Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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At just 29, a Gilded Age heir inherited a fortune worth roughly $385 million today, and turned it into “Wheatly,” a 650‑acre mega‑estate on Long Island with its own power plant, indoor pool, private squash court, and a maze of underground tunnels. In this episode of This House, Ken explores the rise and fate of the Morgan family’s country seat in Old Westbury, plus the Newport villa “Beacon Rock,” the yachtsman lifestyle, and how most of the estate was later demolished, with parts living on and the land becoming The Wheatley School.

Location: Old Westbury, NY

How we make our videos:
Camera: Sony a6400
Microphone: Shure SM7B
Audio Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
XLR Cable: Mogami Gold XLR Cable
Green Screen: Neewer Green Screen
Teleprompter: Neewer Teleprompter

Production Credits:
Scripts: Ken Weiss
Storyboard: Ken Weiss
Video Editor: Dalton Sturm

Public Domain Photos from: Library of Congress
Assets from: Envato Elements
Music from Epidemic Sound