle fashion using a steaming machine. The house includes tens of thousands of pieces of wood, all curved by hand. While other round houses in that era were typically supported by straight beams that met in the center of the ceiling, Gleason’s home featured exposed, canoe-shaped trusses that radiated out from the center. Gleason personally oversaw the project, which cost $650,000—roughly equivalent to $5.6 million today—and took five years to complete.
See Inside Jackie Gleason's Upstate New York Spaceship House
It was also where he housed his ever growing library on UFOs, parapsychology and the paranormal. “To the moon, Alice,” Audrey Meadows endured from Jackie Gleason’s bus driving comic hero Ralph Kramden in the golden age of TV classic series The Honeymooners, but the Great One might have known more than he was saying. The actor was so fascinated by UFOs and aliens he commissioned a spaceship-shaped houses in Peekskill, New York. He called the main house the Mother Ship, and he let Art Carney watch Captain Video in the guest house called the Scout Ship. The house, which was recently put on the market, wasn’t the only structure in America built to welcome incoming extraterrestrials, and that wasn’t the farthest Gleason went with his alien obsession.
Gleason, who rose to fame after landing small roles in 1940s movies and eventually landing a prime comedy slot on CBS’ The Jackie Gleason Show in 1949, took six years to build the house specifically to his liking. Even today, the Spaceship and the Mothership look like something straight out of the future — the stairs, curved floorboards, master bed and cabinets are all built as a spiral without a single right angle in view. The adjacent Barracks adds another 3,500 square feet with three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. “In every room, Jackie had designed beautiful Italian marble fireplaces that were half inside and half outside the house. Unfortunately, since they were crafted in Italy, he couldn’t find workmen in the United States to install them, so he had to import Italian laborers to do the job.
Used as a retreat from New York City, the Hudson Valley home includes a broadcasting studio so Gleason could work in a quieter environment. Commissioned by Gleason during the filming of The Honeymooners sitcom in New York City, the 8.4-acre property with its dramatic, rounded forms was in part a realization of the multi-talented actor’s love for UFOs. Luke Stangel writes about real estate, technology, and startups. His work has been published in the Mercury News, Contra Costa Times, and Silicon Valley Business Journal. Gleason started his career as a New York comedian and then got small parts in 1940s-era movies.
The peak at the top of the stairs houses an intimate seating area with round suspended fireplace. Sited deep into its wooded acreage, unspoiled views of nature are seen from almost all rooms, terrace and decks. And just think, Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe were in this house! He purchased the house and the eight acres it sits on for $150,000 in 1976! A man of diversified interests, there was another side to Gleason that wasn’t widely known and which he did not discuss publically. He built a series of spaceship houses - a main house, which he called the Mother Ship, a guest house named the Scout Ship, a round storage building and two swimming pools, all of which were completed in 1959.
'The Mothership' is the main, larger property, and 'The Spaceship' is a two-bedroom cottage that looks very UFO-like. Old House Life started as a Facebook page and has grown into a hub for people who love historic houses and the preservation of history. We travel the nation touring and exploring historic sites and properties. But perhaps the most significant part of the Spaceship House is its history as a place of entertainment — Marilyn Monroe, Richard Nixon and Frank Sinatra have all partied in its halls at the height of Gleason’s fame. The current owner, a recently retired orthodontist, bought the house in 1976 for $150,000.
Airplane-grade steel provides the bones of the house, strong enough to support the weighty Carrara marble yet so delicately styled that the base of the supports were shaped to recall the toe shoes of ballerinas. The hillside estate was built not only to be the celebrity’s suburban playground — though it certainly was that — but an architectural wonder. The 8.4 acre property at 196 Furnace Dock Road is being offered for $12 million in a listing by Howard Payson, Margaret Bailey and Jackie Campanelli of Re/Max Town & Country. The house is currently off the market, but I'm sure the current owners would be will to hear an offer in the $12 million range. The house changed hands a few times after Jackie Gleason sold it to a CBS executive.
