A time tunnel, smelling of fried foods. This is how the McDonald’s restaurant that works with digital kiosks could be defined within a historic mansion from 1795 on Long Island (NY).
Denton House -located at 2045 Jericho Turnpike, New Hyde Park- is considered a historic landmark, but it was about to be demolished. Go on standing and inhabited, but not as many would like to see it.
Often called the “most beautiful” McDonald’s in the United States and the world, It is a large white mansion with a portico, a double staircase style “Gone With the Wind” and even a dining deck with glass dividers to block out the noises and smells of the neighboring Jericho Turnpike on the Nassau County.
The palatial “McMansion” was originally built in the late 18th century as a country home for Joseph Denton, a descendant of one of Hempstead town founders.
Since then it has served multiple functions throughout the centuries, including as funeral home and headquarters of several restaurants, before falling into disrepair towards the end of the 20th century, according to Atlas Obscura.
In its decline, the ruined building was bought by the McDonald’s corporation around 1985, who planned to demolish it in order to erect an original one. “When we took over this building, it was a disaster, a real eyesore,” McDonald’s New York regional vice president commented at the time, citing New York Post. “There were pigeons everywhere. We had to gut the building, tear it down to the rafters. “
The news obviously did not sit well with the residents of the city, who campaigned for years to save the mansion, as it was one of the few remaining historic buildings in the neighborhood.
McDonald’s capitulated after conservationists designated the building as historical heritage in 1988. The multinational company then enacted a multi-million dollar campaign to restore it in exchange for permission to build a drive-thru in order to serve customers from their cars.
The restored mansion reopened in 1991 as a McDonald’s, becoming the only franchise restaurant of its kind in the US housed in a completely renovated building.
At the time the owner said he wanted to “put tablecloths and small battery-powered candles on the tables on Friday and Saturday nights” so that the young people could use it as romantic dating place. The newlyweds have even organized wedding photos there, as reported in 1997 Los Angeles Times, across the country. Since then it has not changed on the outside, although it has obviously been modernized on the inside and, for many, it is a tourist stop to eat and walk.
similarly, the denton house mcdonalds in long island pic.twitter.com/WX8QSah5uR
— room + (@roomposts) July 8, 2020
McMansion: Inside the world’s ‘most beautiful’ McDonald’s https://t.co/azra0j443r pic.twitter.com/2hpCByRbqP
— New York Post (@nypost) April 20, 2021
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