Community Corner
From West Hempstead to OHEKA Castle
West Hempstead native and owner of this iconic castle sat down with the Patch and gave us a private tour.
It is an icon of Long Island and defines the Gilded Age in America. It has breath-taking views of the hills of Huntington, its own majestic gardens and a long list of high profile guests.
The place is none other than Long Island's impeccable Oheka Castle, but it did not look so pretty when Gary Melius, of West Hempstead, first laid eyes on it.
Melius, the current owner of OHEKA Castle and native of West Hempstead, recently sat down with Patch to discuss growing up in West Hempstead and restoring the castle to its former glory.
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Melius has many warm memories of West Hempstead Growing up on Maplewood Street, he attended and , and recalled going to There was a little farm that was near Maplewood and West Hempstead Post Office at the time, he added.
Melius purchased OHEKA Castle in 1984, when it was in desperate need of renovation. At the time of the purchase, there was not even electricity in the building.
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“I am still not done with all the renovations,” Melius explained. Since 1984, he has invested around $35 million into the renovations, and still has another $15 to $20 million to go.
“I originally wanted to build condos inside the Castle, but after selling one to a friend I decided to change the plan,” Melius stated.
He also talked about some of the individuals he has met, which included Supreme Court Justice Scalia, Senator Chuck Schumer, and on every Thursday Melius has lunch with the head of the Independence Party.
“I have around 5,000 contacts in my phone book,” he bragged. “One of the greatest things owning OHEKA is the networking. I am a people person, so I enjoy meeting a lot of people.”
Melius does much for the community too. He has hosted Halloween, Fourth of July, and Great Gatsby parties.
“The first party I held was a Halloween party in 1984," he said. "It was when I first bought the house, and there were porta potties on the lawn and plywood was still on the windows. We did the party for a few years and all the money raised went to St. Francis Hospital."
OHEKA Castle has been the feature of many movies and television shows. The most recent production filmed at OHEKA was the television series Royal Pains on the USA Network
It is also world-class hotel and wedding venue, which has been Rated No. 1 on WE-TV’s Most Unforgettable Wedding Venues, and was featured on the show Platinum Weddings. Most recently pop singer Kevin Jonas (The Jonas Brothers) married his bride here and Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter was rumored to be planning to wed actress Minka Kelly at the castle too.
“It is a happy business,” stated Melius. “Happy couples come here to plan their big day,” he continued.
The castle is named after its original owner Otto Herman Khan.
“I tell the heirs of Otto Khan, that ‘I am just watching it for them; it is their home too,’” he added.
Melius concluded by saying “I consider myself extremely fortunate. I am a plumber from West Hempstead who didn’t go far in school and got lucky.”
After talking with Melius, Patch got an exclusive tour of the estate. From the bridal suites to the ballroom and gardens, check out the amazing pictures, including before and after photos of the renovation, in our gallery to the right.
