The Story Of The Billie Burke Estate In Hastings-on-Hudson

Long before it became a cherished neighborhood gathering place, the Billie Burke Estate in Hastings-on-Hudson was the home of one of Hollywood’s most beloved actresses. Billie Burke, remembered by generations as Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz, owned the picturesque property for decades, creating a place whose beauty and sense of wonder continued to inspire local children long after she had moved away.

“Meet ya’ at The Tree!” kids would call to their friends. “The Tree” meant only one tree, the giant copper beech on the Billie Burke Estate in Hastings-on-Hudson. By 1970, the year of her death, Billie Burke, who was famous as a radio performer, silent film actress, Ziegfeld Girl, and Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, no longer owned the property. It changed hands a few times after she sold it in 1940, yet it is still uniquely her land, where children made magical memories daily.

There was something about those twenty-two acres that enthralled the imagination and ignited a childlike sense of wonder. Those who lived there may remember seeing teenage photographers working on school projects, roaming the Billie Burke Estate to artfully capture the peaceful landscape with their trusty 35 mm cameras. This was back in the day when it took time, talent, and patience to compose and develop a stunning photograph. Old pictures and sketches, lost in transition or put away in boxes, give silent testimony to this ethereal place where days of the past and present tangle in time. Life really was simpler as kids were free from many of today’s electronic distractions. Going to play on the Billie Burke Estate was just what the children did for amusement.

There was so much to see and do. The smaller kids couldn’t wait to get big enough to scale that big tree with a mighty trunk that circled six feet in diameter. Some called it the “Elephant Tree”; some dubbed it “The Tree of Knowledge.” It was pretty awesome, whatever you called it. Kids climbed or sat in “the” tree, which was big enough to hold two friends who shared their hopes and secrets. On crisp autumn days, young football players would be inspired by the tall branches to practice throwing higher passes. Quite a few passes of the more personal kind also happened under that giant copper beech, it being the perfect spot for lovers to steal a kiss.

Although the estate was a local hangout, the neighborhood kids respected the land and did not trash it or vandalize the grounds or on-site buildings. They treated it gently because it was an extension of their home. It was a special, sacred place. The Billie Burke Estate was easily accessible from backyards on Broadway (Albany Post Road) and surrounding avenues. During the 1950s and 1960s, Hastings was growing with families moving out of the New York boroughs.

By 1970, Hastings had become quite a mini-metropolis, yet you could still let your kids go out into the neighborhood to play, dream, and explore. There are still so many stories to be told of the fun had on the estate all year long. Snow days were amazing, according to one former Hastings resident. He laughed as he recalled that one time it snowed so hard and so deep that you could sled straight on for half a mile, all the way down to Broadway. There was a new type of sled, the Snurf board, and while California kids were catching waves, Hastings youngsters were “snurfing” the freezing powder on the Billie Burke Estate.

Mary William Ethelbert Appleton Burke, known professionally as Billie Burke, bought the property in 1910 at age twenty-four as a home for herself and her mother. The daughter of a performer, she grew up around the entertainment industry and became famous as a dancer and as both a silent and talking film actress. Once married to her famous husband, Florenz Ziegfeld of the Follies, she lived in New York City for a while.

After the birth of their daughter Patricia, the family moved to Hastings full-time in 1916. They named the home Burkeley Crest. Flo and Billie built a two-story playhouse for Patricia, modeled after George Washington’s Mount Vernon, using leftover set pieces from one of Ziegfeld’s grand productions. Billie loved children, and local historians say she often took neighborhood youngsters, along with her daughter, on trips to the Bronx Zoo in her fleet of Rolls-Royce automobiles.

Celebrities and reporters frequently visited the era’s famous couple at their beautiful estate. At one time, there was even an elephant, a couple of bears, and a buffalo family living on the property. They were part of Ziegfeld’s plans for an entertainment attraction. While the animals caused concern among some local residents, they were later relocated to the Central Park Zoo. Most of the neighborhood, however, came to regard them as unique neighbors.

Even before the Burke-Ziegfeld household made Hastings-on-Hudson their home, the community had long attracted notable residents, including nineteenth-century astronomer Henry Draper, whose family built an observatory on their property. What better place to study the stars than just twenty miles from New York City, where the night sky was not obscured by gaslights and pollution? With convenient access to all the excitement of Manhattan, Hastings remains a desirable commuter community for those who appreciate city culture while enjoying a quieter, greener setting.

Sadly, in 1940, after her husband Flo passed away, economic necessity forced Billie Burke to sell much of her personal property, including the pastoral treasure known as Burkeley Crest. Although Billie Burke had received tremendous acclaim for her role as Glinda in The Wizard of Oz, her husband’s debts were considerable. Stories have circulated over the years claiming that Billie Burke donated the land to the National Trust or the local school board; however, these stories are untrue.

Billie Burke was known as a kind and generous person, but she simply was not in a financial position to make such a gift. Although she had to part with Burkeley Crest, one can easily imagine Glinda smiling down as she watches generations of children enjoy her former property. Her mansion was demolished to make room for the home of the new owner, Dr. Jacques Gerard, who built a distinctive cream-colored mansion accented with French-style blue tile.

The local school board later assumed ownership of the property, although debates continued over how the town could maximize tax revenue from the land. Some of this controversy became the subject of the 2016 rock opera album Burke Estate Blues by the group Hudson. The album serves as a tribute to the historic property, and its creators encourage listeners to experience the work from beginning to end, much like Tommy by The Who. The story begins whimsically before taking a darker turn as it explores the uncertain future of this treasured land.

No matter who has possessed the deed since 1910, it has been, and always will be, the Billie Burke Estate. The good times enjoyed by the Hastings kids, many of whom are now nearing or well past retirement age, are still alive in their memories. There is a Facebook tribute page dedicated to the Billie Burke Estate, as well as other online communities created by Hastings residents, past and present. There is even a one-man musical act, performer Andy Liotta, who calls himself The Billie Burke Estate, a stage name inspired by his childhood memories of sledding there with neighborhood friends.

The closing track on his 2005 album, Giving It All Away, simply titled “Love Song,” features haunting lyrics set to a moving piano melody. The mood it creates perfectly complements the memories of those fortunate enough to have experienced those carefree days. The innocence of picking wild berries from the brambles and forming lifelong friendships beneath “the” tree remains an enduring part of the estate’s legacy. After all, it was “just a little while ago,” because once childhood passes, time truly does seem to move faster with every passing decade.

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Article updated on June 26, 2026