Bailey History
Bailey Arboretum sits on the former estate of Frank and Marie Louise Bailey. The property was donated to Nassau County in 1968 after Marie Louise Bailey passed away and has been under the care of the Friends of Bailey Arboretum since 2006.
Frank Bailey was the son of a physician and an amateur botanist was born in 1865 in Chatham NY. He attended Union College and graduated Phi Beta Kappa and started his career with the Title Guarantee Trust Company in Brooklyn NY doing Clerical work.
In 1911 Frank Bailey purchased his summer retreat, a one hundred year old house later called Munnysunk along with 40 plus acres in Locust Valley NY. Frank Bailey was a remarkable man, who overcame life’s obstacles to find wealth, health, happiness and to leave a living legacy. Frank Bailey was a self-taught horticulturalist and a true experimental scientist, creating one of America’s first private garden museums, a site for professional and amateur gardeners from around the world.
“What an amazing place to have within minutes from Bayville, Glen Cove, or Oyster Bay. If you want to get outdoors and get away from this screen, there are plenty of quick trails for a dog walk, or places to set up a picnic.”