There Is A Gorgeous McDonald's On Long Island (Really!)

In 1985 McDonald's purchased an old Georgian mansion at 2045 Jericho Turnpike in New Hyde Park, Long Island. After locals protested their plan to demolish the historic building (which at the time was falling apart), the company restored it and housed their business inside, creating the most beautiful place one can procure a Shamrock Shake. The McDonald's has been around for a couple of decades now, but we just learned about it from Scouting NY, who happened upon the landmark recently, and noted, "I practically expected a maitre d’ to greet me as I went inside."

The house (known as The Denton House) was built around 1795, and updated in the 1860s, and the original owners were descendants of Richard Denton, a Presbyterian minister who helped to found the village of Hempstead in 1643. According to its McHeritage, after World War I it was no longer inhabited by the Denton family, and became a restaurant.

In 1926

This certainly isn't the first fast food chain to set up shop inside of a landmarked building—Arby's and a number of other businesses have taken over the old Gage & Tollner space at 374 Fulton Street in Brooklyn.

Here's a shakey-cam look at the inside, which is also pretty gorgeous, even if it smells like clogged arteries: