Did anyone ever question where the president of Stony Brook University lives? Well, Shirley Kenny lives in the pretentious Sunwood Mansion on the Long Island Sound in Old Field, a mansion that only people dream of. Who build this mansion? Stony Brook University spent $3,000,000.00 in "private funds" to rebuild this 10,000 square-foot home, after it was burned down in 1986. The article was printed in The Village Times Herald a local paper January 30, 2003, Volume XXVII, Number 46 p.A7. My question is why (in a public university) does the school pay for the president to live in a mansion and private village that is Very Expensive to live in? It would take over 30 students tuition to just pay for the taxes. Especially during a time of tuition increase, shouldn't they be helping the students? Kenny is quoted saying "a president does fundraising and that's why it's important to have a nice place people want to come to."(p.A7) I guess putting 3 million dollars toward making a nice hall for fundraising, and faculty and student use sounds like a dumb idea. If you want to see this mansion, you cant, its gated off and has security cameras and village officers on watch.

Here's some more information about the estate.

1919 Mount Grey Road, Old Field

This stately 40-room Tudor mansion was home to Mr. and Mrs. Frank Melville, Jr. A stone tower dominates the front facade over the main entrance. Once inside, take note of the beautiful wrought iron gates which lead to the rear gardens. Twenty-nine acres of grounds overlooking Long Island Sound include dense rhododendron, formal gardens, terraced walkways, and miniature fish ponds. Tiered lawns (once used for croquet) lead down to the beach, providing a clear view of Connecticut's shoreline across the sound. The gardens of this estate were once spectacular; the Stony Brook Almanac of 1947 called special attention to the yellow tulips, bloodroot, and Lenten roses growing here. The gardens feature brick walks, garden walls, and several reflecting pools which are being restored.

Inside, leading up from the main entrance, is a graceful spiral staircase which climbs the tower to the main rooms on the second floor and from there to the other upstairs rooms.

In 1958, Sunwood was donated to the State University of New York at Stony Brook by Ward Melville in hopes that a bit of antiquity of Long Island would be preserved. It was used today for small conferences, seminars, concerts, and University receptions.

In 1986 the mansion was completely destroyed by fire.