The Chancellor's Mansion: A Renovation Story of Family, Home, History, and Mystery

by Jamie Arty

The breathtaking story of one family's journey to restore, renovate, and preserve a historic mansion. It's a million-dollar project with gorgeous potential—and many challenges.THE CHANCELLOR'S MANSION was built by William Townsend McCoun, a public servant and abolitionist in New York City. The once-grand house on a hill in Oyster Bay, Long Island, had been abandoned for years. Many would have torn the property down and built something new on the land. But Jamie and Frantz Arty realized the house had more to give.The couple purchased the home, moved in, and began period-specific renovations at the height of the pandemic, with their parents and three young children in tow.The Artys were determined to see their dream project come to life, in spite of its a tree growing through the living room floor, a roof on the verge of collapse, and a snapping turtle stuck in a stone-lined hole on the grounds. And those were the easy fixes.While renovating, Jamie learned that the chancellor had a Black servant by the name of Sophia Moore. Her headstone Born a slave in the state of New Jersey, bought her Freedom and for 25 years was a faithful friend and servant to the family of William Townsend McCoun. She is buried alongside the chancellor and his family —unusual for the time.The Chancellor's Mansion is not only an incredible historical play-by-play but a story of a house, the many families who have occupied it, and what it means to create a home.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

345 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 15, 2025

Reviews

[Liralen · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a toddler and brand-new twins, Arty's family was bursting out of their house. She and her husband were desperate for space, somewhere their kids could be kids, maybe somewhere big enough to fit Arty's in-laws instead. They weren't really looking for a project—but oh boy did a project find them.

Every room was strange and unpredictable. And precarious! Among the nine bathrooms we found, one large bath had clearly once been elegant, with a marble fireplace, hand-painted tiles in a shell motif, and 1940s-era wallpaper covered in swooping swallows, kingfishers, and lily pads. Another bathroom, narrow and tight, had a cast-iron clawfoot tub, but also wall-to-wall newspaper covering an enormous hole in the floor. It was like an Indiana Jones movie, some places in that house, where any step you took could make something fall on you, or swing something at you, or drop you into somewhere else. (loc. 576*)

Imagine buying a house without any real way of knowing ahead of time how many bathrooms it had, let alone how many rooms total. (The answer to the latter part of that equation: 32.) I mean, also imagine calling the 2,200-square-foot place next door a "small cottage"—while I have zero doubt that that space felt small when seven people were living there, the house I grew up in was about 1,400 square feet for five people, so I did have to laugh. If 2,200 square feet is a "small cottage", did I grow up in a shack? Or is "small cottage" only relative to 32 rooms?

But I digress. As a house renovation story (one of my favourite memoir subgenres, and yes, I know that's weird), this is charming and also a great vicarious experience. Arty's voice is strong—she worked with a ghostwriter, but this feels genuine—and she takes a balanced perspective on the desire to restore vs. the need to bring things into the modern age.

The real bonus here, though, is that Arty is also interested in the history of the house, and more generally of Black people in the area. One of the reasons she and her husband ended up with this particular house—which they stumbled across on their own—was that more than one realtor tried to limit them to less desirable houses in less desirable neighbourhoods (never mind what they could afford); she talks openly about the experience of navigating real estate while Black and then dives deep into what it would have been like to be Black in that area in the past. I'm ashamed to say that I'd either forgotten or didn't know in the first place how long it took for the "free" states to be actually free; I knew, of course, that the Fugitive Slave Act (among other things) could effectively turn free states into slave states, but not that it took New York and New Jersey about as long as the South to abolish slavery.

All of this is relevant to the book—Arty traces the history of the people who owned the house before her family, and the history of some of the people who worked there, and the slave trade is, ah, very relevant. I love that this house is in new hands, and that Arty and her family can make something new of it—preserve what should be preserved, make note of what no longer needs to be there, memorialize the people who would otherwise be forgotten, and bring new life into the house.

One thing that is missing for me, though: what do you do with 32 rooms? How do you even begin to fill that much space? And good golly, how do you even begin to keep it clean? I like dreaming of big houses (I live in a one-bedroom apartment), but when I think of ways to use that space that I would actually use, I kind of run out of ideas after "home library" and "home gym". (Maybe "second home library"...) And then I think about the fact that I need to dust my small apartment, and I get overwhelmed even by that. I guess it's just as well that I'm only living vicariously through house-restoration memoirs...

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

*Quotes are from an ARC and may not be final.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! While I'm by no means any kind of expert, I enjoy stories of old houses being restored to something resembling what their original builders intended (though, of course, by no means perfectly - as Jamie Arty points out, no one is going to return to the days of outhouses!). The journey that Arty and her family embark on to restore and frame this old house into a home that fits their family's needs was a brilliant story, and one I'm so glad she shared with us. I was fascinated by her research into the house's history and the people who once lived (and died, in some cases) there. An amazing book.

[Dawn M · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would’ve been amazing as a coffee table book. I would’ve loved to have seen before and after photos in color not the few black-and-white photos that are in the book specifically, the Easter egg dining room. You really can’t tell what color it is. I grew up in the area and I love learning about the history of the Townsend and McCoun families. The book was researched and detailed, but I felt at times it would veer off from the restoration of the home to the current climate with racism on Long Island.

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Chancellor’s Mansion by Jamie Arty is several interesting stories in one. The first story is about the Arty family and their need for more living space. Their hunt took them to Oyster Bay in Long Island, New York. A once grand but now dilapidated estate became their project. The house and grounds were overgrown and held secrets of the previous owners, from belongings to terraced gardens, all things the Arty’s had to sift through to even begin the great repairs needed. I enjoy a good renovation story and this was no exception. Good contractors, bad contractors, unforeseen issues like holes in the yard, leaky pipes, and a host of other issues are shared.

The house was built by William Townsend McCoun a NY judge and abolitionist. There were lovely period details, such as crown moldings, curving staircases, large fireplaces and original kitchens found in the house, along with a lot of detritus, left by previous owners. New owners came and went, some adding details, such as porches and drop ceilings, that had to be removed to restore the house’s integrity. The Arty’s were forced to make decisions about what to replace or restore, what colors to paint to make the house theirs.

I was very impressed with the historical details of the house as well as details of the political climate of the times. Arty goes into extensive and well researched information regarding slaves and their owners, detailing a woman named Sophia Brooks, who purchased her freedom and then became
A valued member of the household and family. She was buried in the McCoun family plot, a true testament to her devotion to a family and their devotion to her. The history portions of the book were well thought out and very well written.

The Chancellor’s Mansion is an interesting story on so many levels. It shows the love of family and the love of history, but most of all, what makes a house a home.

[Lovelymisanthrope]

I received this in a mystery bag of a few books.
"The Chancellor's Mansion" follows Jamie Arty and her journey to restoring a mansion for her and her family to call home. When Jamie and her husband put in an offer on a run-down mansion, they had no idea how much work they were about to undertake in order to get it up and livable again. Additionally, they could not anticipate how much history was lurking behind those walls and what they would learn about their own family during the restoration process.
As someone who is in her home buying journey, I thought this book was really interesting and inspiring. Buying an old home and restoring it to its former glory is definitely admirable and I am sure it feels incredible to be able to see it when it is done, but there are always more work and issues that arise than originally planned for or expected.
One element of this story that I think is important to point out is the racism that Jamie and her family faced along the way. It was disheartening to hear how them being a black family caused people to underestimate them and their home buying potential. Additionally, I cannot believe agents would try to dissuade them from buying a home just because they are black.
This book was so enjoyable to read, and I think it is a great book for anyone who enjoys homes restorations, or who is simply trying to find their family a forever home.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely incredible! The funding! The history! The total restoration of an abandoned once beautiful mansion! Even just painting 32 rooms! The decorating! The landscaping! Straining the daily life on property with a young family! The expense!! The history!
The property when they began as urban explorers had been abandoned and in an abysmal state so the prospect of dealing with all that needed to be done was absolutely mind boggling. There was also finding out ALL of the history of the building and all of the people involved in its creation and those who once lived there. Think of an onion as they peeled layer after layer of the property's history and surprises both amazingly good and breathtakingly bad. BUT THEY DID IT. Then came putting it all together in photos and prose and getting it out there for all of us to appreciate. Excellent!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from Hyperion Avenue | Andscape Books via NetGalley. Pub Date Jul 15, 2025 ***** review @goodreads @bookbub #photographs
#TheChancellorsMansion by Jamie Arty @making_over_a_mansion @hyperionavebooks @netgalley @disneybooks #Renovation #Family #Home #History #Oyster Bay #Long Island
#abolitionist #landscaping @NYPL #bookshop_org @the.storygraph @librarythingofficial

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Houses can be fixed.”

I LOVE renovating and designing and making a space your own. So I was swiftly caught up in the story of the Chancellor mansion and the Arty family that brought it back to life.

I will say, though, that I ended up putting the book down and doing a google deep dive into how the house turned out. And it is STUNNING! Which left me quite disappointed that there were no color pictures in the book. There are black & white shots of the state of the house upon its purchase. But it really would have added so much to have a clear and crisp visual of the transformation. Maybe more of a coffee table type book.

From a mansion with holes in the roof, broken windows, lead paint on the doors, and a moderate hoard situation to a beauty with so much color and life, I am in awe of this transformation. The grit and determination of Jamie and Frantz Arty to make this historic home something special is admirable and so inspiring. And I loved their love of the historic graveyard on their property, too. Old things tell such a story if you’re willing to listen, don’t they?

Definitely read this if you love historic houses, renovations, and money pit type scenarios. But for SURE make sure you watch the videos of the finished product. They are so amazing I may just go and watch some again. 🏡 👏🏻🤩

Thank you to @tlcbooktours for the gifted copy.

[Barbara Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good story about a black family's renovation of a very old chancellor's mansion. Took a few years to renovate; also lockdown caused a delay. The family did a ton of research on the original builder. I loved the story, but parts of it going back and forth between the stages of renovation, and inserting historical stories on original owner, made it a bit difficult to follow these changes.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first heard about this book on CBS Saturday and I was amazed at the beauty of their restored home. Their backstory of finding and renovating the home was indeed interesting but the historical facts to me was overwhelming. I know our country was built on the backs of enslaved people and the climate of our country has been, and will continue to be, a tale of two opposing narratives. So, even though I enjoyed the book, I cannot give it a 5-star rating.

[Sheri French · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a memoir, sort of, about a house and a family that restores it. It’s an unusual way to tell a story, but it works. Jamie Arty must have the energy of five women! She exhausts me thinking of all she is trying to do! History is complicated and messy and I enjoyed all the forays she took with the story into history of the times, the house and the people. The way she honors those who have gone before and the integrity she brings to the restoration are really something!

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing story! The architectural history as well as the history of the house are well developed. I only wish more pictures were included in this ARC. After hearing all the changes, I wanted to see more because my imagination only goes so far.

Thank you to GoodReads, the author and the publisher for this ARC

[Kerrie Padeken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, Honesty,Determination and Grit Jamie Party has it all, I'm so glad I read her book!!!!

I loved this book because Jamie Arty is down to earth and so honest about her feelings, she's also pretty funny at times. I'm really happy for her and her family , they worked really hard for their dream and it came true!

[TG W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, this story.

[Carol Funfar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as a giveaway. I enjoyed the parts about the Arty family and the current restoration but feel that the history of the mansion got a little lengthy.

[Michele Amsdill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apparently she can write about anything! Fascinating to discover the history of this home in the pages of this book. A well-written story.

[Mike Belay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very beautiful family and home

[Cee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is much more than a tale of home renovation. It’s a history lesson too. The history of slavery in New York and other northern states was shocking. I truthfully picked up this book mostly because of the cover-a beautiful family and a beautiful house. I was very pleasantly surprised about the depth of coverage. The author’s writing style was very smooth and relaxing. I definitely recommend this book especially so if you have an interest in American history.

[Beverlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun, interesting and well researched book! I expected the journey of the house revival but didn't expect the detailed research that the author does on the history of the property and its previous inhabitants. I am always curious as to the history of a property and wonder about those that went before, and the author digs and digs to answer the questions to the best of her ability.

Such a beautiful family story wound through the rebuilding of the home!!


Thank you to Hyperion Avenue | Andscape Books and NetGalley. for the chance to read this book!

[Randal White · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really surprised me! I read a lot of home improvement books, as well as any that come onto the television. My wife and I watch the shows together and offer our critiques throughout the show. There's a formula most books/shows follow, inserting the drama and ta-da moments we have come to expect.
And that's why this book surprised me! The author did not follow the formula at all. Sure, there is plenty of dramatic moments, but they don't feel forced or unbelievable. Arty adds so much more to the story than is expected.
Arty and her husband are on the search for a new home to raise their children (and for the in-laws). They come across an almost fairy-tale like dilapidated mansion. The home was abandoned for years, and so full of '"stuff", they couldn't even be sure of how many rooms were in the house. And it also came with an additional, smaller home for the in-laws.
I enjoyed reading Arty's story, she is a very good writer. What I most enjoyed, and was surprised by, was her research into the home's history. She really outdid herself with that! I was fascinated reading about the earlier owners, the presence (or not) of slaves, the old cemetery, and the hidden spots (in the house) to hide slaves who were escaping on the Underground Railroad.
Throughout the book, the author's still manage to live their lives, raise their children, and not lose their sanity. I don't think I could have done it!
This is a well thought out book, excellently written, and has a pleasant "flow" to it. I highly recommend it to people who are interested in old houses, renovations, and history.

[Joan James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! I will probably read it again in to make sure I didn't miss anything.