Is that a mansion? No, it's a McDonald's

Is that a mansion? No, it's a McDonald's Long Island residents' push for preservation saved a historic house and led McDonald's to design an unusual store. By Teresa at MSN Real Estate Jun 5, 2012 12:29PM Many of us have enjoyed a meal in a restaurant that was converted from an old home. But most of those meals didn't include Big Macs or any other fast food. In New Hyde Park, N.Y., on Long Island, you can eat your McNuggets and fries in splendor, in a mansion that dates to 1795 and has been converted to one of the nation's most attractive McDonald's restaurants. The architectural gem was spotted by Nick Carr, a film location scout who posted a number of interior and exterior photos on his blog, Scouting NY. Creative preservation He also tracked down the story: Known as the Denton House, its bones date back to 1795, when it was constructed as a farm house by one Joseph Denton, a descendent of the founder of the village of Hempstead. In 1860, it was given a Georgian makeover, complete with gingerbread ornamentation, and throughout the 1900s, found commercial use as a funeral home and a series of restaurants. By 1986, the building was abandoned and in bad shape. When McDonald's bought the property, the restaurant owner intended to tear the building down and build a traditional McDonald's restaurant. But citizens got the building declared a historic landmark. Based on an old photo, McDonald's restored the home to the way it looked in 1926. The inside of the house was gutted, and Carr was less impressed with the results. Still, from his photos I can see it looks more interesting inside than a typical fast-food restaurant. Yes, it has a drive-through. • Seeking to preserve a modern classic While a fast-food restaurant inside a historic home is unusual, it's not unheard of. In urban areas around the world, restaurant chains have had to adopt their traditional design to fit into historic buildings. The Guardian newspaper has 10 photos of fast-food restaurants in unusual buildings, including McDonald's outposts in Ireland, Portugal and Poland. Have you ever seen a fast-food restaurant in a repurposed old building? Was the atmosphere nicer? Tags: celebrity < Back to Listed Mike Levy (Mike_Levy) Jun 23, 2012 7:55PM I've been to this McDonalds. I pass it all the time. Its nicer then a normal McDonalds, but most stuff also costs more. Guess you gotta pay for the ambiance. Tearing it down would be a mistake, regardless. • 0 0 • Replies (0) ALLISON ROSALIE CLARK (MJCCOOKER) Jun 23, 2012 7:52PM YES.....IN AMSTERDAM , HOLLAND IN THE 70'S . THE McDONALD'S WAS IN AN OLD HISTORIC FIRE STATION AND IT WAS UPSTAIRS. IT TOOK UP THE TOP FLOOR OFTHE BUILDING AND THE FIRST FLOOR WAS A MUSEUM, AS I RECALL. IT WAS EXTREMELY CROWDED UP THERE AS PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE GLOBE CRAMMED THEMSELVES UP THERE TO GET A TASTE OF A 'BIG MAC'. IT WAS QUAINT TO SAY THE LEAST ! • 1 0 • Replies (0) Wyndi13 Jun 23, 2012 12:57PM Have I ever seen one? Yep, I have. Two that I specifically remember and are still there. One is in the old cite` of Quebec, you'll have to look hard for those "Golden Arches". Oh, and by the way, they serve Poutine, the Quebec 'national' dish! The second one is in Freeport, Maine, as you head out of the HUGE shopping area, away from the highway. It's on the lft, on a corner. I don't remmber if it has a drive-through, as I drive a 45ft commercial charter motorcoach, so drive-throughs aren't exactly on my list of things to do! It's in an old, restored house. The inside is very different from a traditional McD's, with nice seating and attentive staff. • 6 2 • Replies (0) colleton Jun 23, 2012 8:48AM Well...no matter what you think of Mcdonalds i'm glad to see an effort made to preserve old and historically precious buildings and architecture. If the coporate world would make more of an effort to restore and revitalize existing buildings rather than construct bland clones over and over again this nation would actually preserve some of it's former character,the type character that we are losing everyday to box buildings that have absolutely nothing to offer visualy or culturally at all. I realize many times renovations are not as cost effecient as new construction...but when it's cost feasible to revitalize existing structures,over demolition and construction of some banal nightmare of cinder block and steel i think every effort should be made to do so. I never thought i'd say this. LOL ...but Thank you Mcdonalds for not erecting yet another lifeless testament to our epidemic loss of class and culture! More • 24 2 • Replies (0) Devilboy_chris Jun 23, 2012 8:45AM It is a pretty house. I am glad to see someone was able to preserve it. They don't build them like that any more without a LOT of money. • 25 2 • Replies (1)